Notes On Writing

Michael Nielsen's working notes on writing well — craft observations on clear purpose, titles, chapter titles, opening sentences, danger words (interesting/quite/very), structure, and classic style. Use when drafting, revising, editing, or critiquing prose; when stuck on an opening or a title; or when checking for weak words and clichés.

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Notes on writing well

Michael Nielsen's working notes on prose craft, wrapped as a reference skill. The full essay lives in references/notes_on_writing.md — load it before applying.

When to use

  • Drafting, revising, editing, or critiquing prose
  • Stuck on an opening sentence or a title
  • Checking for weak words / clichés (danger words: interesting, quite, very)

How to run

  1. Read references/notes_on_writing.md (the complete working notes).
  2. Apply its observations directly to the draft.

Core theses

  • Hard to write the truth — early drafts are rough approximations; revise over and over, asking each sentence whether it can be sharper and whether you really believe it.
  • Good writing is applied psychology — advice is about the reader's relationship to the text, so build a theory of that relationship.
  • Beware words you wouldn't say aloud — every word must earn its place.

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