Thread by @rroudt

Since I've started to use Roam, my writing process has become a breeze.

My database is my conversation partner, and by combining my notes, I feel more like a curator. This process is influenced by @fortelabs and @soenke_ahrens.

🧵 A thread on how I write articles end-to-end.

Why use @RoamResearch to draft articles?

While many people use Roam to do their research and organize their notes, few write entire articles in it.

I believe Roam's block-based architecture makes it the perfect end-to-end writing tool. Editing becomes a breeze!

My writing process has 10 (small) steps:

1. Read.
2. Link.
3. Progressive summarization.
4. Collect blocks.
5. Group and summarize.
6. Create headings.
7. Sequence blocks.
8. Draft based on summaries.
9. Leave, then reread and rearrange.
10. Proofread and ship.

1/ Writing starts with reading.

I don't brainstorm a topic; I start by searching my notes. If I don't have enough notes, I read widely within the topic—highlighting and taking notes.

Only when I feel I have enough input, do I start the rest of the collection process.

2/ Link new knowledge to what I already know.

By bringing my highlights and notes to Roam (via @readwiseio), I can link new concepts to existing knowledge in my database.

Translating terminology is partly a synoptic process.

3/ Progressively summarize notes as I revisit them (often combined with step 4).

I make my notes glanceable as I can understand the gist by only reading the bolded parts.

There can be a long period between linking and progressively summarizing notes, and that's fine.

4/ Collect blocks to get a sense of what I'll write about.

I often have a vague sense of what I want to communicate without knowing how. My notes kickstart this clarification process.

I collect blocks (refs) that resonate with me and keep them close to my future outline.

5/ Group related blocks and summarize them.

By collecting the blocks the resonate with me, I start to get a sense of the article I'm going to write.

To start my outline, I group related blocks and write a summary for each, thinking about how they support my message.

6/ Create headings for my note summaries.

The article now starts to take shape. I think of the logical progression in the argument and create headings that best support this development.

I like to work with questions or statements and answer/support them with my notes.

7/ Sequence blocks in my outline in a logical order.

With the block references (notes), summaries, and headings, the outline starts to get some meat. Now it's time to put things in logical order so I can rely on the outline when drafting the piece.

8/ Now the easy part: drafting the article.

By now, I have a logically ordered sequence of short paragraphs (summaries) based on my notes (block references).

All I have to do now is rewrite the summaries, so they become a coherent piece.

9/ Leave the article for a while.

I have a walk, eat a meal, or sleep for a night before returning to the piece. Then, I reread, delete, and move around paragraphs as I see fit.

Finally, I tighten it up and remove fluff.

10/ Proofread and ship.

I proofread the piece (and optionally have it proofread by someone else after). Often, I remove some sentences or even entire paragraphs to make the writing punchier.

Then, it's off to Grammarly for a final check before I publish the article.

These are my 10 steps for writing articles using Roam.

I use the same approach to write proposals, report on research, and write my personal newsletter. While I still refine parts of the system, I've grown very comfortable with it.

No more heavy lifts; slow burns only.