# 2022-01-19 Formatting and writing rhythms ## Summary - Writing isn't just about writing; it's also about formatting. - Make your writing skimmable and visually enticing. - Using the 1/3/1 or 1/4/1 format (opening/body/closing) instantly improves rhythm and readability. ## Log - On essays unexpectedly blowing up: YOU don't know. You're too close to the work. Get out of your own way. Publish more often. Spin the roulette wheel more often. Frameworks - The 1 Chip Rule - Eat the first chip. - Optimize your format, headling, first sentence, to get the reader to say "Ok, fine. One chip." - Give them the good stuff right away and hook them in by creating that curiosity gap. - Increase the rate of revelation: move really quickly in the first part and reveal a lot. - The 3-second Skim Test - Make it so that readers can skim your work in 3 seconds. - People skim first, and then if they are intrigued, they go back to the start and read the whole thing. - Instead of thinking of this as tricking people, think of this as being empathetic: you are writing in a way so that people will be more receptive to what you're writing. - The context of writing is changing. Learn to fish. - When you read an article on the internet, pay attention to how YOU read. - Subheads Should Tell the Story - Can readers read your subheadings and get the gist of the story? If no, they're gone - Make your writing visually enticing, not visually dense. - Too many long sentences is bad, but so is too many single sentences. - Formatting is a skill in itself, so be prepared to take some time to get it right. Writing Rhythms - The 1/3/1 Writing Rhythm - 1 opening sentence. - Explain what you mean in 3 sentences (quick story or description they can hold onto) - End with a single sentence. - You can do this again and again and again: 1/3/1/1/3/1/1/3/1 - 1/4/1 - Expanding the 1/3/1 format. - 6 proven ways to hook the reader - Open with 1 strong, declarative sentence. - Conviction. Don't hedge, even if you're not 100% sure. - Even if you're wrong, conviction prompts feedback, which is good for you! - Open with a thought-provoking question. - Open with a controversial opinion. - Open with a moment in time. - "In 1982...", "When I was 5..." For some reason, this always grabs people. - Open with a vulnerable statement. - "I felt like an imposter calling myself an angel investor." - Open with a weird, unique insight. - ## Next Actions