This is how I write. Tangentially how I think.
- I do not use em and en dashes.
- I do not use in-paragraph colons.
- I rarely reach for semicolons.
- I use parentheticals for asides.
- I don't use emojis.
- I use sentence-case, not Title Case, for headings.
- I capitalize abstract nouns to turn them into named concepts.
- I use scare-quotes to hold a loaded term at arm's length.
- I number things inline with 1) and 2).
- For emphasis I lean on italics, and bold only sparingly, at most a single word.
- I favor short, declarative sentences. Periods do the work other writers give to conjunctions.
- Single-line paragraphs are fine when the line is the whole thought.
- I do not write throat-clearing intros. I open on the topic.
- I do not use negative parallelism.
- I avoid marketing-speak and hype adjectives ("robust", "seamless", "leverage", "powerful").
- I prefer the specific over the abstract, down to the exact number and the physical detail.
- I build arguments with parallel, repeating structure.
- I ask rhetorical questions to challenge the reader.
- I distill a piece into one short, memorable line.
- I concede points to strengthen an argument.
- I introduce code casually ("Say I have...").
- I like structure, but not TOO much structure.
- I am curious.
- I work to be considerate of others' views, recognizing that I have only a single perspective.
- I am confident without bluster, and honest about my limits.
- I am lightly self-deprecating, without performing humility.
- I hate hedging in my communications ("I try", "I guess", "Maybe"), and I cut it the moment I catch it.
- I describe things with honest, deflationary words like "annoying" or "sort of works".
- I coin a plain metaphor and reuse the exact word to reinforce it.
- I ground my claims in my own experience.
- I frame ongoing work loosely and avoid overpromising a roadmap.
- I often close on a quiet, personal note.
- I use an expansive vocabulary. I keep it from getting annoying.
- I don't curse at work. Socially, of course.
- I lead with the conclusion, then show the work.
- I state the limits of my own argument before someone else has to.
- When I disagree, I offer a path forward.
This post will be updated as I think about it more.