How to write

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General Advice

Use easy words

“The only way to learn to write is to force yourself to produce a certain number of words on a regular basis.” – William Zinsser

Most underestimated skill: how to organize a long article

Rewriting

Each paragraph should reinforce the previous one.
Now, what do your readers want to know next? Ask yourself that question after every sentence.
Use paragraphs of five sentences or fewer
Use verbs that embed the meaning of their adverbs. (“She spoke loudly” → “She shouted")
Use adjectives and adverbs if they're important details.
Take 1-week breaks to defamiliarize yourself
Ask readers to score your writing from 1 to 10. Aim for 7.5+.

Finish

Give as much thought to choosing your last sentence as you did to your first
Read everything aloud before letting it go out into the world

Concepts

The call and response pattern

There's a style of writing - let's call it call-and-response. It works like this: if you find you could at least somewhat naturally italicize the last part of the clause, then your writing will feel crisp and clean. Every phrase leads to something; every sentence sets you up for resolution.

Why does this work? I can think of three reasons.

First, it gives your writing a lyrical lilt. Songs do call-and-response all the time.

Second, it highlights parallelism. If you want your reader to see a comparison between adjacent sentences, phrase them similarly.

Finally, it forces you to make a point worth emphasizing every single sentence. With the fat removed, the density of insight soars.

The length of your sentence

This sentence has five words. Here are five more words. Five-word sentences are fine. But several together become monotonous. Listen to what is happening. The writing is getting boring. The sound of it drones. It s like a stuck record. The ear demands some variety.

Now listen. I vary the sentence length, and I create music. Music. The writing sings. It has a pleasant rhythm, a iilt, a harmony. I use short sentences. And I use sentences of medium length. And sometimes, when I am certain the reader is rested, I will engage him with a sentence of considerable length, a sentence that burns with energy and builds with all the impetus of a crescendo, the roll of the drums, the crash of the cymbals-sounds that say listen to this, it is important.

So write with a combination of short, medium, and long sentences. Create a sound that pleases the reader's ear. Don't just write words. Write music.

Writing Process

This process is mostly summarized from Julian’s Writing Well Handbook (read it! It’s great).

Choose a topic

Choose objective

Example 1: Challange the status quo wrong
Example 2: Everyone’s thinking but no one is saying
Example 3: Key trends on a topic → predict the future
Example 4: Research / Experimentation
Example 5: Make a hard topic easy
Example 6: Solution to a tough problem
Example 7: Emotional story + take away lesson

Write a messy braindump

Talk vulnerably like you do with friends
Explain what is needed to make your argument
Explain the implications of your argument

Write an intro

Give context

Explain the problem and what’s at stake

Explain the problem's significance

Add a Hook: Tease something fascinating (don’t fully reveal)

How to generate hooks

Write those questions down: “If someone else wrote my intro, what questions would excite me to read this?”

Rank your questions: How much intresting are they?

The top questions become your hooks → Put into intro (don't reveal their answers)

Sanity check your hooks (Ask others)

If feedback-givers have skepticisms, proactively address them in your intro

You’ll share things they don’t already know → Tease your original insights in your introduction.‍

You’ll not cover key points readers care about -> List the points you’ll cover.‍

You’ll not deliver on hooks → Include quotes from authorities who agree with you.

You're not qualified to write about this → share relevant credentials / be upfront about you being unqualified

Get feedback on your intro

Create a starting outline

A captivating intro
A section of intense surprise or insight
An ending that satisfyingly justifies why the piece was worth reading.

Rewrite for clarity, succinctness, and intrigue

Cycle between rewriting, resting, and receiving feedback

Copy edit for grammar, word choice, and flow

Tips

Keep short distance between subject and verb

Before: Joe quickly and unerringly picked the wrong word.

After: Joe always picked the wrong word.

Use strong verbs

Before: Joe walked down the street without direction. After: Joe meandered west.

Avoid verb qualifiers

Namely: a bit, a little, sort of, kind of, rather, quite, very, too, pretty much

Before: Jack thought it was sort of a good idea.

After: Jack thought it was a good idea.

Passive verbs emphasize the receiver

Before: Omens loaded the night.

After: The night was loaded with omens.

Begin and end with strong words

Before: We drove into the Black smoke that crashed the whole car.

After: The black smoke we drove in crashed the whole car.

Use a period instead of a comma

Before: I’m not a liar, I just don’t respect the truth.

After: I’m not a liar. I just don’t respect the truth.

Use Active over Passive Voice

Before: The ball was thrown by Jerry.

After: Jerry throws the ball.

Disclaimer: Guides are a collection of already well-written content from other great minds. This content stands on the shoulders of giants. The sources are always linked below or directly in the section.