Headline Generator

What This Skill Does

Generates a range of headline and subheadline options across different registers, lengths, and publication styles for a given article or feature.

When To Use This Skill

• You have a finished or near-finished article and need headline options before submitting to an editor
• You are stuck on a headline and want to break out of a single approach
• You need headlines calibrated to a specific publication's voice (tabloid, literary magazine, trade press, digital news)
• You want a main deck headline with subheadline options for long-form features

What You Need To Provide

Required: Article topic or a 2–4 sentence summary of the piece; publication type or audience (e.g., national newspaper, trade publication, literary magazine, digital media brand) Optional: Existing working headline you want to improve or use as reference; headline character limit; whether a subheadline (dek) is needed; any words or framing to avoid; tone directive (serious, provocative, wry, neutral)

How the Assistant Approaches This

1. Identifies the article's core argument, revelation, or conflict — the one thing that makes this piece worth reading — and uses that as the anchor for all headline options
2. Generates headlines across distinct structural approaches: declarative statement, question, imperative, ironic twist, "x of y" construction, and the clean noun-phrase format used by literary and long-form publications
3. Calibrates register to the specified publication type — tabloid vocabulary and punctuation differ fundamentally from literary magazine style; trade press follows different conventions from consumer lifestyle
4. For each main headline, writes a matching subheadline (dek) that adds the reporting context the main head omits
5. Flags which options work best in print versus digital (SEO-aware headlines often sacrifice elegance; print heads can afford more wit)
6. Closes with a one-sentence "Next Step" specifying which headline to take forward, whether to run social-media-excerpt to adapt the winning headline for platforms, and whether newsletter-teaser-writer is needed for distribution copy

Output Format

6–10 headline options organized into clusters by register (e.g., "Direct/News," "Analytical/Literary," "Provocative/Punchy"). Each headline followed by its dek. One-line annotation on register and best-use context. Total length: 400–600 words. No markdown beyond bold for headline text. Output ends with a "Next Step" note identifying which headline cluster is strongest for the specified publication and what to do immediately: send to editor, run newsletter-teaser-writer, or adapt the top option for social.

Quality Criteria

• Headlines span at least 4 different structural formats
• Every headline has a matching dek that adds reporting context
• At least one option is under 6 words (works on cover and social)
• At least one option is SEO-aware (keyword-led, clear noun phrase)
• No headline fabricates a claim beyond what the article summary supports
• Register annotations correctly distinguish print vs. digital context
• Output includes at least one concrete next action the user can take immediately (send headline to editor, adapt for social via social-media-excerpt, or run newsletter-teaser-writer)

Example

Input

Article summary: A long-form investigation into how small cities across the country are quietly changing their zoning laws to allow more housing density — without waiting for federal or state action. The piece profiles three specific cities, quotes planning officials, and shows early results: rents have stabilized in one city after 18 months. Publication: National general-interest magazine, serious but accessible (think Atlantic or Harper's register) Dek needed: Yes No character limit specified

Output

Direct / News Register

1. The Cities Quietly Fixing the Housing Crisis Dek: While Washington debates, a handful of small American cities are rewriting their zoning codes — and it's already working. (Best for: digital homepage; SEO-friendly; clear noun phrase)

2. The Zoning Fix Nobody Talked About Dek: In three cities that refused to wait for federal action, a quiet change in land-use law is doing what years of policy arguments couldn't. (Best for: social media; punchy, works short)

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Analytical / Literary Register

3. A City Changes Its Mind About the Backyard Dek: Across America, a small but growing number of communities are betting that denser housing — not new highways or federal grants — is the answer to affordability. (Best for: print feature; evocative, rewards the curious reader)

4. How to Build a City Without Fighting About It Dek: The housing crisis has been a federal argument for decades. These three cities stopped waiting. (Best for: print or digital long-form; dry irony, intellectual register)

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Provocative / Punchy Register

5. They Changed Three Lines in the Zoning Code. Rents Stopped Rising. Dek: It was not a dramatic policy breakthrough. It was not a federal program. In one mid-sized city, it took 18 months. (Best for: newsletter or social; specificity drives clicks; best for data-forward pieces)

6. The Housing Solution That Doesn't Require Congress Dek: Forget the federal debate. In cities where planners quietly rewrote zoning law, early results are forcing a rethink of how America builds. (Best for: digital opinion/analysis section)

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Cover / Short Form

7. The Backyard Fix (Cover line; 3 words; requires dek to carry context)
8. The Cities That Stopped Waiting (Works standalone on cover or social card)

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Notes: Options 1 and 5 are strongest for digital/SEO. Options 3 and 4 suit the literary register of a print feature. If this piece goes on a cover, Option 7 with a coverline dek is the most elegant short form.

Known Limitations

• Headline effectiveness in digital depends partly on thumbnail/image context that the assistant cannot see; some options may need adjustment once the visual is known
• The assistant cannot verify claims or data in the article summary; headlines are only as accurate as what you provide — any specific figure in a headline (e.g., "18 months") must be verified in the reporting
• Literary and ironic headlines can underperform algorithmically on platforms that prioritize clear keyword matching; flag your distribution channel when requesting

Related Skills

• story-angle-finder
• newsletter-teaser-writer
• social-media-excerpt