Paul Graham's Guide to Essay Writing

In his essay "How to Write Usefully," Paul Graham delves into the art and craft of writing essays that are not just persuasive but truly useful.

• He argues that a good essay should be **correct**, **important**, **novel**, and **strong**.
• He highlights the **importance** of making claims that are as strong as possible without being false.
• Graham emphasizes the **importance** of telling readers something they don't already know, even if it's something they knew unconsciously.
• He encourages readers to focus on writing about topics that are **important** to them, as these are likely to resonate with a wider audience.

The Importance of Strength in Essay Writing

Graham emphasizes the **importance** of strength in essay writing, stating that it comes from two key elements: thinking well and skillfully using qualification.

• Thinking well involves carefully considering and developing ideas to ensure their validity.
• Skillful qualification involves using language to express your degree of certainty and to avoid making claims that are too strong or too broad.

The Power of Novelty in Essay Writing

Graham believes that novelty is a crucial aspect of writing a good essay, and that writing about topics you've thought about a lot can help you achieve this.

• He suggests that ideas that surprise you, as someone who has given a lot of thought to the topic, will likely surprise a significant number of readers as well.
• He encourages humility in recognizing the novelty of an idea, acknowledging your previous ignorance of it.

The Morris Technique for Essay Writing

Graham introduces the "Morris technique," a strategy for improving essay writing by focusing on quality over quantity.

• The technique involves not publishing any sentence or paragraph that you're not sure is worth hearing.
• This approach, while demanding, helps ensure that every published piece is of the highest quality.

Essay Writing and Publication Bias

In the sciences, publication bias is considered bad practice. But Graham argues that in essay writing, it is a valuable tool.

• He suggests that by only publishing the best ideas, you can ensure that every essay you write is strong and valuable.
• This approach allows you to focus on quality over quantity.

Essay Writing: A Recipe for Making People Mad

Graham acknowledges that writing strong, novel, and **important** essays can sometimes lead to criticism and disagreement.

• He explains that when you tell people something they didn't know, they may not always appreciate it, especially if it challenges their beliefs.
• He suggests that popular mistaken beliefs create "dead zones" of ideas that are relatively unexplored because they contradict these beliefs.
• He highlights the fact that people who disagree with you may not actually disagree with what you wrote, but rather with a misrepresentation of your ideas.

The Importance of Practice in Essay Writing

Graham emphasizes the **importance** of practice in improving your essay writing skills.

• He recommends starting by writing about topics you are an expert on, even if your audience is small at first.
• He suggests that writing essays for yourself, without the pressure of publication, can be a valuable way to develop your skills.

The Future of Essay Writing

Graham believes that the future of essay writing is bright, with the internet providing a platform for anyone to publish their ideas.

• He argues that the internet is creating a renaissance of essay writing, with a vast number of undiscovered ideas waiting to be explored.
• He encourages readers to take advantage of this opportunity and to contribute to the growing body of essay literature.

The Essayist's Journey

Throughout his essay, Graham shares valuable insights and practical tips for aspiring **essayists**.

• He stresses the **importance** of writing with clarity and simplicity, using language that is precise and avoids unnecessary jargon.
• He encourages readers to embrace the challenges of writing essays, knowing that they can be a powerful tool for exploring ideas and sharing knowledge.