Yol · 12 Stations · 12 days · Career & Business › Communication
Write clearly and persuasively
You write emails, proposals and memos that lead with the point, survive a skim and move people to act, because you edit your own drafts the way a reader would read them.
Most unclear writing isn't a talent problem. It's a handful of fixable habits. Over twelve short Stations you'll practise on your own real messages: naming your reader, finding your one point, cutting what does no work, and backing claims with things people can check. No grammar drills, no hype. Just a calmer way to get read and get the answer you need.
The road, station by station
01Name your reader before you write a word
~5 minfrom Everybody Writes
Today’s Station — start →
02Know your one point before you write
lockedfrom Made to Stick
03Write an ugly first draft, then fix it
lockedfrom Everybody Writes
04Cut every word that does no work
lockedfrom On Writing Well
Milestone
Your one point, a third shorter
Pick a real email or document you wrote recently. Write its one point in a single sentence. Then cut the text by at least a third without losing any meaning. Keep both versions side by side.
05Say who does what
lockedfrom The Elements of Style
06Lead with the point
lockedfrom Smart Brevity
07Built for the skimmer: let the shape carry the meaning
lockedfrom Smart Brevity
08Make it something the reader can picture
lockedfrom Made to Stick
Milestone
Send one message built to be read
Send a real work message. It should put the point first, be skimmable in ten seconds, carry one clear ask, and swap at least one abstraction for a concrete example. Notice how quickly and clearly people reply.
09Give readers proof they can check
lockedfrom Made to Stick
10Open with a question your reader wants answered
lockedfrom Made to Stick
11One person first, then the numbers
lockedfrom Made to Stick
12Edit your own draft in passes, out loud
lockedfrom On Writing Well
Milestone
One page that asks for something real
Write a one-page proposal, pitch or memo for a real reader and fully self-edit it. It should have a clear core message, evidence they can check, a story or vivid detail, and a sharp opening. Send it, then note what the reader actually did in response.