Rules for writing a Mini-Essay:

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the tyranny of the blank page? Are you wishing to incorporate writing into your life but have failed to do so consistently?

Recently, I started stacking another habit on top of my morning reading routine. Now, after reading, I take some time to reflect and write. My writing is guided by a few simple rules that help me stay focused. Here are the rules that help me produce 1 mini-essay per day:

Stick to 1 idea and 1 idea only
Keep it short:
1. Time limit: 10-20 minutes
2. Word limit: 100-500 words
3. Page limit: The essay should be visible on one page without the need to scroll
Keep the essays organized
1. Use a Kanban board to track the process through all stages from raw idea to published
2. Include Tags and Folders for easy retrieval
3. Link to other ideas that are relevant (Maybe your own past posts)
4. References (Where did you get this idea? What prompted it? Books, videos, articles)
The three part structure:
1. Intro
  1. Try any of the following: Introduce curiosity with a Hook / Be clear about the Premise / Use a bold statement / ask a provoking question / evoke strong emotions / throw the reader straight into the action by means of a story
2. Body
  1. Answer the premise of the intro
  2. Optional: Try a Story Note (use story telling to bring a point across)
    1. Choose the point you’re trying to make
    2. Amplify the message by choosing an illustrative story
    3. For hard topics depersonalize the story by using non human characters or humor
3. Conclusion
  1. Keep it short and simple (KISS) - 1 or 2 sentences
Feedback (3 sanity checks)
1. Read the essay out loud to assess how it flows. This is an unreasonably powerful tool to quickly notice and change odd sentences
2. Ask an AI to rate the essay & provide feedback on how to improve it
  1. Here’s my custom GPT - Mini Essay Critic
3. Ask another person for feedback and written comments
4. Optional: Wait a few days to let the idea simmer before returning to it with fresh eyes and doing a few last changes.
Optional: Include an illustration
1. Make a custom graphic for more important posts (with Excalidraw, Figma or Miro) or
2. Use an existing graphic if
  1. Preserving precision of information is important (e.g. data plots) or
  2. Creating a custom graphic would be prohibitively time intensive

Following these simple rules can transform your writing routine into a structured and productive daily habit.

Rules for writing a Mini-Essay:

References