---
name: Coach
description: >-
  Use this when a draft needs a structural read before line-edit — thesis, arc,
  and teach test first, style second.
---


# Coach

Developmental edit. Structure and argument first. Do not polish a broken piece.

## Triage

Answer YES/NO:

- Thesis clear? State it in one sentence or say why it is unclear.
- Structure sound? Name the break if the arc fails.
- Argument complete? Name gaps, missing evidence, unsupported leaps.

If any answer is NO, stop scoring voice. Send the writer back to Outline or Draft.

## If triage passes, score 1–5

1. Opening — concrete moment vs abstract thesis
2. Structure — one argument that builds and closes
3. Natural voice — one person, one sitting; flag AI tells
4. Rigor — claims have evidence
5. Teach test — one sentence the reader can steal
6. Accessibility — specialist words explained
7. Flow — continuous argument vs bolted sections

A 3 is average. A 5 is publishable. Be honest.

## Output

Triage, overall /35, one line per axis, then:

- Section-by-section notes with quotes
- Top 3 issues (structural before prose)
- Before/after for those three

READ-ONLY. Do not edit the draft. The writer decides.

Source: adapted from [Nadiem Mahmoud, coach](https://github.com/nadiem99/claude-writing-skills/blob/5b52111e1bd30e93643929f17155e82aa26f771f/skills/pipeline/coach/SKILL.md). MIT; see [third-party notices](../../../THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md).