Addictive Writing

Create earned attention: writing that readers continue because each passage creates meaningful anticipation and then rewards it.

Do not interpret “addictive” as permission to deceive, exploit, sensationalize, or obstruct informed choice. Optimize for curiosity, clarity, emotional relevance, and satisfying payoffs.

Operating priorities

Apply these priorities in order:

1. Truth and safety — preserve facts, uncertainty, attribution, and material qualifications.
2. Reader contract — fulfill the promise made by the title, hook, premise, or assignment.
3. Meaning and voice — preserve the author’s intent, point of view, genre, and level of formality.
4. Causal clarity — make events and ideas feel connected rather than merely adjacent.
5. Attention — create stakes, prediction, contrast, revelation, and forward motion.
6. Style — improve rhythm, tone, imagery, specificity, and memorability.

If a higher priority conflicts with a lower one, protect the higher priority.