Cut the Fluff is a weekly newsletter that will help you become a more confident writer & editor. If this was sent to you, subscribe here so you don't miss the next lesson.

Heyooo Reader,

There are a zillion ways to structure information.

How you present that information and move readers through your words is called narrative flow.

And personally, I find it to be the hardest part of writing. Not because I can't weave my readers through a strong narrative, but choosing the "right" order to present your message is always a gamble.

Writing is an art, so pretending there's a right way is like saying there's a right way to paint.

But it's also a science, so pretending there aren't frameworks to help is like saying we can't learn anything from data.

There are two ways to gather this data:

1. Look at how other people are doing it
2. Experiment and pay attention to the signal

I encourage you to do both.

Here's my process to help you with box 1:

I like to start with my format. And I choose my format based on my goal.

For example, if my goal is to teach beginners how to do something, I'll probably take them through a What → Why → How flow like so:

• What: "What are the 3 types of editing?
• Why: "Why you need to run through each editing type separately"
• How: "How to edit your work in 3 stages"

But if my goal is to change someone's mind about editing, I may run them through the Problem → Agitate → Solution framework:

• Problem: "Editing takes time, so people skip it"
• Agitate: "If you skip it, you risk shipping low-quality work"
• Solution: "Speed up editing by splitting it into 3 phases"

There’s some overlap, but the angle, thesis, supporting evidence, and intended outcomes vary.

Once I've got my format down, my next step is to decide how I want to present the information within each section.

For example, do I want to share a story or anecdote so the reader can picture what I'm talking about, or simply get straight to the point and tell them?

There are too many "it depends" when it comes to what decisions you and I make.

But they all boil down to the fundamentals of what makes a strong narrative:

Building tension and release

In a straighforward "teaching" format, you want to set quick context to get the reader in the right mindset, then give them what they're looking for to engineer quick wins (e.g. "Ohhh, that makes sense").

In a "thought leadership" format where you're trying to change or open someone's mind, you'll want to build up tons of tension so the reader feels like their way deserves a second look, e.g. ("Hmmm, that's an interesting way to put it").

Revealing information

You're in control of how and when you reveal information. Open loops are a great way to move readers down the page. Just make sure to close them or else readers will feel unsettled.

I still return to my friend Rob Lennon's thread on this from a few years back (it's that good).

Choosing a linear or non-linear narrative

If you're telling a story, do you want to go beginning → middle → end, or weave readers through a non-linear narrative?

When you're presenting data, non-linear works quite well. There are themes, but no beginning, middle, or end. You're cutting back and forth between your arguments to structure a "big takeaway."

When you're sharing a transformation, on the other hand, you're generally going to explain where you were, what changed, and why you're better off now. It's much more straightforward and helps readers believe their own "before after bridge" is possible.

Prioritizing cohesion

This is the art of making sure your ideas stick together.

​I wrote a detailed newsletter about it here.​

Supporting your arguments

The basis of a logical argument means you can support your claims.

Every narrative is stronger when it's full of supporting examples to back up claims. Learn more here. ​

More help with box 1 from above:

The best way to decide how to structure your narrative flow is to deconstruct your favorite writers' work.

This is how I learned and it's how most of my friends did, too.

AI is massively helpful in this regard.

In our Long to Short course, Rob wrote a prompt to help you deconstruct anyone's content so you can recreate it as your own.

My friend Ev Chapman is enjoying the shit out of them:

Go join her if you're keen :)

Then, get to work on Box 2 from above: Experimenting and paying attention to the signal.

You won't know if something feels right and resonates with your audience if you don't put it into the world.

Go build that body of work.

Cheers,

Erica

Check out my 3 courses that 1500+ people have taken, loved, and gotten meaningful results from:

1. Long to Short: Turn one long-form piece into a month's worth of posts. A step-by-step system to repurpose, remix, and remaster your best ideas.

2. Hooked on Writing Hooks: Turn your ideas into content that actually gets consumed. Learn to write scroll-stopping hooks on social without resorting to clickbait nonsense that feels inauthentic.

3. Content Editing 101. Kill decision fatigue and build confidence as a writer and editor. A look inside a professional editor's workflow & best practices. Packed with lessons, examples, and a roadmap so you can stop second-guessing your writing & editing decisions.

Each course is AI-powered 🪄

You can go through them manually or use AI to play, get it done faster, and test your new skills in real time. My friend & prompt genius Rob Lennon wrote all the prompts and bots for the courses.

What'd you find most interesting about today's email? Reply and lemme know.

Erica Schneider

​​​

​

​