voice-extractor · diff
git:20260225.733acad to git:20260308.5724749
136 added, 143 removed. Audit A to A.
---
name: voice-extractor
description: Extract and document someone's authentic writing voice from samples. Use when someone needs a "voice guide," wants to capture their writing DNA, or needs to train AI to write in their style. Also useful for ghostwriting, brand voice documentation, or onboarding writers.
---
# Voice Extractor
- AI-generated content all sounds the same. The fix isn't better prompts — it's teaching the AI how you actually communicate.
+ Here's the thing about AI-generated content: it all sounds the same.
- This skill extracts your communication DNA from writing samples and produces a Voice Guide: documented, tested, and ready to use.
+ Generic. Safe. Forgettable.
- ---
+ The fix isn't better prompts. It's teaching the AI how YOU actually communicate.
- ## Context Loading Gates
+ That's what this skill does. You give it writing samples, it gives you back a Voice Guide — your communication DNA, documented and ready to use.
- **Before extracting, collect:**
+ **Why this matters:** Once you have a Voice Guide, every piece of AI output sounds like you. Not like ChatGPT. Not like every other founder on LinkedIn. *You.*
- - [ ] **Writing samples** — minimum 3 samples OR 500 total words (see priority list below)
- - [ ] **Purpose of voice guide** — AI training? Ghostwriter onboarding? Team alignment?
- - [ ] **Confidence zones** — Any topics where they want to sound more/less authoritative?
- - [ ] **Known anti-patterns** — Any words or phrases they already know they want to avoid?
+ ---
- **Sample priority (most → least authentic):**
- 1. Casual Slack or email (raw, unedited voice)
- 2. Podcast or call transcript
- 3. LinkedIn posts or articles
- 4. Website copy (often edited, less authentic)
+ ## Mode
- **Minimum sample gate:** If samples total under 500 words, stop:
- > "These samples are too short to extract reliable patterns. Please add 2-3 more — emails, Slack messages, or transcripts work best. The messier and more casual, the better."
+ Detect from context or ask: *"Quick voice snapshot, full Voice Guide, or full guide with examples?"*
- Do not attempt full extraction from under 500 words. Offer quick mode instead.
+ | Mode | What you get | Best for |
+ |------|-------------|----------|
+ | `quick` | Top 5 voice characteristics + 3 do/don't rules | Fast style reference, single piece |
+ | `standard` | Full Voice Guide: tone, vocabulary, rhythm, structure | AI training, ghostwriting, brand documentation |
+ | `deep` | Full Voice Guide + 10 sample rewrites + writing rules checklist + AI training examples | Onboarding writers, building a brand voice system |
+ **Default: `standard`** — use `quick` if they just need a fast reference. Use `deep` if they're onboarding a ghostwriter or building a content team.
+
---
- ## Phase 1: Sample Quality Assessment
+ ## What You Need to Start
- Before extracting, reason through:
+ Get me 3-5 writing samples. More is better. Could be:
+ - Emails you've sent
+ - LinkedIn posts
+ - Articles or blog posts
+ - Transcripts of you speaking (podcasts, calls)
+ - Slack messages (often more authentic than polished writing)
- 1. **Sample authenticity:** Are these samples from edited/polished contexts (website, press) or raw contexts (Slack, email)? More polish = less authentic voice.
- 2. **Sample variety:** Do the samples cover different contexts (professional, casual, educational)? Single-context samples produce single-dimension voice guides.
- 3. **Exclusion check:** Identify and flag patterns that are NOT the authentic voice:
- - Platform formatting tics (LinkedIn line breaks, Twitter brevity forcing)
- - Typos and autocorrect errors
- - Phrases borrowed from others (quotes, retweets)
- - Unusually formal writing (legal docs, press releases)
- 4. **Sample size adequacy:** Is there enough material for full mode, or should I use quick mode?
+ The messier and more authentic, the better. Transcripts of you talking are gold — that's where your real voice lives.
- Output a sample assessment:
- > "I have [X samples / Y words] to work with. Quality: [high/medium — why]. I'll use [full/quick] mode. Excluding: [any patterns and why]."
+ Also tell me:
+ - What's this voice guide for? (AI training, ghostwriter, team alignment)
+ - Any topics where you want to sound MORE confident vs. more exploratory?
---
- ## Phase 2: Core Energy Extraction
+ ## How I Extract Your Voice
- Identify the fundamental communication mode:
+ ### Step 1: Find Your Core Energy
- **Role:**
- - Teacher (breaks things down systematically)
- - Challenger (pushes back on assumptions)
- - Cheerleader (builds confidence and momentum)
- - Straight-shooter (cuts through BS efficiently)
+ Every person has a natural communication mode. I'm looking for:
- **Default energy:**
- - Calm authority ("Here's what works.")
- - High enthusiasm ("This is exciting — let me show you.")
- - Understated confidence ("I've seen this a hundred times.")
+ **What role do you naturally play?**
+ - The teacher who breaks things down?
+ - The challenger who pushes back?
+ - The cheerleader who builds confidence?
+ - The straight-shooter who cuts through BS?
- **Recurring themes:** What topics appear unprompted across samples? These are the things they actually care about.
+ **What's your default energy?**
+ - Calm authority ("Here's what works")
+ - High enthusiasm ("This is exciting, let me show you")
+ - Understated confidence ("I've seen this a hundred times")
+ **What do you actually care about?**
+ I'll look for themes that repeat across your samples. The stuff you can't help but talk about.
+
---
- ## Phase 3: Phrase Extraction (Systematic)
+ ### Step 2: Steal Your Phrases
- Scan all samples and extract:
+ This is where it gets specific. I'm hunting for:
- **Transition phrases** (how they shift topics):
- - Quote exact examples from samples
- - Pattern: "Here's the thing...", "What I've learned...", "Let me put it differently..."
+ **Your transition phrases** — How do you shift topics?
+ - "Here's the thing..."
+ - "What I've learned is..."
+ - "Let me put it this way..."
- **Emphasis phrases** (how they land a point):
- - Quote exact examples
- - Pattern: "The reality is...", "This is the part people miss...", "Here's the actual problem..."
+ **Your emphasis phrases** — How do you land a point?
+ - "The reality is..."
+ - "What that actually means..."
+ - "This is the part people miss..."
- **Closers** (how they wrap up):
- - Quote exact examples
- - Pattern: "That's the move.", "Start there.", "You've got this."
+ **Your closers** — How do you wrap up?
+ - "That's the move."
+ - "Start there."
+ - "You've got this."
- ---
+ These become the cheat codes for anyone (or any AI) writing as you.
- ## Phase 4: Confidence Zone Mapping
+ ---
- | Zone | Description | Language Markers |
- |---|---|---|
- | Full authority | Topics they're an expert in | No hedging, definitive statements, "here's what works" |
- | Earned perspective | Topics with experience but not mastery | "In my experience...", "What I've found..." |
- | Active exploration | Topics they're learning now | "I'm testing this...", "What I'm seeing..." |
+ ### Step 3: Map Your Confidence Zones
- Map their stated expertise areas to each zone. This calibration is what makes the voice feel real vs. one-dimensional.
+ Not every topic deserves the same energy. I'll figure out:
- ---
+ **Where you're an expert** (write with full authority):
+ - Zero hedging
+ - "Here's what works" energy
+ - Definitive statements
- ## Phase 5: Anti-Pattern Documentation
+ **Where you're experienced but not the expert** (write with earned opinion):
+ - "What I've found..."
+ - "In my experience..."
+ - Still confident, just not absolute
- Extract what they'd NEVER say:
- - Words that would feel wrong in their voice
- - Phrases that make them cringe
- - Tones they naturally avoid
- - Industry jargon they hate
+ **Where you're actively learning** (write with curiosity):
+ - "What I'm seeing..."
+ - "I'm testing this right now..."
+ - Excited but exploratory
- Source these from sample evidence where possible: "You never used [word] across [X samples] — it doesn't fit your voice."
+ This calibration is what makes the voice feel real, not like a one-note character.
---
- ## Phase 6: Validation Test (REQUIRED)
+ ### Step 4: Document the Anti-Patterns
- After extracting the full profile, generate 2 test sentences on the same topic:
+ Just as important as what you DO say is what you'd NEVER say.
- **Version A** (using the extracted voice profile):
- > "[Sample sentence in their voice]"
+ I'll identify:
+ - Words that would feel wrong coming from you
+ - Phrases that make you cringe
+ - Tones you avoid
+ - Jargon you hate (even industry-standard jargon)
- **Version B** (wrong voice — contrasting example):
- > "[Same content, different voice — shows what to avoid]"
+ **Example from my own voice guide:**
+ - Never use "synergy" or "leverage" as verbs
+ - Avoid hedging words like "maybe" or "possibly"
+ - Don't start sentences with "So," when writing (fine when talking)
+ - Cut "I think" — just say the thing
- Ask the user: "Does Version A actually sound like you when you're not overthinking it? What feels off?"
+ ---
- This validation catches extraction errors before the guide is put into production.
+ ## What You Get Back
- ---
+ A complete Voice Guide document:
- ## Quick Mode (`--quick`)
+ ```
+ # [Name]'s Voice Guide
- When samples are thin (300–500 words) or time is short:
+ ## Who You Are
+ - Core energy: [cheerleader/challenger/teacher/etc.]
+ - Natural role: [how you show up]
+ - Authority zones: [where you're the expert]
- 1. Read 3 samples fast
- 2. Pull 10 signature phrases
- 3. Note 3 things they'd never say
- 4. Write 1 sentence describing their energy
+ ## Your Signature Phrases
+ ### Transitions
+ [The phrases you use to shift topics]
- **Output:** Minimum viable voice guide.
+ ### Emphasis
+ [The phrases you use to land points]
- **Difference from full mode:**
- - Quick: ~10 phrases, 3 anti-patterns, 1-sentence energy descriptor
- - Full: Complete profile with confidence calibration, validated test sentences, and source-cited examples
+ ### Closers
+ [How you wrap things up]
- ---
+ ## Confidence Calibration
+ ### Full authority (no hedging):
+ [Topics where you're the expert]
- ## Phase 7: Self-Critique Pass (REQUIRED)
+ ### Earned perspective:
+ [Topics where you have experience]
- After generating the Voice Guide:
+ ### Active exploration:
+ [Topics where you're learning]
- - [ ] Are the extracted phrases actually from the samples, or am I inferring them?
- - [ ] Does the anti-pattern list include specific words/phrases, or just vague categories?
- - [ ] Do the validation test sentences demonstrate a real difference between in-voice and out-of-voice?
- - [ ] Is the confidence zone mapping specific to named topics, or just generic?
- - [ ] Would a ghostwriter be able to use this guide without asking follow-up questions?
+ ## What You Never Do
+ [Words, phrases, tones to avoid]
- Flag any issues: "The anti-pattern section only has 2 entries — not enough for a usable guide. I need more samples or direct input from the user."
+ ## Quick Examples
+ ### This sounds like you:
+ [Example in your voice]
+ ### This doesn't:
+ [Same content, wrong voice]
+ ```
+
---
- ## Output Structure
+ ## How to Use the Voice Guide
- ```markdown
- ## Voice Guide: [Name] — [Date]
+ **For AI training:** Paste the Voice Guide into your system prompt. Every output gets filtered through your style.
- ### Sample Assessment
- - Samples: [count, types]
- - Total words: [count]
- - Quality: [high/medium — reason]
- - Mode: [quick/full]
- - Excluded: [patterns excluded + why]
+ **For ghostwriters:** Hand it over on day one. Cuts revision cycles in half.
- ---
+ **For your team:** Now everyone knows what "on brand" actually sounds like.
- ### Core Energy
- - Role: [teacher/challenger/cheerleader/straight-shooter]
- - Default energy: [description]
- - Recurring themes: [list]
+ **For yourself:** When you're stuck, read it. It reminds you how you actually communicate when you're not overthinking it.
- ### Signature Phrases
- **Transitions:**
- - "[Phrase]" (source: [email/post])
- - "[Phrase]"
+ ---
- **Emphasis:**
- - "[Phrase]" (source: [email/post])
+ ## The 10-Minute Version
- **Closers:**
- - "[Phrase]"
+ Short on time? I can do a quick extraction:
- ### Confidence Calibration
- **Full authority (no hedging):**
- Topics: [list]
- Sounds like: "[example sentence]"
+ 1. Read 3 samples fast
+ 2. Pull 10 signature phrases
+ 3. Note 3 things you'd never say
+ 4. One sentence describing your energy
- **Earned perspective:**
- Topics: [list]
- Sounds like: "[example sentence]"
+ That's a minimum viable voice guide. Better than nothing by a mile.
- **Active exploration:**
- Topics: [list]
- Sounds like: "[example sentence]"
+ ---
- ### Anti-Patterns (Never Use)
- - [Word/phrase] — why: [evidence from samples]
- - [Word/phrase] — why: [evidence]
+ ## Real Talk
- ### Validation Test
- **This sounds like you:**
- "[Version A]"
+ The best voice guides come from messy, authentic content. Not your polished website copy — the email you fired off at 11pm. Not the edited article — the podcast where you riffed for an hour.
- **This doesn't:**
- "[Version B — contrast]"
+ Give me the real stuff. I'll find the patterns.
- ### Self-Critique Notes
- [Any gaps, things to validate with user]
+ ---
- ### Usage Instructions
- - For AI: Paste this guide into your system prompt
- - For ghostwriter: Share on day 1 — cuts revision cycles in half
- - For team: This is the benchmark for "on brand"
- ```
+ **Want a custom voice guide built for your business?**
+ → [Book a strategy call](https://brianrwagner.com)
---
*Skill by Brian Wagner | AI Marketing Architect | brianrwagner.com*