Sketches

An essay is a single idea

Maverick

May 15, 2023 — 1 min read

Focus your essay on a single idea that is supported by your story.

I was writing an essay about the benefits of ownership. I started with an abstract list of benefits and tried to remember stories that drove my point home.

The points were weak. The stories were dry. The article was falling apart.

Then I rewrote the essay based on a funny story about me living in an "Airbnb from hell" with a smell of sewage, 4-inch cockroaches, and broken windows. After that, the essay got much more lively.

It's still a work in progress, but I plan to end with a much simpler didactic point closely related to the story. I think this essay will be a banger.

So, focusing on one idea and driving it home with a colorful life story helped make my essay more interesting and easier to read.

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How to Escape the Toxic Trap of Comparison

When abstract thinking falls short

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Do you need an alarm clock?