Brainforge Knowledge

writing-guide

4 min read

Writing Basics at Brainforge

This guide teaches the foundational writing skills needed to work effectively inside client repos, use templates, and collaborate with Cursor.
It focuses on simple, clear, structured writing that anyone can learn, no technical background required.

If you are new to Markdown or professional writing structure, start here.

Important: Before writing any document, review the STYLE-GUIDE.md for Brainforge’s global writing rules, including punctuation, formatting, and tone standards.

Why Writing Structure Matters

Good writing at Brainforge is:

  • easy to read
  • easy to review
  • easy for Cursor to understand
  • consistent across all teammates
  • predictable for clients

Structured writing also helps AI produce better drafts and reduces the amount of editing needed.

1. Markdown Basics (The Format We Use)

All documents at Brainforge should be written in Markdown (.md).
Markdown is simple and uses plain text with a few symbols.

Headings

Use # for titles and section headers:

Big Title

Section

Subsection

Always put a blank line after a heading.

Bold and Italics

bold
italic

Lists

  • Item one
  • Item two
  • Item three
  1. Step one
  2. Step two
  3. Step three

Checkbox List

  • To-do item
  • Completed item

Code Blocks

Use three backticks to show formatted content:

Example content

Horizontal Separator

Use this sparingly to divide major sections.

2. How to Structure Any Document

Whether you write a SOW, PRD, SOP, or summary, follow this universal pattern:

  1. Title and metadata
  2. Introduction or summary
  3. Main sections (goals, scope, requirements, deliverables, timeline, etc.)
  4. Details
  5. Appendix (optional)

Templates already follow this structure. Your job is to fill them in clearly.

3. Writing Clearly and Simply

Use short sentences.
Use short paragraphs.
Avoid long, complex blocks of text.
If something can be a list, use a list.

Good writing is:

  • clear
  • direct
  • easy to skim

Avoid:

  • long run-on sentences
  • paragraphs with multiple ideas
  • jargon unless defined

Aim for a simple, neutral, professional tone.

4. Turning Notes Into Structured Writing

Most raw inputs (transcripts, meeting notes, Slack messages) are messy.
To convert them into structured writing:

  1. Identify the key facts.
  2. Group them into categories like goals, requirements, constraints, pain points, and decisions.
  3. Place each category into the correct section of the template.
  4. Rewrite into clean, client-ready language.

Cursor can help with rewriting, but you must confirm correctness.

5. Using Examples

The Playbook includes sanitized examples of strong SOWs, PRDs, and SOPs.
When starting a new document:

  • Open an example
  • Observe its formatting, tone, and structure
  • Ask Cursor to match that style in your own document

Examples are the fastest way to produce consistent writing.

6. Signs of Good Writing

Good writing has:

  • clear purpose
  • well-separated sections
  • single-purpose paragraphs
  • short, readable sentences
  • lists instead of long blocks of text
  • no fluff or filler

7. Signs of Poor Writing

Avoid:

  • vague statements like “we will optimize this”
  • long paragraphs mixing multiple topics
  • undefined terms or jargon
  • leaving template text unedited
  • missing context or assumptions
  • unclear scope boundaries

If unsure, ask Cursor:

“Rewrite this section with better clarity and structure.”

8. Working With Cursor

Cursor is helpful when you:

  • write a rough draft yourself
  • ask Cursor to rewrite for clarity
  • ask Cursor to organize disorganized notes
  • ask Cursor to match the style of a reference example
  • ask Cursor to expand or condense sections
  • ask Cursor to check for missing details

But you must verify facts and ensure accuracy.

9. Review Before Sharing

Before committing your work:

  • Read the entire document
  • Check for unclear or invented statements
  • Ensure it follows the proper template
  • Remove vague language
  • Ask Cursor for a clarity and completeness check

Good writing is clear thinking expressed simply.

Final Tip

Break your writing into sections and let Cursor help refine each part.
Strong documents are built step-by-step, not written in one pass.

Use this guide with the templates and examples in the Playbook to produce clean, consistent writing that clients can trust.

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