convert-chute

# Convert Chute - The Greased Chute

> *"Every sentence in your copy has one job: make the next sentence impossible not to read. This isn't about 'flow' in the literary sense. It's about engineering momentum. The reader should feel like they're sliding down a chute - once they start, friction is zero and they can't stop until they hit the bottom."* - The Donahoe Method, Framework 6

This skill takes an existing draft and engineers momentum - installing open loops, varying paragraph length, fixing sentence rhythm, sharpening transitions, and applying the read-aloud test until the whole piece reads like one continuous thought.

If they stop reading, nothing else matters. The Greased Chute is non-optional.

## When to Use

Trigger phrases: "grease the chute", "greased chute", "donahoe chute", "momentum pass", "read aloud test", "install open loops", "fix the rhythm", "kill friction", "flow pass on this", `/convert chute <draft>`.

Use this skill on a draft that is structurally complete but reads stiff, dense, or laggy. The Chute pass is a *post-draft* engineering pass - it doesn't replace any of the writers (`convert-open`, `convert-bullets`, `convert-close`); it makes their output unstoppable.

Do NOT use for:
- Writing the asset from scratch (use `convert-sales-page` / `convert-vsl`)
- Generating individual transition lines (use `convert-transition` for the 10-move library)
- Auditing for Method-fit (use `convert-audit`)
- Scoring conversion rate (use `convert-audit`)

## Inputs

Required:
1. **The draft** - paste in the full asset, or specific sections that feel sticky. The Chute pass works on any size - paragraph, section, or full page.
2. **Read-target** - what's the target read mode (skim from mobile / focused on desktop / spoken aloud as a VSL script)? Different read-modes need different rhythms.

Optional:
- **Friction notes** - if the user knows where they stumble, mark it (*"section 3 feels boring"*, *"I lose energy after the bullets"*)
- **Asset type and length budget**
- `out_path` - caller-controlled output. Defaults via `build_report_path`.

## The Five Chute Levers (full method)

### 1. Open Loops

Start a thought and don't finish it yet. The reader HAS to keep reading to close the loop.

**The technique:**
- Drop a thread that won't be resolved until 2-5 paragraphs later: *"But that's not even the interesting part - and I'll get to that in a second."*
- Stack open loops so there's *always* an unresolved thread pulling the reader forward
- Close earlier loops as you open new ones

Specifications:
- Each major section opens at least one loop into the next section
- A long-form sales page should have 3-7 active loops at any moment
- Every loop must eventually close - orphaned loops break trust

Examples:
- ✓ *"...and I'll show you the exact email I sent in a minute. But before that, you need to understand why everyone else's version of this fails first."*
- ✓ *"That part's important - but it's not the part that actually moved the needle. We'll get to the real lever in section three."*
- ✗ *"Now let's discuss our next topic."* (announces the next section, kills the open loop)

### 2. Short Paragraphs

One to three sentences max. White space is your friend. A wall of text creates friction. Short paragraphs create the feeling of speed - the reader's eye keeps moving because the next paragraph is RIGHT THERE.

Specifications:
- Mobile read-target: 1-2 sentence paragraphs throughout
- Desktop read-target: 1-3 sentence paragraphs, occasional 4-sentence paragraph for variety
- VSL script read-target: 1 sentence per paragraph, treated as a beat
- Single-line paragraphs (one short sentence alone) are *emphasis tools* - use sparingly, and they hit hard

### 3. Varied Rhythm

Short sentence. Short sentence. Then a slightly longer one that flows and breathes and lets them absorb. Then short again. The variation creates a pulse that keeps the reader's brain engaged.

**Uniform sentence lengths are monotonous - monotony is friction.**

Specifications:
- Aim for sentence-length variation of at least 3:1 across any section (some sentences 3-5 words, others 15-25 words)
- After 2 long sentences, drop a short one
- After 3 short sentences, write one breath-sentence
- Listen for the *pulse* when reading aloud - if the rhythm flatlines, rewrite

Examples:

✓ Donahoe rhythm:
> *"Most copywriting advice is built on a lie.*
> *The lie is that you need to sound polished and professional and use big words to be taken seriously, when actually the opposite is true - the most-converting copy on the internet sounds exactly like one person talking to another over coffee, with all the broken sentences and asides and casual little jokes that real conversation contains.*
> *Sound polished? You sound like a press release.*
> *Sound real? You sound like someone they trust."*

✗ Monotone rhythm (kills momentum):
> *"Most copywriting advice is wrong. You should sound conversational. People trust real voices. Polished copy doesn't convert. Casual copy converts better. This is the secret."*

### 4. Curiosity at Transitions

**Never end a section with a conclusion. End with a tease.**

The reader crosses every section boundary because you've made the next section irresistible.

Specifications:
- Final sentence of every section opens a loop into the next section
- Avoid summarizing what you just said (summary kills momentum)
- Use the moves from `convert-transition` - Comparison Bomb, Escalation, Aside Bomb, Diagnostic, etc.

Examples:

✓ Section ending that pulls forward:
> *"Now, that's a solid approach. But what I'm about to show you in the next section makes that look like a warmup."*

✓ Diagnostic transition (cuts forward without filler):
> *"So what's the actual problem?"*

✗ Section ending that stalls:
> *"In summary, we've covered the basics of lead generation. Now let's move on to the next topic."* (announces the move, kills momentum)

### 5. The Read-Aloud Test

**Read your copy out loud at speaking pace.**