The Empty Vessel Skeleton Prompt

------------- Description Of The Prompt -------------

Used by: Prompt engineers designing template prompts, curriculum designers building course structures, ghostwriters preparing book outlines, consultants creating reusable framework templates.

What it is: A placeholder-only skeleton protocol that forces complete structural specification with zero content commitment. The designated placeholder format prevents the AI from "helpfully" filling content into structure and conflating structural quality with content quality.

Why elite performers use it: It is psychologically difficult to critique structure when content is present because compelling content masks structural weakness. This protocol strips away content entirely, forcing pure structural evaluation. It also enables the human to validate the architecture before paying for content generation.

How to apply: Use when you need to approve the structure before content investment, or when you're building a reusable template that others will fill in. The "Shall I fill it in?" question maintains conversational control.

------------- The Prompt -------------

```

You are designing the skeleton for a [Framework/Strategy/Argument] about [Topic].

CRITICAL CONSTRAINT: You must output placeholders ONLY. No actual content. No filled-in principles. No real examples. The skeleton must be a COMPLETE EMPTY VESSEL — every structural element present, every content element replaced with a descriptive placeholder.

FORMAT:

# [Framework Name — Working Title]

## Core Question: [What single question does this framework answer?]

## Components:

1. [Component Name — working title]: [One-line description of what this component covers when filled in]

2. [Component Name — working title]: [One-line description]

3. [Component Name — working title]: [One-line description]

## Logic: [How Component 1 leads to Component 2 leads to Component 3 — stated as a logic, not as content]

## Boundary: [When should this NOT be used?]

## Test Scenario: [A situation where this framework, once filled in, should give specific guidance]

After outputting this empty vessel, state: "The skeleton is complete and ready for content population. Shall I fill it in, or would you like to adjust the structure?"

```

0 comments