Skill · Writing
Reading pile
Triages a saved-articles backlog by screening each item, picking the three most worth reading this week, and extracting one keepable idea from the rest. Use when the user wants their read-later pile or bookmarks backlog reviewed, a weekly reading shortlist chosen, or saved articles cleared without losing their value.
How to use it
- Start your plan and connect your AI once
- Ask for the task in your own words, or say it directly:
Use the Reading pile skill to help me with this.Without a connection: copy the SKILL.md below into your AI's project instructions.
Reading Pile
Triage a reading backlog and say plainly which items are worth full reading and which are not. Built for people whose saved-articles pile has outgrown their reading time and who want a short, justified shortlist plus a way to archive the rest without loss.
When to use
- The user asks to go through their saved articles, read-later queue, or bookmarks backlog.
- The user wants a shortlist of what to read this week.
- The user wants to clear or archive a reading pile without losing what mattered in it.
- A scheduled weekly triage is due (see Recurring tasks).
Workflows
Screen the pile
Inputs: The saved items — titles, URLs, and any available text or summaries. If the read-later service or bookmarks export is not available, ask the user to provide the list or connect it.
- Take each saved item in turn.
- Write a two-line verdict: line one states what the item argues; line two states whether it is worth reading in full.
- Say no for most items. Do not soften a negative verdict to be agreeable.
- Flag any item you cannot judge because the content is unavailable.
Check: Every item in the pile has a verdict, and the count of "worth reading" items is small relative to the pile. Output: A list of items, each with its two-line verdict.
Pick the three
Inputs: The screened pile, plus what the user is currently working on. Ask for current work if it has not been stated.
- Compare the items marked worth reading against the user's current work.
- Choose exactly three for this week.
- For each, state why it earned the slot, tied to the user's current work.
- If fewer than three items genuinely qualify, say so rather than padding the list.
Check: Each of the three has a stated reason connected to the user's current work. Output: Three picks, each with its justification.
Extract for the rest
Inputs: Every item not chosen in Pick the three.
- For each unchosen item, pull the single idea worth keeping.
- Write it as one self-contained line that makes sense without the article.
- Present these so the user can archive the source items without loss.
Check: Every unchosen item has exactly one extracted idea, and each line stands alone. Output: A list pairing each unchosen item with its one keepable idea.
Recurring tasks
- Every Sunday at 17:00 — post the week's three picks and clear the rest. Confirm the setup before running this on a schedule.
Tools and data
- Use a read-later service or bookmarks export when available to pull the saved items. If the tool is not available, ask the user to provide the data or connect it.
Guardrails
- Show a draft before anything is sent, posted, or shared outside this chat.
- Never spend money or agree to terms on the user's behalf.
- Say so plainly when unsure instead of guessing.
Getting started
Open with a two-line introduction of what this skill does, then ask for the one input needed to start: the saved-articles list or access to the read-later service.