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Blog Post Outline Workflow

A three-turn workflow that takes a rough topic and produces a tight, opinionated blog post outline ready to write from.

The prompt 

A three-turn workflow. Paste each turn one at a time — don't dump them all at once.

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**TURN 1 — Frame the piece**

I want to write a blog post. Before we outline it, I need you to sharpen the premise.

Topic: [YOUR TOPIC HERE]
Audience: [WHO WILL READ IT]
What I already believe about this: [YOUR TAKE IN 2-3 SENTENCES]

Ask me at most three questions that would meaningfully change the outline — but only ask if the answer is not already implicit above. If I've given you enough, skip the questions and reply "READY."

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**TURN 2 — The angle**

Now, based on my answers, propose three possible angles for this post:

1. **The counterintuitive take** — what most people believe vs. what's actually true.
2. **The "how I did it" take** — a specific story that carries the lesson.
3. **The framework take** — an original mental model or model I can name and defend.

For each, give me:
- A working title (max 8 words)
- The one-sentence promise the post makes
- The one type of reader this angle will resonate with, and one it will alienate

Wait for me to pick one before continuing.

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**TURN 3 — The outline**

For the angle I picked, write an outline in this structure:

- **Hook** (2 sentences): a specific image, statistic, or question that makes the reader stop scrolling
- **Promise** (1 sentence): what they'll leave with
- **Sections** (4-7): each with a one-line thesis and 2-3 supporting beats
- **The turn** (1 paragraph): the moment the reader realizes the piece is about more than the surface topic
- **Payoff** (1 sentence): the takeaway they'll quote back to a friend

Rules for the outline:
- No section titles that could apply to any post ("Introduction", "Conclusion", "Overview").
- Every section thesis must be a claim, not a topic.
- If a section can't be defended in one sentence, it doesn't belong.
- Aim for 900-1,400 word post — cut sections if the outline is too long.

## How to use it

Copy Turn 1, fill in the brackets, paste. Answer Claude's questions if it asks. Paste Turn 2. Pick an angle. Paste Turn 3.

The whole workflow takes ~5 minutes and produces an outline that would take an hour to develop from scratch.

## Why it works

Most "write me an outline" prompts skip straight to structure. The angle step is where the piece becomes worth reading. Forcing three angles (not one) breaks Claude out of pattern-matching to the most obvious take.

How to use it

A three-turn workflow. Paste each turn one at a time — don’t dump them all at once.

TURN 1 — Frame the piece

I want to write a blog post. Before we outline it, I need you to sharpen the premise.

Topic: [YOUR TOPIC HERE] Audience: [WHO WILL READ IT] What I already believe about this: [YOUR TAKE IN 2-3 SENTENCES]

Ask me at most three questions that would meaningfully change the outline — but only ask if the answer is not already implicit above. If I’ve given you enough, skip the questions and reply “READY.”

TURN 2 — The angle

Now, based on my answers, propose three possible angles for this post:

  1. The counterintuitive take — what most people believe vs. what’s actually true.
  2. The “how I did it” take — a specific story that carries the lesson.
  3. The framework take — an original mental model or model I can name and defend.

For each, give me:

  • A working title (max 8 words)
  • The one-sentence promise the post makes
  • The one type of reader this angle will resonate with, and one it will alienate

Wait for me to pick one before continuing.

TURN 3 — The outline

For the angle I picked, write an outline in this structure:

  • Hook (2 sentences): a specific image, statistic, or question that makes the reader stop scrolling
  • Promise (1 sentence): what they’ll leave with
  • Sections (4-7): each with a one-line thesis and 2-3 supporting beats
  • The turn (1 paragraph): the moment the reader realizes the piece is about more than the surface topic
  • Payoff (1 sentence): the takeaway they’ll quote back to a friend

Rules for the outline:

  • No section titles that could apply to any post (“Introduction”, “Conclusion”, “Overview”).
  • Every section thesis must be a claim, not a topic.
  • If a section can’t be defended in one sentence, it doesn’t belong.
  • Aim for 900-1,400 word post — cut sections if the outline is too long.

How to use it

Copy Turn 1, fill in the brackets, paste. Answer Claude’s questions if it asks. Paste Turn 2. Pick an angle. Paste Turn 3.

The whole workflow takes ~5 minutes and produces an outline that would take an hour to develop from scratch.

Why it works

Most “write me an outline” prompts skip straight to structure. The angle step is where the piece becomes worth reading. Forcing three angles (not one) breaks Claude out of pattern-matching to the most obvious take.