Changelog from raw commit history
writingGroups commits into user-facing changes, without inventing anything that is not in the log.
An email that says no, without burning the bridge
Declines a request clearly, names the constraint, and offers a smaller yes.
When to use it
Someone senior asked for something you cannot deliver on the timeline they assumed.
The prompt
Copy into your assistant
Write a reply declining this request.
Constraints:
- First sentence: a clear no. No 'unfortunately' or 'I'd love to but'.
- Second paragraph: the constraint, stated as a fact, not an apology.
- Third paragraph: the smallest thing you can say yes to, if any.
- Under 120 words. No exclamation marks.
Rules:
- Do not offer to 'circle back later' without a date.
- Do not blame a process you could have changed.
- Do not imply the request was unreasonable.
Request:
<request>
My actual constraint:
<constraint>
Relationship:
<who they are>What to change
The relationship line changes the whole register — same content to a peer and to the CEO reads very differently.
Why it works
Putting the no first is the only reliable way to write a decline. Everything after it can be generous, because the reader is not waiting for the answer anymore.
More writing prompts
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- Changelog from raw commit historyGroups commits into user-facing changes, without inventing anything that is not in the log.
- Landing copy from a feature listTurns what the product does into what it removes from the reader's day.
Going deeper
- Prompts that survive contact with realityUsing agents · Level 2
- Writing a skill that changes behaviorSkills and prompts · Level 2
- The last hour before launchRunning agents in production · Level 3