People read nonfiction to learn and to feel. My framework for ensuring a blog post accomplishes both is to start with a first draft that focuses on "novel" ideas.A novel idea is one that's not just new to the reader, but also significant and not easily intuited. Think of it as new and worthwhile. I've identified five categories:Counter-intuitive — "Oh, I never realized the world worked that way."Counter-narrative — "Wow, that's not how I was told the world worked!"Shock and awe — "That's crazy. I would have never believed it."Elegant articulations — "Beautiful. I couldn't have said it better myself."Make someone feel seen — "Yes! That's exactly how I feel!"Novelty is what gives readers dopamine hits. You find novel ideas by pursuing your curiosity and noting what interests and surprises you along the way. If it intrigues you, it'll likely intrigue your readers too.

Counter-intuitive — "Oh, I never realized the world worked that way."

Counter-narrative — "Wow, that's not how I was told the world worked!"

Shock and awe — "That's crazy. I would have never believed it."

Elegant articulations — "Beautiful. I couldn't have said it better myself."

Make someone feel seen — "Yes! That's exactly how I feel!"

Novelty is what gives readers dopamine hits. You find novel ideas by pursuing your curiosity and noting what interests and surprises you along the way. If it intrigues you, it'll likely intrigue your readers too.

What to Write About

Saved by Vince DeSantis and

RelatedCollectionsNotes

Step one is choosing an objective for your post, such as:

Open people’s eyes by proving the status quo wrong. Example.

Share a solution to a tough problem. Example.

Distill an overwhelming topic into something approachable. Example.

Tell a suspenseful and emotional story that imparts a lesson. Example.

Articulate something everyone’s thinking about but

What to Write About

Originality and surprise are the most refreshing elements in nonfiction writing. There’s no “right” way to approach the subject of memoir, or the subject of man, or any other subject. A writer who comes at his discipline from an oblique angle is almost always more fun to travel with. Risk gives writing an edge.

William Zinsser • Writing to Learn: How to Write - and Think - Clearly About Any Subject at All

As for what point you want to make, every successful piece of nonfiction should leave the reader with one provocative thought that he or she didn’t have before.

William Zinsser • On Writing Well, 30th Anniversary Edition: An Informal Guide to Writing Nonfiction

Your opening is everything

You have 7 seconds—or less—to stop someone from scrolling past your Note. The first line does 90 percent of the work.

3 Types of opening lines that work

The Raw Confession

‘I just fired my biggest client.’

‘This morning, I cried in my car for an hour.’

‘My marriage failed. I never told anyone why.’

Variation: The Time Hook

‘20

THE NEW SUBSTACK NOTES

obvious and shoot for the memorable. The best sellers in non-fiction books, year after year, are the “HowTo” books. Most commonly, dieting, aging, better sex, or moneymaking and this happens every single year. Do the same people buy these, hoping for the miracle cure or solution? Perhaps, but does it really matter? Human nature dictates that they w

Jeffrey Hauser • Inside the Yellow Pages

Clarity and succinctness help ideas resonate. They reduce mental overhead so your ideas pop.

But what gets people reading in the first place? Intrigue , which is the other quality we rewrite for .

What to Write About

William Zinsser • Writing to Learn: How to Write - and Think - Clearly About Any Subject at All

William Zinsser • On Writing Well, 30th Anniversary Edition: An Informal Guide to Writing Nonfiction

THE NEW SUBSTACK NOTES

Jeffrey Hauser • Inside the Yellow Pages

Julian Shapiro • Writing Well - Part 3 - Rewriting and Editing