Essential Three-Step Framework

what——why——how What is it? Why is it important? How to do it?

Whenever you write a practical article or a course, you can use this: What is it (definition), why is it important (reason), how to do it (method).

For example, in my article "At 30, I crave social freedom more than financial freedom":

1. What is social freedom? (Definition)
2. Why does social interaction cause anxiety? (Reason)
3. How can one achieve social freedom? (Method)

For an article on writing skills in the personal branding era titled "You Must Learn to Write in the Era of Personal Branding," the outline would be:

1. Why - Why does everyone need to learn to write?
2. How - How to master writing skills?

Each section can further be broken down using the universal framework. For example, the second part, "What is writing?" can be elaborated as:

1. Why - Why should we keep inputting information?
2. What - What exactly is input?
3. How - How to input information effectively?
4. Why - Why is critical thinking important?
5. What - What is critical thinking?
6. How - How to improve critical thinking?

Each point can be written in 100-200 words, making it easy to write 1000 words for this part, and because of the structured framework, the quality won't be compromised.

So, frameworks are hierarchical. A large framework can use the universal formula, and smaller frameworks within it can also use the same formula. This way, you can make the framework more specific, and the more specific it is, the easier it is to write.

Whenever you want to write an article explaining a concept, perception, or method, you can use this formula.

Three-Step Opinion Method

1. Start with the main thesis.
2. List sub-points.
3. Conclude with a summary.

For example, in "A Reminder for 30-Year-Olds: No Matter Your Income, You Must Save Money," the main thesis is in the title. The framework would be:

1. First part: In the first five years after graduation, all my confidence came from my savings.
2. Second part: Without savings, you will always be constrained by money.
3. Third part: Society promotes high consumption, but no one will take responsibility for your life.

Conclude by emphasizing that no matter the income, one must develop a habit of saving money. Listing the sub-points builds a strong framework, making it easier to write long articles.

Parallel Splitting in the Same Dimension

Breaking down a topic into smaller parts or points is key to a clear explanation. This can be done by defining what it is, why it's important, and how to do it. The points should be parallel and aligned with the main topic. For instance:

"Only those who do things to the extreme will have a remarkable life":

1. To the extreme, it means no further optimization.
2. To the extreme, it means being irreplaceable.
3. To the extreme, it means creating surprises.

Logical Progression Splitting

All points have a clear logical progression, forming a compelling argument. The order of points matters here. For example:

"Lessons at 30: Great people excel in beginning, middle, and end":

1. Everything is hard in the middle.
2. Everything is harder at the end.

Different Dimensions Parallel Splitting

The points under the framework do not need to be of the same dimension or type, as long as they support the core theme. Each point can be derived from different perspectives. For instance:

"Finally, we 'escaped back to the big cities'":

1. Tired of the stagnation in small towns, yearning for the vitality of big cities.
2. In small towns, you care about others, but in big cities, you care more about yourself.

Simple Listing of Points

The simplest way to write a long article is to list the points, each of which is a "content unit." For example, "30 Lessons at 30" just lists 30 points you think are worth sharing.

Different Cases for the Same Point

This method focuses on one point but uses multiple cases to illustrate it. For instance, in "The Lowest Emotional Intelligence Behavior I've Seen Is Constantly Reasoning with Others":

1. High EQ bosses rarely reason with employees.
2. High EQ parents rarely reason with children.

Useful Framework for Writing Character Stories

Use chronological order when writing character stories. This is because time is a natural logical sequence. Divide the character's timeline into key events and write about each period separately. For example, in my article about a director's journey to success, the timeline is divided into:

1. Quitting his job and making a movie for almost four years.
2. Disappearing for six years after initial success.
3. Working hard for five years to achieve fame with "Nezha."

To summarize, each article often combines multiple frameworks. By understanding and practicing these frameworks, you can enhance your writing skills and produce high-quality content effortlessly.

4o