Style Guide

nels.ai Contributor Style Guide

Welcome to the nels.ai contributor community. This guide outlines the rules that define the voice, structure, and visual rhythm of every post. Each checkpoint is a contribution to a larger, ongoing conversation. Consistency in how we show up—through voice, tone, and layout—is what makes nels.ai recognizable and distinct.

🧱 Opening Structure

Every post must begin with the title on its own line.

The next line should begin with the label:

BLOT:

This stands for Bottom Line On Top. It’s a single sentence—your core insight, upfront. Not a vibe, not a reflection. Just the point.

This is not a section header or metadata tag. It is the first moment of the post—the drop into the conversation—and must deliver the core idea plainly and directly.

The paragraph that follows the BLOT is the true opening of the piece. It should be:

  • Personal

  • Reflective

  • Anchored in a clear moment of reentry

Whether it’s a question, a confession, a fresh signal, or a deep breath before diving in, this paragraph sets the tone. Write it in first person. It’s you, arriving. The BLOT is the bottom line—this is the moment before the dive.

🎯 Headings and Visual Rhythm

All major section headings must begin with an emoji icon followed by a single space and then the heading text, with no line break or additional styling. These icons serve as visual anchors and help set the tone of each section.

Use:

  • ⚡️ for signals and trends

  • 🧠 for insights or frameworks

  • 🔮 for future-facing speculation

  • 🧭 for guides, processes, or walkthroughs

You may use other emojis if they better fit the tone or subject of the section. The key is that the emoji functions as a visual cue that marks the shift between sections.

Place a single space between the emoji and the heading text. For example: ## ⚡️ Signals and Trends. Do not omit the space.

Do not bold, underline, or capitalize headings for emphasis. The emoji does the styling.

✍️ Paragraph Style and Constraints

Write in short, well-formed paragraphs—typically 3–5 sentences each.

Use bolded keywords and intentional whitespace to shape the rhythm of the piece and guide attention. Avoid dense blocks of text. Every paragraph should carry one clear idea and end with forward momentum.

Absolutely do not use:

  • Em dashes (—)

  • Double hyphens (–)

  • Horizontal rules

  • Slashes or backslashes as stylistic separators

Ideas should be broken into clean, direct sentences using periods and commas only. This isn’t just a formatting rule—it’s part of the nels.ai aesthetic. Keeping language clean, modular, and evenly paced enhances clarity and flow.

⏱️ Insight and Timeliness

Every post must go beyond summary. We expect:

  • Original insights

  • Technical depth where appropriate

  • Real-time relevance

Each piece should be grounded in the present—referencing tools, frameworks, or events happening now in AI. For example, citing Meta’s Llama 4 in the April 2025 reboot post helped anchor that piece in its moment. Your writing should do the same.

📚 Citations and Footnotes

Use numeric citations to support claims or examples. Insert each citation before the period, with a space between the last word and the bracket (e.g., “retrieval graph [3]”).

At the end of the post, include a section titled Footnotes, formatted as follows:

  • One blank line between the Footnotes heading and the first citation

  • No bullets, no indentation, no extra line breaks between entries

  • Each entry includes:

    • The organization or author

    • The title of the source in quotation marks

    • A full, visible, clickable URL

Important: All URLs in the Footnotes section must be embedded as live hyperlinks using Substack formatting:

[https://example.com](https://example.com)

Do not use shortened links, embedded anchor text, or prefixes like “Available:”. Most posts should include five to seven citations.

🔚 Required Ending Sections

All posts must end with the following three sections, in this exact order:

  1. Things to consider — 2–4 reflective or provocative questions

  2. Footnotes — all citations in the order they appear

  3. What’s next for nels.ai? — 3–5 upcoming topics

Do not include weeks or post numbers. Add one blank line between each section heading and the content that follows. This closing format sustains momentum and helps invite the reader to reenter elsewhere.

✨ Final Prompt

Close every post with a stylized engagement line such as:

✨ Saw something in this checkpoint worth sharing? Send it to someone building responsibly in the storm.

This prompt should appear after a single blank line following the What’s next for nels.ai? section.

It is not a CTA. It’s a soft echo—a gentle acknowledgment of the reader. Never include author names, bylines, or publish dates.

📎 Top 5 Links of the Week

Each weekly post may conclude with a curated block of five links highlighting the most important developments in AI over the past seven days. These are not footnotes. They’re signals—live anchors that connect readers to what’s moving right now.

Use this section to share external articles that extend, contextualize, or enrich the ideas in the post. The links must be timely (published in the last 7 days), relevant to AI or agentic systems, and non-paywalled. Avoid summary. Just surface the source.

Format each item like this:

Source, “Title of the article in quotes,” [Full URL as a hyperlink]

Use plain text. Embed the link as the full visible URL using Substack’s hyperlink formatting. Do not shorten URLs. Do not use “Available at” or additional markup. Each link should appear on its own line, with no spacing in between. Keep punctuation consistent.

Checklist for this section:

  • Exactly 5 links

  • Each link must be from the last 7 days

  • No paywalls or login requirements

  • Match source/title/link format exactly

  • Section appears at the very end of the post

  • Optional, but consistent when used

🧾 nels.ai Editorial Checklist

  • ✅ Title appears on its own line

  • ✅ BLOT: appears on the next line, followed by a single-sentence insight

  • ✅ Opening paragraph is personal, reflective, and written in first person

  • ✅ All section headings begin with an emoji icon (⚡️, 🧠, 🔮, 🧭 or other fitting emoji) with a space between the emoji and heading text

  • ✅ Paragraphs are 3–5 sentences long, with bolded keywords and intentional whitespace

  • ✅ No em dashes, double hyphens, horizontal rules, or substitute punctuation

  • ✅ Writing includes original insights, technical depth, and current AI references

  • ✅ Numeric citations appear before the period, with a space before the bracket

  • ✅ Footnotes follow this format: Author, “Title,” [Full URL as a hyperlink]

  • ✅ One blank line follows the Footnotes heading; no extra spacing between entries

  • ✅ No shortened links or “Available:” prefixes

  • ✅ Include 5–7 citations per post

  • ✅ End with these three sections: Things to consider, Footnotes, What’s next for nels.ai?

  • ✅ Insert one blank line between each ending section and its content

  • ✅ Conclude with a stylized engagement prompt (e.g., ✨…)

  • ✅ Do not include author attribution or dates