What Has Helped You Write Better? - EA Forum

@tags:: #lit✍/📰️article/highlights
@links:: writing,
@ref:: What Has Helped You Write Better? - EA Forum
@author:: forum.effectivealtruism.org

=this.file.name

Book cover of "What Has Helped You Write Better? - EA Forum"

Reference

Notes

Readings and notes

Books on writing

Quote

On Writing WellAaron Gertler says: “On Writing Well is much better than The Sense of Style if you just want writing advice.”
- No location available
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Other resources - misc

Quote

Reasoning TransparencySee also How To Write Quickly While Maintaining Epistemic Rigor
- No location available
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Quote

Teaching Graduate Students How to Write ClearlyThis was also the basis for a presentation which I found useful and often refer people to the slides from (WritingTips_UE [don't share further].pptx), but which I didn’t ask for permission to share
- No location available
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Notes - misc

Quote

You should usually include an actual tl;dr/summary/key takeaways section right near the start - even in most cases where you feel it’s unimportant or inappropriate
- No location available
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Quote

Beware the curse of knowledge
- No location available
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- [note::Are there good ways to check for understanding that are unlikely to insult the other person?]

Quote

You should probably more often use examples. You’re probably being less clear than you think, and examples can help. In any case, providing concrete examples is an effective way to elucidate abstract concepts.
- No location available
- writing, communication,

Quote

Often try to be really clear about what you’re not claiming, what’s not in-scope, what debates you don’t settle, etc.
- No location available
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Quote

Much of what you’ve said can probably be cut, moved into footnotes, or moved into an appendix
- No location available
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Quote

Save the longest part of the sentence/phrase for the endE.g., “ghoulies and ghosties and long-legged beasties and things that go bump in the night”E.g., “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”
- No location available
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Quote

Aggressive editing, with an eye to intention, is the single biggest tool I use for improving my own writing.
- No location available
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Quote

First, I consider the flow of my argument. Does it follow a logical structure, where each step is adequately justified? Is supporting evidence provided at the most advantageous moments?
- No location available
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Quote

Then, I consider my stylistic choices on a number of levels: namely, word choice, sentence type, paragraph-level flow, and work-level flow. My goal is to express my argument in the most concise and persuasive way possible, and I review my stylistic aspects to see if they are supporting that goal.
- No location available
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Quote

Write under the assumption that other people will base important life or spending decisions on your output, or offer you jobs or money contingent on the quality of your writing. Not as a source of pressure, but as an honesty check.
- No location available
- favorite, authenticity, writing,


dg-publish: true
created: 2024-07-01
modified: 2024-07-01
title: What Has Helped You Write Better? - EA Forum
source: hypothesis

@tags:: #lit✍/📰️article/highlights
@links:: writing,
@ref:: What Has Helped You Write Better? - EA Forum
@author:: forum.effectivealtruism.org

=this.file.name

Book cover of "What Has Helped You Write Better? - EA Forum"

Reference

Notes

Readings and notes

Books on writing

Quote

On Writing WellAaron Gertler says: “On Writing Well is much better than The Sense of Style if you just want writing advice.”
- No location available
-

Other resources - misc

Quote

Reasoning TransparencySee also How To Write Quickly While Maintaining Epistemic Rigor
- No location available
-

Quote

Teaching Graduate Students How to Write ClearlyThis was also the basis for a presentation which I found useful and often refer people to the slides from (WritingTips_UE [don't share further].pptx), but which I didn’t ask for permission to share
- No location available
-

Notes - misc

Quote

You should usually include an actual tl;dr/summary/key takeaways section right near the start - even in most cases where you feel it’s unimportant or inappropriate
- No location available
-

Quote

Beware the curse of knowledge
- No location available
-
- [note::Are there good ways to check for understanding that are unlikely to insult the other person?]

Quote

You should probably more often use examples. You’re probably being less clear than you think, and examples can help. In any case, providing concrete examples is an effective way to elucidate abstract concepts.
- No location available
- writing, communication,

Quote

Often try to be really clear about what you’re not claiming, what’s not in-scope, what debates you don’t settle, etc.
- No location available
-

Quote

Much of what you’ve said can probably be cut, moved into footnotes, or moved into an appendix
- No location available
-

Quote

Save the longest part of the sentence/phrase for the endE.g., “ghoulies and ghosties and long-legged beasties and things that go bump in the night”E.g., “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”
- No location available
-

Quote

Aggressive editing, with an eye to intention, is the single biggest tool I use for improving my own writing.
- No location available
-

Quote

First, I consider the flow of my argument. Does it follow a logical structure, where each step is adequately justified? Is supporting evidence provided at the most advantageous moments?
- No location available
-

Quote

Then, I consider my stylistic choices on a number of levels: namely, word choice, sentence type, paragraph-level flow, and work-level flow. My goal is to express my argument in the most concise and persuasive way possible, and I review my stylistic aspects to see if they are supporting that goal.
- No location available
-

Quote

Write under the assumption that other people will base important life or spending decisions on your output, or offer you jobs or money contingent on the quality of your writing. Not as a source of pressure, but as an honesty check.
- No location available
- favorite, authenticity, writing,