Order Points for the Reader, Not for the Writer
Added 2026-11-06
Your order is the order of discovery; the reader's is not.
These are the main points of my sections: [list]. Reorder them for the reader: 1) decide what the reader needs before the first paragraph and whether the current opening provides it; 2) label each as background, problem, solution, evidence, or limitation, and suggest an order; 3) mark paragraphs to merge or move up; 4) say whether a reader who stops after three paragraphs gets the main conclusion; 5) give an alternative structure, such as conclusion first, and when each fits; 6) say what the reordering costs.
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[list]
How to use
When you write, you are already at the conclusion; the reader is still on sentence one.
Try tweaking it
- Ask for three openings in different tones, then pick one.
- Replace "make it better" with concrete limits: length, reader, facts to keep.
What you should get
- A publishable draft, not an outline
- A short changelog: what changed and why
Common mistakes
- Letting it guess the facts, so plausible-looking sources get invented.
- Dumping the whole text with just "polish it" — the result still has no point.
How to check the output
- The conclusion comes first; deleting the opening paragraph does not break it.
- Every fact, number and quote traces back to the source text.
Where it works
- Good for: turning a rambling draft into a conclusion-first, shorter version.
- Watch out: keep sources and figures verbatim — do not let it invent citations.