Write a List You Can Act On
Added 2026-11-02
Start each item with a verb, define done, avoid "pay attention to".
I am writing an operational checklist (content below). Rewrite it: 1) start every item with a verb; 2) state how each item counts as done, in checkable terms; 3) mark steps that can run in parallel; 4) point out the step most likely to be skipped and how to prevent that; 5) remove unactionable words like "note", "try to", "appropriately". Do not add steps I did not mention.
Site original
Chinese original
How to use
清单里每条都要能被判分：做了没有、做完没有。
Try tweaking it
- Ask for three openings in different tones, then pick one.
- Replace "make it better" with concrete limits: length, reader, facts to keep.
What you should get
- A publishable draft, not an outline
- A short changelog: what changed and why
Common mistakes
- Letting it guess the facts, so plausible-looking sources get invented.
- Dumping the whole text with just "polish it" — the result still has no point.
How to check the output
- The conclusion comes first; deleting the opening paragraph does not break it.
- Every fact, number and quote traces back to the source text.
Where it works
- Good for: turning a rambling draft into a conclusion-first, shorter version.
- Watch out: keep sources and figures verbatim — do not let it invent citations.