Voice

Almost all of Flagon reaches people as words: the site, docs, release notes, support replies, the handbook you are reading. Voice carries most of the brand. The chapter on how we write covers the craft; this is the brand-level register, the sound we are all aiming at so it holds together no matter who typed it.

The register

Write like a competent person explaining something to a peer they respect. Not a brand. Not a bot. Not a hype man. A person who knows the thing, has nothing to hide, and does not need to oversell.

• Say the thing. Lead with what is true and useful. Get to it in the first sentence.
• Short words, short sentences. If a plain word will do, use it. Cut the one you would not say out loud.
• Specific beats grand. "Answers in a day, usually less" beats "world-class support." Numbers and nouns over adjectives.
• Admit the edges. Say what something does not do, or what we have not finished. It reads as trust, not weakness, and it is true.
• Dry over loud. Wit lands when it is a little unexpected and genuinely funny. If you are reaching for a joke, drop it.

Words we do not use

A short banned list keeps the fog out. Avoid:

• Hype adjectives: revolutionary, seamless, cutting-edge, world-class, next-generation, game-changing.
• Filler verbs: empower, unlock, leverage, supercharge, elevate, delight.
• Fake urgency: "act now," "limited time," "don't miss out."
• Weasel hedges: "industry-leading," "best-in-class," "trusted by thousands" with nobody named.

None of these carry information. They are the sound of a company talking to itself.

A few house rules

• Second person. Talk to "you," not "users" or "customers," wherever it reads naturally.
• Contractions are fine. They are how people talk.
• No em-dashes or en-dashes in prose. A comma, colon, or period does the job. This is a house style, and it is deliberate.
• We are here now. Write about Flagon in the present, as a company that exists and does what it says. Never "coming soon," "one day," or "when it is real." If something is early, say what is true about it today.
• Own mistakes plainly. When we get something wrong, say so in normal words and say what we are doing about it. No corporate non-apology.

The gut check

Read it back as if a sharp friend sent it to you. Does it sound like a person who knows what they are talking about, or like a company trying to sound like one? If it is the second, rewrite it until it is the first.