The Shape of the Essay Field
I believe the formula I've given you, importance + novelty + correctness + strength, is the recipe for a good essay.
Paul Graham • How to Write Usefully
The Best Essay
paulgraham.com
The Best Essay
paulgraham.com
The way to get novelty is to write about topics you've thought about a lot. Then you can use yourself as a proxy for the reader in this department too. Anything you notice that surprises you, who've thought about the topic a lot, will probably also surprise a significant number of readers. And here, as with correctness and importance, you can use t... See more