Writing & Structure

Most professional communication is written—emails, documents, proposals, pull requests, RFCs. Yet most people write the way they think: linearly, with setup before payoff, burying the ask in a sea of context. This section covers frameworks that flip that on its head. They help you front-load the most important information, structure your argument so it's easy to follow, and make sure the reader knows what you want them to do.

These frameworks work because they're based on how busy people actually read: they skim, they look for the headline first, and they want to know "why should I care?" in the first sentence. Master these and your emails will get answers, your docs will get read, and your proposals will get approved.

Frameworks Covered

• BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) — Lead with your conclusion or ask, then provide supporting context. Essential for executive communication and urgent requests.
• Minto Pyramid Principle — Build arguments from a central thesis supported by logical groupings. Classic for reports and complex documents.
• SCQA (Situation-Complication-Question-Answer) — Set context, create tension, pose the question your reader has, then answer it. Great for proposals and change communication.
• PREP (Point-Reason-Example-Point) — State your point, explain why it matters, give a concrete example, restate the point. Ideal for persuasive emails and short arguments.
• Inverted Pyramid — Lead with the news or conclusion, add supporting details in descending order of importance. Perfect for status updates and announcements.

When to Reach for This

• You're writing anything that needs to be read and acted on quickly.
• Your reader is time-constrained or will skim (i.e., almost everyone).
• You need to persuade someone in writing—proposals, change announcements, business cases.
• You're struggling to organize your thoughts into a coherent narrative.

Prerequisites

Foundations. Understand your audience, intent, and message before you structure it.