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rss_feedEugene Yan ·01.12.2024 open_in_new

Seemingly Paradoxical Rules of Writing

#Content Creation #Writing Online
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Юджин Ян (Eugene Yan) размышляет о письме: написав почти 200 материалов на своём сайте и десятки документов по работе, он пришёл к выводу, что в писательстве есть множество правил — и одновременно нет никаких. Суть заметки — список из пар противоречащих друг другу советов: использовать простые слова ради ясности или сложные ради точности, писать короткими фразами ради удара или длинными ради нюансов, вкладываться во вступление или пропускать его. Каждая пара показывает, что противоположные подходы могут быть одинаково верны в зависимости от цели и аудитории. Завершается всё парадоксом: освойте правила — нарушайте правила. Заметка датирована декабрём 2024 года.

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    • Seemingly Paradoxical Rules of Writing

    [ writing 🩷 ] · 2 min read

    Having written close to 200 pieces on this site, and dozens of docs on the job, I’ve come to realize that, with regard to writing, there are many rules and also no rules at all.

    • • •

  • use simple words to be clear and concise

  • use complex words to be sharp and precise

  • write short sentences for the punch

  • write long sentences to convey nuance

  • invest 80% effort into an intro that hooks

  • skip the intro, just get into the nooks

  • write for a wide audience to maximize reach

  • write for an audience of one, dive into a niche

  • write about something that may seem plain

  • write about something that’s outright arcane

  • write what’s widely known in a fresh way

  • write what no one cares about or dares say

  • make it easy to read but hard to forget

  • make it deep and detailed so readers sweat

  • condense wisdom into 120 words that zing

  • expand over 12,000 words and let your thoughts sing

  • write without publishing to hone your craft

  • hit publish even though it still feels like a draft

  • emulate the style of others to learn and grow

  • find and hone your voice, let it flow

  • spend weeks and months polishing a piece

  • ship something in hours, just release

  • ask for feedback to gain the wisdom of the crowd

  • trust your inner voice and think out loud

  • master the rules
  • break the rules

    • If you found this useful, please cite this write-up as:

    Yan, Ziyou. (Dec 2024). Seemingly Paradoxical Rules of Writing. eugeneyan.com. https://eugeneyan.com/writing/paradox/.

    or

    @article{yan2024paradox, title = {Seemingly Paradoxical Rules of Writing}, author = {Yan, Ziyou}, journal = {eugeneyan.com}, year = {2024}, month = {Dec}, url = {https://eugeneyan.com/writing/paradox/} }

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