Adam Mastroianni has a brilliant list of 28 Slightly Rude Notes on Writing ⚓︎

[W]henever I finish a draft, my first few paragraphs almost always contain ideas that were necessary for writing the rest of the piece, but that aren’t necessary for understanding it. It’s like I’m giving someone a tour of my hometown and I start by showing them all the dead ends.

None of the notes sounds rude to me. They perfectly encapsulate what writing should be. The one I quoted above stuck close.


Date
June 22, 2025