Setup style

Setup Style

When to Use

• User provides 2–3 sample papers, chapters, or paragraphs they like (their own writing or papers they admire)
• No meta/style/style-guide.md exists yet, or the user wants to replace it
• User says "learn my writing style", "analyze this paper's style", "I want to write like this"

Procedure

1. Collect sample writings

Ask the user to paste 2–3 samples. These can be:

• Paragraphs or sections from their own previous writing
• Excerpts from papers they admire
• A mix of both

If samples are already provided in the conversation, proceed without asking.

2. Analyze style dimensions

For each sample, examine the following dimensions:

Tone

• Formal vs. conversational: Does the author maintain academic distance or engage directly with the reader?
• Hedging level: Frequent use of "may", "might", "suggests", "appears to" vs. direct assertion?
• Stance: Does the author foreground their own argument ("I argue") or use impersonal constructions ("This paper argues")?

Sentence Structure

• Average sentence length: Short and punchy (< 20 words), medium (20–35 words), or long and complex (> 35 words)?
• Sentence complexity: Simple declarative sentences vs. embedded clauses and subordination?
• Variation: Does the author vary sentence length for rhythm, or maintain consistent length?

Paragraph Patterns

• Topic sentences: Does every paragraph open with a clear claim?
• Evidence integration: How is evidence introduced — "As X argues", "X finds that", "According to X"?
• Transition style: Explicit connectors ("However", "Moreover", "In contrast") vs. implicit flow?
• Paragraph length: Short focused paragraphs (3–5 sentences) vs. long developed paragraphs?

Vocabulary Level

• Technical density: How many field-specific terms per paragraph?
• Preferred abstractions: Does the author favor latinate abstractions ("utilization") or plain words ("use")?
• Register consistency: Does vocabulary stay in one register or shift?

Paragraph Template

Paragraph template means a fill-in-the-blank model paragraph, not just a structural description. Example:

本文认为___[核心立场]___。既有研究表明___[证据1]___（[citekey]）；___[证据2]___（[citekey]）。然而，___[复杂化/限制]___。因此，___[推论或研究问题]___。

Provide at least one such template in the style guide, derived from an actual sample paragraph.

Argumentation Style

• Directness: Does the author state claims directly before evidence, or build up to a conclusion?
• Hedging phrases: Specific phrases used (e.g., "suggests", "indicates", "it is possible that")
• Counterargument handling: Does the author preemptively address objections?
• Evidence sourcing: Heavy citation vs. selective citation of key works?

Formality Level

• Overall register: academic-formal, academic-accessible, or journalistic?

3. Handle bilingual projects

If the project language is Chinese (zh) or the samples include Chinese text:

• Capture Chinese-specific patterns separately:
  • Hedging phrases: e.g., "可能", "或许", "在一定程度上", "值得注意的是"
  • Typical sentence endings and connectives: "然而", "因此", "此外", "综上所述"
  • Whether the author uses "本文" vs. "笔者" vs. "我们"
  • Paragraph structure conventions in Chinese academic writing
• Capture English-specific patterns for any English sections
• Note where the author switches register between languages

4. Synthesize patterns into concrete guidelines

Extract concrete, actionable patterns — not abstract advice.

Good: Use hedging phrases like "suggests" or "indicates" before empirical claims Bad: Be appropriately cautious

Good: Open each paragraph with a direct claim sentence of 15–20 words, then support with 2–3 sentences of evidence Bad: Write clear paragraphs

Good (Chinese): Hedge claims with "可能" or "在一定程度上" before stating findings Bad (Chinese): Write in an appropriately academic tone

For each dimension, extract 2–4 concrete patterns with examples from the samples.

5. Write meta/style/style-guide.md

Create or overwrite meta/style/style-guide.md with the following structure:

# Style Guide

Extracted from: [list of sample sources]
Date: [today]

## Tone
- [Concrete pattern 1 with example]
- [Concrete pattern 2 with example]

## Sentence Structure
- [Concrete pattern 1 with example]
- [Concrete pattern 2 with example]

## Paragraph Patterns
- [Concrete pattern 1 with example]
- [Concrete pattern 2 with example]

## Paragraph Template
[Fill-in-the-blank model paragraph derived from sample text. E.g.: "___[立场声明]___，既有研究表明___[证据]___（[citekey]），然而，___[转折/限制]___，因此___[推论]___。"]

## Vocabulary
- [Concrete pattern 1 with example]
- [Concrete pattern 2 with example]

## Argumentation Style
- [Concrete pattern 1 with example]
- [Concrete pattern 2 with example]

## Hedging Phrases
[List of specific phrases extracted from samples, ready to copy]

## Transition Phrases
[List of specific transitions extracted from samples, ready to copy]

## Chinese Style (if bilingual)
- [Concrete Chinese-specific pattern 1 with example]
- [Concrete Chinese-specific pattern 2 with example]
### Chinese Hedging Phrases
[List: 可能, 或许, 在一定程度上, ...]
### Chinese Transitions
[List: 然而, 因此, 此外, ...]

## Formality Level
[One-line description: e.g., "Academic-formal; no contractions; impersonal constructions preferred"]

Fill every section from the actual samples — never invent patterns.

6. Confirm and suggest next steps

After writing the guide, tell the user:

meta/style/style-guide.md has been created with patterns extracted from your samples.

This guide will be read by draft (to match your style when writing) and review (to flag deviations). If you'd like to refine any patterns, edit the file directly — it's yours.

Suggested next step: run outline on the chapter you're working on, then draft.

Inputs

• 2–3 sample papers, chapters, or paragraphs (pasted inline or referenced as file paths)
• Project language setting from CLAUDE.md (to determine whether to include Chinese style section)

Outputs

• meta/style/style-guide.md — concrete writing style patterns with examples, organized by dimension
  • Tone (formal/conversational, hedging level, stance)
  • Sentence structure (length, complexity, variation)
  • Paragraph patterns (topic sentences, evidence integration, transitions)
  • Vocabulary level and register
  • Argumentation style (directness, hedging phrases, counterargument handling)
  • Chinese style section (if bilingual project): hedging phrases, transitions, structural conventions

Notes

• Style guide entries must be concrete: include example phrases or sentence templates extracted from the actual samples
• Never generate fictional examples — every pattern in the guide must be traceable to a provided sample
• For bilingual projects, maintain separate sections for Chinese and English patterns; do not conflate them
• The style guide is consumed by draft and review — keep it structured and machine-readable
• If the user provides samples from multiple authors with different styles, note the tension and ask which to prioritize, or create a "blended" profile with explicit trade-offs noted
• Recommend re-running setup-style after the user has written 2–3 chapters of their own — their style will evolve