structured-writinglisted

# Structured Writing Most writing fails by burying the point. A structured document leads with the conclusion, supports it with grouped evidence, and lets the reader stop reading the moment they have what they need. ## Pick a structure | Structure | Best for | Lead | |---|---|---| | **BLUF** (Bottom Line Up Front) | Emails, status updates, requests | The ask or the answer | | **Minto Pyramid** | Reports, strategy memos, analyses | The single governing thought | | **Inverted pyramid** | News-style updates, announcements | The headline fact | | **SPQR** (Situation-Problem-Question-Resolution) | Briefs, consulting narratives | The situation, built to the ask | Pick by reader, not by habit. A busy executive needs BLUF; a peer reviewing analysis needs a pyramid; a team reading an announcement needs inverted pyramid. ## BLUF — the default for async work A BLUF message opens with: **the ask, the answer, or the conclusion** — in under 30 words — followed by supporting detail the reader can skip. ``` BLUF: [ask / decision / answer in one sentence] Why it matters: - [reason 1 in ≤12 words] - [reason 2] Details (only if the BLUF doesn't answer their question): - [supporting fact with number] - [supporting fact with reference] What I need from you: - [explicit ask with deadline] or "FYI — no action needed." ``` Rules: - The subject line is the BLUF, compressed. - The BLUF sentence is self-contained — it must make sense without the rest. - If someone replies from the first 30 w