Writing plays such a central role in learning, studying and research that it is surprising how little we think about it. If writing is discussed, the focus lies almost always on the few exceptional moments where we write a lengthy piece, a book, an article or, as students, the essays and theses we have to hand in.

How we structure a topic is how we think about a topic and therefore a thought in itself. It belongs in the slip-box as a note, becoming therefore something to be tested, questioned and discussed.

Note sequences occupy the sweet spot between isolated facts/ideas and continuous text.

Change is possible when the solution appears to be simple.

strategically build up new habits that have a chance to replace the old ones. The goal here is to get into the habit of fetching pen and paper whenever we read something, to write down the most important and interesting aspects.

One of the most difficult tasks is to rigorously delete what has no function within an argument – “kill your darlings.”

be generally sceptical about planning, especially if it is merely focused on the outcome, not on the actual work and the steps required to achieve a goal.

Try working on different manuscripts at the same time.

Structure the text and keep it flexible.