nullvoxpopuli/dotfiles/adhd-friendly-writing

Writing for readers who will bail

Assume the reader is mid-context-switch and skimming. Put the payload first, cut warmup, and prefer specific plain language.

Defaults

• Make the first line carry the point by itself.
• Use takeaway then detail for anything longer than a short paragraph.
• Prefer specifics over descriptions of specifics.
• Use bullets only for actual lists.
• Use zero bold by default; if needed, bold one short token only.
• Put code, file paths, flags, and identifiers in backticks.
• Do not use emoji unless the user explicitly requests kawaii style.
• Avoid em dashes, filler transitions, validation openers, corporate vocabulary, hedge stacks, rhetorical questions, and closing sign-offs.
• Avoid repetitive rule-of-three phrasing, fake punchy fragments, metronomic sentence lengths, and structural symmetry.

Before handing over

1. Read the first line alone. Does it carry the point?
2. Rewrite em dashes.
3. Remove unnecessary bold and emoji.
4. Cut a restating final sentence or sign-off.
5. Remove non-essential filler and repeated structure.
6. Check that the draft sounds like a tired senior engineer, not a press release.