Generating Content with words
October 15, 2025
Generating Content with words
Table of Contents
- Why Generative Writing Matters
- Core Principles
- Content Strategy Pyramid
- The Generative Lifecycle
- Message Architecture
- Foundational Frameworks
- Narrative Structures
- Tone, Voice, and Style
- Clarity & Readability
- Persuasion & Trust
- Knowledge to Narrative: A Conversion Map
- Evaluation & Quality
- Ethics & Safety
- Accessibility & Inclusion
- Localization & Cultural Fit
- SEO & Discoverability (Theory)
- Content Patterns & Checklists
- Glossary
Why Generative Writing Matters
- Scale: Turn scattered knowledge into shareable understanding.
- Effectiveness: Good text aligns attention, reduces friction, and drives action.
- Resilience: Theory provides durable skills across tools and channels.
Core Principles
- Audience first: Who are they? What do they need right now?
- Intent clarity: Inform, persuade, instruct, or inspire—pick one primary goal.
- Constraints help: Time, length, format, and voice narrow choices to sharpen focus.
- Signal over noise: Every sentence should earn its place.
- Verifiability: Assertions should be traceable to sources or data.
- Reusability: Write modularly so pieces can be repurposed across contexts.
Content Strategy Pyramid
- Vision (why): Purpose, values, audience promise.
- Pillars (what): The 3–5 themes that support your vision.
- Narratives (how): Storylines, angles, and proof paths.
- Artifacts (output): Pages, posts, emails, scripts, docs.
- Microcopy (details): Buttons, labels, tooltips, captions.
The Generative Lifecycle
Discover → Define → Draft → Distill → Deliver → Develop
- Discover: Collect inputs; map audience, constraints, and success criteria.
- Define: Choose a framing, structure, and message hierarchy.
- Draft: Generate freely, prioritize coverage over polish.
- Distill: Edit for logic, flow, and brevity; remove redundancy.
- Deliver: Package for the channel (title, metadata, visual scaffolding).
- Develop: Measure, learn, and iterate.
Message Architecture
- Core Claim: One sentence that captures the point.
- Support Tiers:
- Tier 1: Essential evidence (data, quotes, examples).
- Tier 2: Helpful context (comparisons, analogies).
- Tier 3: Nice-to-haves (anecdotes, color).
- Counterpoints: Anticipate objections; pre-answer them.
- Call to Action: One clear next step.
Foundational Frameworks
- AIDA: Attention → Interest → Desire → Action.
- PAS: Problem → Agitation → Solution.
- SCQA: Situation → Complication → Question → Answer.
- FAB: Features → Advantages → Benefits.
- Jobs to Be Done: Focus on progress the reader seeks, not just features.
- Inverted Pyramid: Lead with the conclusion; details follow in descending importance.
Narrative Structures
- Classic 3-Act: Setup → Confrontation → Resolution.
- Before–After–Bridge: Paint current state, future state, then how to get there.
- Case Study Arc: Context → Approach → Results → Lessons.
Tone, Voice, and Style
- Voice: Consistent personality (e.g., pragmatic, friendly, expert).
- Tone: Contextual mood (e.g., celebratory, urgent, empathetic).
- Style Rules:
- Prefer concrete nouns and vivid verbs.
- Use short sentences where possible.
- Show, then tell—examples before abstractions.
- Avoid hedging unless risk warrants it.
- Choose parallel structures for scannability.
Clarity & Readability
- Hierarchy: Headings, bullets, white space.
- Chunking: One idea per paragraph.
- Plain language: Replace jargon with specifics.
- Definitions on first use: Avoid assuming shared context.
- Measure: Target concise reading levels appropriate to your audience.
Persuasion & Trust
- Evidence Types: Data, demos, third-party validation, user quotes, expert endorsements.
- Credibility Cues: Specificity, transparency, and acknowledging trade-offs.
- Loss vs. Gain: Match framing to audience motivation and risk tolerance.
Knowledge to Narrative: A Conversion Map
Facts → Patterns → Insight → Framing → Story
- Facts become useful when grouped into patterns.
- Patterns yield insights (what changes, why it matters).
- Insight needs framing (what’s the angle?).
- Framing becomes a story the audience can act on.
Evaluation & Quality
- Completeness: Does it answer the intended question?
- Coherence: Do ideas progress logically?
- Consistency: Voice, terms, and facts aligned across the piece.
- Correctness: Accurate, cited, and current.
- Conciseness: Anything you cut improves what remains.
- Impact: Does it change knowledge, attitude, or behavior?
Ethics & Safety
- Honesty: No fabricated quotes, claims, or credentials.
- Attribution: Credit sources and inspirations.
- Privacy: Remove sensitive or identifying details unless consented.
- Fairness: Represent opposing views accurately when relevant.
- Harm Avoidance: Avoid instructions that enable harm or deception.
Accessibility & Inclusion
- Language: Avoid idioms and culture-locked references when possible.
- Structure: Headings, lists, descriptive links (avoid “click here”).
- Alt thinking: Write with the assumption that content may be read aloud or skimmed.
- Bias check: Watch metaphors and examples for unintended exclusion.
Localization & Cultural Fit
- Meaning over wording: Translate the intent, not just the text.
- Numeracy & norms: Dates, units, and formality differ by region.
- Avoid culture-specific humor unless targeted and tested.
SEO & Discoverability (Theory)
- Search Intent Fit: Informational, navigational, transactional.
- Topic Authority: Depth across a cluster beats shallow coverage.
- Semantic Signals: Titles, headings, summaries that reflect real user language.
- Human First: Optimize for readers; search alignment follows.
Content Patterns & Checklists
Universal Pre-Draft Checklist
- Audience defined (role, needs, context)
- One primary goal and one primary call-to-action
- Message hierarchy sketched (claim → proof → counterpoints)
- Constraints fixed (length, channel, tone, due date)
Edit Passes (in order)
- Structure: Does the outline match the goal?
- Logic: Any leaps or missing steps?
- Language: Replace abstractions with specifics.
- Tighten: Remove repetition; shorten 10–20%.
- Polish: Titles, openings, CTAs, captions.
Common Patterns
- Explainer: Problem → Concept → Example → Limits → Next Steps
- How-To (theoretical): Preconditions → Principles → Pitfalls → Outcomes
- Decision Memo: Context → Options → Criteria → Recommendation → Risks
- Changelog Narrative: What changed → Why → Who’s affected → Actions
Glossary
- Angle: The specific perspective used to present a topic.
- CTA (Call to Action): The explicit next step for the reader.
- Framing: How information is positioned to create meaning.
- Message Market Fit: Alignment between what you say and what the audience needs.
- Narrative Debt: Confusion created when prior context is assumed but missing.
- Scannability: Ease of extracting structure and key points at a glance.
License: Theory content—adapt, remix, and extend as you wish.
Contributions: Open issues to suggest additional frameworks or clarifications.
