---
title: "Writing a Mini-Essay"
description: "I like to write. Research, writing, and editing help me understand a new subject. In my line of work — technology — you need to keep learning."
date: 2025-05-18
canonical_url: "https://christofersandin.com/texts/writing-a-mini-essay"
section: "Texts"
---

#  Writing a Mini-Essay 

**I like to write. Research, writing, and editing help me understand a new subject. In my line of work — technology — you need to keep learning. For the last month, I have been using *mini-essays*, short essays about a single topic: one idea, one page. Let’s see how they work in practice.**

In short, when you find something interesting, you do the research and then write a mini-essay about the subject. Aim for 100-300 words.

A mini-essay — a format that has gained popularity lately — is one way to learn more about a specific subject. The format reminds me of the essay structure taught to us in school, and should follow the same three-part shape:

- Intro
- Body
- Conclusion

**The intro should be clear and tell the reader about the subject.** But you must also be interesting and make the reader want to continue. It could be a bold statement, three sentences that inspire emotion, or a question.

Using the mini-essay format when exploring a subject has benefits.

**Writing about something makes you understand it**. Writing down your thoughts and ideas demands a greater understanding of the subject than talking about it. This is referred to as the [Generation effect](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_effect).

There is also the [Feynman technique](https://www.csinow.edu/career-tips/the-feynman-technique-the-best-learning-method-youve-never-heard-of-before/) – **teaching something to learn it** – a tried and tested method for understanding things. It’s named after the Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman, and the main idea is that if you can explain it to others, you usually have a good understanding of the subject.

A mini-essay will also force you to be precise since you only have 100-300 words to play with.

*I find the mini-essay format inspiring. I see two significant benefits: I’m forced to keep it short, and since it’s not an in-depth article, the barrier to publishing is lower.*

---

## References

- [Mini Essays: The Ultimate Learning Tool](https://youtube.com/watch?v=N4YjXJVzoZY&si=lhaTvxkt3DUPhhOE)
- [How to Write a Mini-Essay](https://youtube.com/watch?v=eCaOSNxwCsw&si=wZWJX6ZC2P8V6PCW)
- [How to Write Mini Essays (in Obsidian)](https://youtube.com/watch?v=XsIK2kVbH6Y&si=IWLLyxyvYYuXA22t)
- [To Learn Best, Write an Essay](https://www.wired.com/2011/01/learning-methods/)
- [How to Write a Short Essay, With Examples](https://www.grammarly.com/blog/academic-writing/short-essay/)
- [Evergreen notes should be atomic](https://notes.andymatuschak.org/Evergreen_notes_should_be_atomic) by Andy Matuschak
- [The Principle of Atomicity](https://zettelkasten.de/atomicity/) by Zettelkasten Method
- [Learn In Public](https://www.swyx.io/learn-in-public) by swyx
- [Putting Ideas into Words](https://paulgraham.com/words.html) by Paul Graham

---

## Metadata

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