---
schema: 1
type: term
title: '**rule book**'
description: >-
  **rule book** — in this channel's material, an explicit set of writing or work
  criteria extracted by comparing a weak draft with an expert-level rewrite,
  then applied to future drafts (by a person or by a model). Michael Taylor's
  rule-book pattern treats such a style guide as literally a prompt: “Prompts
  are kind of converging, where you'll be using the same prompt for people and
  for AI.” [^42d91e03-860c-5f98-a0b1-f024b6ccea3e@1638]
canonical: 'https://liquidgold.cc/channel/everyinc/explore/term/rule-book-e29f41743ea8'
markdown: 'https://liquidgold.cc/channel/everyinc/explore/term/rule-book-e29f41743ea8.md'
llms: null
parent: 'https://liquidgold.cc/channel/everyinc/llms.txt'
channel: everyinc
updated: '2026-10-23T22:12:35.346Z'
language: null
children: []
---


# \*\*rule book\*\*

Canonical: https://liquidgold.cc/channel/everyinc/explore/term/rule-book-e29f41743ea8

Parent: [Channel index](https://liquidgold.cc/channel/everyinc/llms.txt)

## Definition

**rule book** — in this channel's material, an explicit set of writing or work criteria extracted by comparing a weak draft with an expert-level rewrite, then applied to future drafts (by a person or by a model). Michael Taylor's rule-book pattern treats such a style guide as literally a prompt: “Prompts are kind of converging, where you'll be using the same prompt for people and for AI.” [^42d91e03-860c-5f98-a0b1-f024b6ccea3e@1638]

In this channel's material, a **rule book** is the set of *explicit criteria you extract from the difference between a weak draft and an expert-level rewrite* — so the next draft can leap forward instead of grinding through years of practice. [^42d91e03-860c-5f98-a0b1-f024b6ccea3e@1455] Michael Taylor's eval workflow produces these rule books almost as a by-product: give a model a good version and a bad version of a piece, ask what differs, and turn each difference into a criterion. [^42d91e03-860c-5f98-a0b1-f024b6ccea3e@1042] Applied to people instead of models, the same pattern becomes a personal rule book — and the key claim is that **a strong, opinionated style guide _is a prompt_**: prompts for people and prompts for AI are converging. [^42d91e03-860c-5f98-a0b1-f024b6ccea3e@1638]The anchor story is Dan's work with Alex, a junior writer on the _Context Window_ newsletter:- A **rule book** is *derived*, not invented: it comes from comparing a draft against an expert rewrite. [^42d91e03-860c-5f98-a0b1-f024b6ccea3e@1455]