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name: spoonie-copywriter description: Write empathetic, energy-conscious copy for chronic illness (Spoonie) users. Use for all UI text, onboarding flows, notifications, error messages, and marketing copy in the Clue Symptom Tracker. Applies "Language of Care" principles - validation over instruction, permission over restriction, neutral language over judgment. Essential when writing for users with brain fog, fatigue, or anxiety. license: Complete terms in LICENSE.txt

Spoonie Copywriter

This skill guides writing empathetic, energy-conscious copy for the Clue Symptom Tracker. The target audience is "Spoonies" - people with chronic, energy-limiting conditions (ME/CFS, Fibromyalgia, POTS, Long COVID, etc.) who have limited cognitive and physical reserves.

Core Philosophy: The "Compassionate Analyst"

The app persona is a Compassionate Analyst - warm and understanding, but also capable and trustworthy. It does not act as a taskmaster. It avoids toxic positivity and gamification that induces guilt. Instead, it adopts Radical Validation - recognizing that a gap in data is often data itself (the user was "wiped").

Five Core Principles

1. Reduce Cognitive Load

Brain fog makes processing information exhausting. Every word must earn its place.

❌ Avoid	✅ Use
"Please take a moment to log your symptoms when you have a chance"	"Quick check-in?"
"We noticed you haven't logged in 3 days"	"Welcome back. Ready to log?"
"Select all applicable symptoms from the comprehensive list below"	"What's bothering you most?"

Guidelines:

• Use simple, direct language
• Break complex requests into small steps
• One question per screen
• 30-second max for any check-in

2. Validate, Don't Dismiss

Users have been told "it's all in your head" by doctors. Every interaction must signal: we believe you.

❌ Avoid	✅ Use
"Try to stay positive!"	"That sounds incredibly challenging."
"Most people feel better after..."	"Your experience is valid."
"It's probably just..."	"I hear you."

Guidelines:

• Acknowledge difficulty explicitly
• Reference their own words and data
• Never minimize or reframe their experience
• Use phrases: "I hear you", "That's tough", "Makes sense"

3. Permission, Not Restriction

Language should empower choice, not impose limitations. Users already feel restricted by their conditions.

❌ Avoid	✅ Use
"You should rest"	"Rest might help today"
"You need to track this"	"You might want to note this"
"You must take your medication"	"Medication reminder (when you're ready)"
"Stop overdoing it"	"Your body might be asking for a break"

Guidelines:

• Frame as suggestions, not commands
• Use "might", "could", "when you're ready"
• Treat recommendations as experiments
• Daily Push/Rest indicator = permission, not restriction

4. Neutral, Not Judgmental

The app must never make users feel worse about bad days.

❌ Avoid	✅ Use
"Bad day"	"High intensity day"
"Awful"	"Challenging"
"You only logged 2 days this week"	"You logged 2 days this week"
Pain: 😢	Pain: ● (neutral indicator)
"Streak broken!"	(no mention of streaks)

Guidelines:

• Never use sad face emojis for high pain
• No color-coded judgment (red = bad)
• No streak gamification
• Intensity scales, not good/bad scales
• 6/10 might be a victory for chronic pain - don't assume

5. Personalize for Connection

Generic messages feel cold. Reference their specific context.

❌ Avoid	✅ Use
"Track your symptoms"	"How's the fatigue today, Sarah?"
"You logged data"	"You logged 3 days in a row - nice work"
"Check your insights"	"Your sleep patterns are ready to explore"

Guidelines:

• Use their name when appropriate
• Reference their selected focus/condition
• Connect to their stated goals
• Personalize based on Q1/Q2 onboarding answers

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Specific Copy Patterns

Check-in Prompts

Morning:
- "Good morning. How did you sleep?"
- "Ready for a quick check-in?"

Low energy detected:
- "Take it easy today?"
- "Minimal logging mode?"

Returning after gap:
- "Welcome back. No pressure - just glad you're here."
- "We're here when you're ready."

Flare Mode Messages

Entering flare:
- "Got it. Rest up."
- "Logging basics only. Rest is the priority."
- "I've noted a tough day. Details can wait."

Post-flare return:
- "Hope you're feeling a bit better."
- "Ready to fill in any gaps? (Or skip, that's fine too)"

Insight Delivery

Pattern found:
- "Noticed something: your migraines often follow poor sleep by 48 hours."
- "Your fatigue tends to spike on days after high activity."

Correlation detected:
- "When you logged 'stress', your pain was 40% higher the next day."
- "Weather changes and your symptoms seem connected."

No pattern yet:
- "Still learning your patterns. Keep logging when you can."
- "Need more data to spot trends - no rush."

Error/Empty States

No data:
- "Nothing here yet. Start with a quick check-in?"
- "Your insights will appear once we have a few days of data."

Connection error:
- "Couldn't save that one. It's stored locally - we'll sync when we can."
- "Offline mode active. Everything's safe."

Missing required field:
- "One more thing before we save..."
- "Just need [field] to continue"

Doctor Pack Messages

Export ready:
- "Your report is ready. Show your doctor what your days really look like."
- "Structured for clinicians - your experience, their language."

Encouraging export:
- "This isn't just a log - it's evidence they can't dismiss."
- "Turn your daily experience into data doctors take seriously."

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Anti-Patterns (NEVER Use)

Guilt-Inducing

• ❌ "You broke your streak!"
• ❌ "You haven't logged in X days"
• ❌ "Don't forget to..."
• ❌ "You should really..."

Toxic Positivity

• ❌ "Stay positive!"
• ❌ "Every day is a fresh start!"
• ❌ "You've got this!"
• ❌ "Mind over matter"

Medical Minimization

• ❌ "It's probably nothing"
• ❌ "Try not to worry"
• ❌ "Most people with X feel better when..."
• ❌ "It's just anxiety"

Clinical Coldness

• ❌ "Submit symptom log"
• ❌ "Data entry required"
• ❌ "Symptom severity: [1-10]"
• ❌ "Patient reported outcome"

Gamification

• ❌ Streaks
• ❌ Points
• ❌ Leaderboards
• ❌ Achievements/badges for logging

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The "Traffic Light" Tone Guide

Adapt tone based on user's apparent energy state:

🟢 Green (Good Day)

User seems energetic, engaged. Can use slightly longer copy, offer more options.

• "Want to explore your patterns? We found something interesting."
• "Good time for a detailed check-in?"

🟡 Yellow (Moderate)

User shows fatigue signs. Simplify, shorten.

• "Quick check-in?"
• "Just the basics today?"

🔴 Red (Flare/Crisis)

User is struggling. Minimal words, maximum support.

• "Got it."
• "Rest up."
• "We're here."

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Onboarding Copy Guidelines

Q1-Q4 onboarding uses conversational, empathetic tone:

Q1 (Primary Concern)

• Lead with "What's been the hardest to manage lately?"
• Options describe lived experience, not clinical terms
• Example: "Fatigue that won't quit" not "Chronic fatigue syndrome"

Q2 (Specific Focus)

• Mirror their selection back empathetically
• "What do you hope to figure out about your fatigue?"
• Options should feel like they came from the community

Q3 (Baseline)

• Frame as establishing "where you're starting from"
• Use gentle widget language: "Where is your battery level right now?"
• Never clinical: avoid "rate your symptom severity"

Q4 (Value Prop)

• Show immediate value: "We've captured your baseline."
• Promise specific insight: "Give us 3 days, we'll spot the crash before it hits."
• CTA: "Sign in to save your today"

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Quick Reference: Word Swaps

Clinical/Cold	Warm/Human
Symptom severity	How intense
Log your data	Quick check-in
Submit	Save
Patient	You
Chronic illness	What you're managing
Compliance	Consistency
Baseline assessment	Starting point
Track	Note / Capture
Analyze	Understand
Data visualization	Your patterns