Writing
- “When I have a piece of writing in mind, what I have, in fact, is a mental bucket: an attractor for and generator of thought. It’s like a thematic gravity well, a magnet for what would otherwise be a mess of iron filings. I’ll read books differently and listen differently in conversations. In particular I’ll remember everything better; everything... See more
James Somers • More People Should Write
My version of the inverted pyramid uses the ‘five Es’: Essentials: What the reader absolutely must know about your message (from the plan you made in chapter 3) Explanation: More detail to fill out the reader’s knowledge, including links to what they already know (chapter 14) Examples: Different perspectives (chapter 15), metaphors (chapter 13) or
... See moreDoug Kessler • How to Write Clearly
Turn your notes into a rough draft. Don’t simply copy your notes into a manuscript. Translate them into something coherent and embed them into the context of your argument
Sönke Ahrens • How to Take Smart Notes: One Simple Technique to Boost Writing, Learning and Thinking
the curse of knowledge. It’s almost impossible to imagine not knowing what you know. Therefore, it’s a challenge to put yourself in the same position as your reader.
Doug Kessler • How to Write Clearly
Every piece of writing offers the reader a deal. In return for their time and attention, they receive some sort of value.
Doug Kessler • How to Write Clearly
Examine every word you put on paper. You’ll find a surprising number that don’t serve any purpose.
William Zinsser • On Writing Well, 30th Anniversary Edition: An Informal Guide to Writing Nonfiction
What works for me (as I said previously) is a single line at the top of the page that sums up the main point I'm trying to make. Then I list some key points that relate to or support my bigger idea. Then I go back and expand on those ideas in another sentence or two, creating paragraphs. Then I move the paragraphs around, adding transitions between
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