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writing-plans

writing-plans

github.com/bobmatnycDevelopment78340 installsUpdated 15w ago
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About writing-plans

A skill for producing implementation plans that give engineers with little codebase context precise, test-first tasks, file paths, code, and commands. It emphasizes small steps, existing patterns, and frequent commits.

Key features

  1. 01Exact file paths and code
  2. 02Small, bite-sized tasks
  3. 03Test-first implementation steps
  4. 04Commands with expected results
  5. 05Plan handoff options

Use cases

  1. 01Planning a change for an unfamiliar codebase
  2. 02Breaking implementation into testable tasks
  3. 03Recording a plan under docs/plans

Install

Copy the command and run it in a terminal.

$npx skills add https://github.com/bobmatnyc/claude-mpm-skills --skill writing-plans

After installing, type/writing-plansin Claude Code to confirm it loaded.

Bundled files

References and scripts installed along with SKILL.md.

metadata.json
references/
best-practices.md
plan-structure-templates.md

Details

From the project README

Writing Plans

Overview

Write comprehensive implementation plans assuming the engineer has zero context for our codebase and questionable taste. Document everything they need to know: which files to touch for each task, code, testing, docs they might need to check, how to test it. Give them the whole plan as bite-sized tasks. DRY. YAGNI. TDD. Frequent commits.

Assume they are a skilled developer, but know almost nothing about our toolset or problem domain. Assume they don't know good test design very well.

Announce at start: "I'm using the Writing Plans skill to create the implementation plan."

Context: This should be run in a dedicated worktree (created by brainstorming skill).

Save plans to: docs/plans/YYYY-MM-DD-<feature-name>.md

Quick Reference

Plan header template: See Plan Structure & Templates

Task template: See Plan Structure & Templates

Granularity guide: Each step = 2-5 minutes. See Best Practices

Core Principles

  • Exact file paths always - Not "in the user module" but "src/models/user.py"
  • Complete code in plan - Not "add validation" but show the validation code
  • Exact commands with expected output - "pytest tests/file.py -v" with what you'll see
  • Reference relevant skills - Use @ syntax: @skills/category/skill-name
  • DRY, YAGNI, TDD, frequent commits - Every task follows this pattern

For detailed guidance: Best Practices & Guidelines

Execution Handoff

After saving the plan, offer execution choice:

"Plan complete and saved to docs/plans/<filename>.md. Two execution options:

1. Subagent-Driven (this session) - I dispatch fresh subagent per task, review between tasks, fast iteration

2. Parallel Session (separate) - Open new session with executing-plans, batch execution with checkpoints

Which approach?"

If Subagent-Driven chosen:

  • Use @skills/collaboration/subagent-driven-development
  • Stay in this session
  • Fresh subagent per task + code review

If Parallel Session chosen:

  • Guide them to open new session in worktree
  • New session uses @skills/collaboration/executing-plans

Remember

  • Write for zero-context engineers (specify everything)
  • Complete code blocks, not instructions
  • Exact commands with expected output
  • Test first, then implement, then commit
  • Reference existing patterns in codebase
  • Keep tasks bite-sized (2-5 minutes each)

Need examples? See Plan Structure & Templates for complete task examples.

Need patterns? See Best Practices for error handling, logging, test design, and more.

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