# APAG Playbook

Use this file when the rewrite needs more than high-level guidance from `SKILL.md`.

## Core idea

APAG treats high-impact writing as a guided shift:

1. Earn attention.
2. Meet the reader in their current worldview.
3. Replace that worldview with a stronger one.
4. Turn the new worldview into action.

The framework works for articles, newsletters, threads, scripts, landing pages, and other persuasive or educational formats.

## Input questions

Before rewriting, answer these questions if the draft does not make them obvious:

- Who is the reader?
- What problem or desire should feel urgent?
- What wrong or incomplete viewpoint is being challenged?
- What is the better viewpoint?
- What proof, experience, example, or mechanism supports it?
- What should the reader do next?

If one of these is missing, either infer conservatively from the source or state the gap.

## Attention details

The opening should usually optimize for three things:

- Relevance: Why should this reader care now?
- Awareness fit: Is the language simple or advanced enough for this reader?
- Effort/payoff: How fast can the reader get value, insight, or emotion?

Useful hook components:

- The big problem
- The big benefit
- The most important idea
- The transformation process
- A time frame
- A cost or effort reduction
- A low point from personal experience

Good hook prompt:

`What tension can be stated in one line so the reader immediately wants the next line?`

## Perspective details

Perspective is the "enemy" section. The enemy is often not a person. It is usually:

- A common belief
- A lazy habit
- A shallow interpretation
- A misleading cultural script
- An ineffective default strategy

This section should do two jobs:

1. Show the reader you understand the pain.
2. Make the current way of thinking feel insufficient.

Useful materials:

- Personal story
- Reader pain points
- Contrasts and comparisons
- Examples from the market or culture
- Metaphors
- Short quotes or observations

Prompt:

`What is the current belief, and what pain does that belief create?`

## Advantage details

Advantage is the turn. It shows the better way.

This section often benefits from:

- A named concept
- A simple mechanism
- A reframed cause-and-effect story
- A before/after contrast
- A proof point
- A memorable line or metaphor

Prompt:

`What does the reader need to understand to adopt this better viewpoint willingly?`

## Gamify details

Gamify turns insight into a path. Think in steps, levels, checkpoints, or rules.

Useful forms:

- 3-7 numbered steps
- A checklist
- A weekly practice
- "Start here" instructions
- Resource recommendations
- A CTA that deepens the relationship

Prompt:

`What can the reader do immediately to move from the old state to the new state?`

## Long-form mapping

Default long-form flow:

1. Hook
2. Lead into the problem
3. Perspective
4. Advantage
5. Gamify
6. Brief conclusion
7. CTA when appropriate

Hook and lead should create curiosity.
Body should resolve curiosity with proof and structure.
Ending should compress the lesson and point to the next move.

## Short-form mapping

Default short-form combinations:

- `A + P`: Use when the main goal is resonance and reframe.
- `A + A`: Use when the idea is the product and proof is already implied.
- `A + G`: Use when the post is tactical and action-oriented.

Short-form rule:

- Keep one promise.
- Keep one tension.
- Keep one shift.
- Keep one action.

## Story materials

Story does not have to mean a full anecdote. Any of these can do the job:

- Anecdote
- Research finding
- Example
- Comparison
- Metaphor
- Quote
- Observation
- Social proof

Use whichever form makes the point easier to feel and remember.

## Rewrite checklist

Use this checklist before delivering:

- Is the opening stronger than the source?
- Is the reader's pain more concrete?
- Is the wrong/default view visible?
- Is the new view clearer and more believable?
- Is there proof, mechanism, or at least a grounded explanation?
- Is the path to action obvious?
- Did the rewrite remove vague repetition?
- Did the rewrite preserve core facts and intent?

## Tone guardrails

- Prefer crisp specificity over inflated adjectives.
- Prefer tension over empty inspiration.
- Prefer sequence over abstraction.
- Prefer believable transformation over grand promises.
- Prefer a clean CTA over a needy CTA.