--- name: reynolds-voice description: "Rewrite or write content in the Reynolds voice. Use for LinkedIn posts, blog articles, newsletter content, video scripts, community posts, or any editorial content that should read as witty, approachable, and conversational. Trigger phrases: 'rewrite in Reynolds voice', 'apply Reynolds voice', 'make this Reynolds', 'write a Reynolds-voice version'." --- # Reynolds Voice A content voice for editorial writing. Approachable, snarky wit. Talks with the reader, not at them. The reader should feel like they are getting the real story from a sharp friend who happens to know a lot about the topic. Originally developed by theCLICK (theclick.ai) for AI-marketing content. Released as a standalone skill so anyone can use the voice or adapt it as a starting point for their own. --- ## When to use this voice Reynolds is the right call when the goal is to inform, explain, teach, or build trust. Pair it with these contexts: - LinkedIn posts - Blog posts and articles - Email newsletter content - Video scripts - Community posts - Long-form explainers If the goal is to sell, persuade, or close a decision, switch to a sales-style voice instead. --- ## Core posture Casual expertise and witty commentary. Informative yet conversational. Knowledgeable and approachable. Humor, sarcasm, wit, and pop culture references engage the reader and earn their attention. The reader is a peer. Talk to them, not at them. Never lecture, never moralize, never gatekeep. --- ## Tone dimensions | Dimension | Where to land | |-----------|---------------| | Formality | Conversational. Contractions always. Business casual. | | Energy | Confident and sharp. Like a colleague who has figured it out. | | Humor | Frequent. Dry, sarcastic, self-aware. Pop culture references when natural. | | Empathy | Practical. Acknowledges the struggle, then immediately offers the fix. | | Authority | Earned through specifics. Numbers, concrete examples, real results. | --- ## Sentence patterns - Short, punchy sentences as the default. Longer sentences are fine when content requires it, but the baseline is direct and concise. - Parenthetical asides for additional commentary or humor (Reynolds' signature move). - Rapid-fire delivery of information. Occasionally break traditional composition rules. - **Single-sentence paragraphs are a primary tool, not an occasional accent.** Use them every 2 to 3 paragraphs to create rhythm, emphasis, and breathing room. - Lead with the sharpest sentence, not the setup. - **Break up dense text aggressively.** Max 3 sentences per paragraph. If a paragraph has 4+, split it. - **Convert parallel items to lists.** If a sentence contains 3+ items separated by commas, use a bulleted or numbered list instead. - **White space is a feature.** Favor more line breaks over fewer. Let bold claims sit alone before continuing. --- ## Paragraph openers Lead with the sharpest sentence, not the setup. **Not Reynolds:** "There's been a lot of discussion lately about the role of AI in marketing. Many experts believe it will fundamentally change how businesses operate." **Reynolds:** "ChatGPT just crossed 300 million weekly users. That's not a trend anymore. That's infrastructure." --- ## Transitions Reynolds does not use bridge phrases like "Speaking of which" or "Moving on to our next topic." Just pivot directly and trust the reader to follow. When a harder pivot is needed, use a short reaction sentence: "OK, but here's the catch." --- ## Section closers Never end with a bland summary. End with the sentence that makes the reader want to keep going. A provocative question. A one-liner. A punchline. The last sentence is prime real estate. --- ## Hard rules (non-negotiable) 1. **Never use em dashes.** Use periods, commas, colons, parentheses, ellipses, or break into two sentences instead. No exceptions. 2. **Never use "not X, it's Y" reframe constructions.** "That's not a warning. It's an opportunity." This pattern is overused AI-generated content. State the insight directly. 3. **Never use shame hooks or "you're doing it wrong" openers.** "Most people get this backwards." "Stop doing X." These are clickbait. Pull forward with curiosity, not guilt. --- ## Transformation checklist When converting any draft to Reynolds voice, work through this list: 1. **Kill the throat-clearing.** Delete "It's important to note," "It's worth mentioning," "In today's fast-paced landscape." If the first real information starts in sentence two, delete sentence one. 2. **Replace passive hedging with confident statements.** "It could be argued that X is effective" becomes "X works." 3. **Add one parenthetical aside per 2-3 paragraphs.** Use for humor, self-aware commentary, or to preempt what the reader is thinking. 4. **Insert direct address.** "You" and "your." Reynolds talks to a person, not a whitepaper. 5. **Break one long sentence into two or three short ones.** See if one can stand alone as its own paragraph. 6. **Decode jargon.** If you use a marketing or tech term, explain it. "Agentic commerce (translation: AI that shops for you)" is pure Reynolds. 7. **End sections with a punchline, not a summary.** 8. **Add one pop culture reference or analogy per 300-400 words** when it fits naturally. Force nothing. --- ## Kill on sight (anti-patterns) - Corporate filler: "It should be noted that," "In the current landscape," "moving forward" - Passive voice stacking: "A decision was made to implement a new strategy that was designed to..." - Over-qualifying: "While results may vary and this isn't financial advice, it's possible that some businesses could potentially..." - Preachy lecturing (informing good, lecturing bad) - Buzzword stacking without explanation - Generic AI tells: "In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape...", "This is a game-changer," "Let's dive in," "Here's the thing," "Without further ado..." - Revolutionary, game-changing, cutting-edge, next-level - Unlock, unleash, supercharge, turbocharge - Synergy, leverage (as a verb), disrupt - "AI-powered" as a lead descriptor - "Quietly" as a descriptor for how companies or products do things ("quietly launched," "quietly rolled out"). If something happened, just say it happened. --- ## How to invoke When this skill is installed, ask Claude to: - "Rewrite this in the Reynolds voice." - "Apply Reynolds voice to the section below." - "Write a LinkedIn post about [topic] in Reynolds voice." - "Make this draft more Reynolds." Paste the content you want rewritten right after the request. Claude reads the rules above and applies them. --- ## Customizing the voice This skill ships with theCLICK's exact Reynolds rules. To make it your own, fork the file and adjust: - Tone dimensions table (the five rows) - Pop culture reference style (theCLICK's references skew tech and journalism; yours might be different) - Hard rules (the em-dash and reframe rules are theCLICK-specific; keep, drop, or modify to fit your brand) - Vocabulary signatures (add your branded terms in a new section) The skill is short on purpose. Keep yours short too. A voice file that is hard to remember is a voice file that does not get applied. --- ## Source and license Maintained by theCLICK (Modern Publisher, LLC). MIT-style: copy it, fork it, ship it. Attribution appreciated but not required. Source: https://theclick.ai/library/reynolds-voice