# Aesthetic Writing

*Based on S.J. Noorman's* Writing Simplified *— the 20% of formatting craft
that gets 80% of the results.*

Writing on social media needs two things: it has to **look good** and **be
useful**. Useful means the reader gains something (education, inspiration, or
entertainment). Looking good is what gets the reader to start — and finish —
reading in the first place.

Small creators don't get celebrity-tier patience. If your writing looks like a
wall of text, people scroll. Format is not decoration; it's the delivery
mechanism for your ideas.

---

## Rule of 3

Lists of three feel complete, persuasive, and memorable.

**Good:**
> My peers: Drugs, parties, alcohol.
> Me: Chess, fitness, writing.
> Stop being cool.

**Bad:**
> My peers: Drugs, alcohol.
> Me: Chess, fitness, writing, education.

Two feels thin. Four feels cluttered. Three is the sweet spot. Use longer lists
when you genuinely have more, but default to three.

---

## Simplicity

Don't use more words when fewer will do. People are busy. Write like it.

**Good:**
> You don't need therapy. You need stoicism.

**Bad:**
> You don't necessarily need to go to therapy if you're currently feeling
> depressed. Stoicism will probably help you to get rid of these bad feelings,
> so make sure you start learning about it.

The good version punches. The bad one apologizes. Cut every word that isn't
working.

---

## Stairways

When listing items, order them from shortest to longest. Your eye walks down
the page like stairs.

**Good:**
> The 1% creator:
> - Stoic
> - Writer
> - Jacked
> - Generalist
> - Self-educated
> - Financially free
> - Uses dark mode
> - Drinks black coffee
> - Practical minimalist

**Bad (random order):**
> The 1% creator:
> - Practical minimalist
> - Writer
> - Drinks black coffee
> - Jacked

The staircase is satisfying. The random list is noise.

---

## Polarizing

Take a side. The people who disagree scroll past; the people who agree become
fans. Hedging attracts no one.

**Good:**
> External things will never make you happy.

**Bad:**
> External things *probably* won't make you happy, depending on your situation
> and circumstances.

You can be wrong. You can't be invisible.

---

## Repetition

Reuse the exact same word. Don't thesaurus your way through a list.

**Bad (inconsistent wording):**
> - A lot of stress
> - Many late nights
> - Lots of self-doubt
> - Plenty of early mornings
> - Frequent disappointments

**Good (repeated wording):**
> - Lots of stress
> - Lots of late nights
> - Lots of self-doubt
> - Lots of early mornings
> - Lots of disappointments

Repetition creates rhythm. Rhythm is what makes people keep reading.

---

## Bullet Points

Bullets are easier to read, notice, and consume than prose lists.

**Good:**
> Want to make money online?
> - Sales
> - Writing
> - Speaking
> - Marketing
> - Video editing
> - Offer creation

**Bad:**
> Want to make money online? Sales, writing, speaking, marketing, video
> editing, offer creation.

Use `•` or `-`. Avoid `–`. Prefer bullets over commas whenever you have 3+
items.

---

## White Space

Blank lines are free. Use them.

**Rules:**
- One concept per line. Finish the thought, then line break.
- Short lines (under ~10 English words / 15–20 Chinese characters).
- Key sentences stand alone, with blank lines above and below.

**Good:**
> "I'll be happy once I achieve my goal."
>
> *Achieves goal.*
>
> Still unhappy.
>
> Why?
>
> External things will never make you happy.

**Bad:**
> "I'll be happy once I achieve my goal." *Achieves goal.* Still unhappy. Why?
> External things will never make you happy.

White space reduces the *perceived* effort of reading. Lower perceived effort
= more people read = more reach.

---

## Write As You Speak

Beginners try to sound smart. Pros sound like themselves.

**Good:**
> You don't need a 4-year degree. You need to write online for 6 months.

**Bad:**
> You don't need to spend 4 years in the education system to become a wealthy
> and free-minded individual. You need to spend 6 months mastering the most
> relevant high-income skill so you can thrive in the digital renaissance.

If you wouldn't say it out loud, don't write it. Read your drafts out loud —
if you stumble, rewrite.

---

## Vary Sentence Length

Monotonous rhythm puts readers to sleep.

> This sentence has five words. Here are five more words. Five-word sentences
> are fine. But several together become monotonous. Listen to what is
> happening. The writing is getting boring.

Fix it by mixing lengths:

> I use short sentences. And I use sentences of medium length. And sometimes
> when I am certain the reader is rested, I will engage him with a sentence of
> considerable length, a sentence that burns with energy and builds with all
> the impetus of a crescendo.
>
> — Gary Provost

Short. Medium. Occasional long. That's the music.

---

## Content Goals (Useful)

Looking good isn't enough. Each piece should hit one of three goals:

### Education
Give value per second. Proof, insights, strategies. Builds trust and authority.

### Inspiration
Empathy, milestones, transformation. Builds connection and likeability.

### Entertainment
Jokes, anecdotes, polarizing takes. Builds memorability.

You don't need all three in every post. Pick one and hit it cleanly.

---

## The Virality Formula (Noorman)

> **Virality = (Benefit × Relevance × Hook) / Perceived Effort × Reach**

Four things you can control:
- **Benefit:** what they gain
- **Relevance:** who it's for
- **Hook:** whether they start reading
- **Perceived effort:** how easy it looks to read

One thing you build over time: **Reach** (your follower base + your commenting
habit). Save your good threads — repost and repurpose them. *Create once, post
twice.*
