The essay template
for long-form writing.

What this template is for

Opinion pieces, argued blog posts, newsletter essays, and any writing whose job is to change a reader's mind.

The structure, part by part

1. The claim, stated plainly

Open by naming what the essay is prepared to defend. Not the topic — the claim. 'Note-taking systems fail writers' is a topic. 'Note systems fail because they optimise for capture and ignore retrieval' is a claim you can be wrong about.

2. Why this matters now

Give the reader a reason to keep reading past the first screen. Usually that is a cost they are already paying without having named it.

3. The strongest evidence

Lead with your best material, not your first-found material. If you have three examples, the weakest one belongs in the cut file, not in the middle.

4. The honest counterargument

Name the strongest objection and answer it. An essay that never concedes anything reads like advertising, and readers discount it accordingly.

5. What follows

End with the consequence of accepting the claim. What should the reader do, stop doing, or watch for?

The template itself

Copy this skeleton into a new document and replace each line. In Strut you can start a document from it directly — pick Essay in the template selector when you create one.

## The claim, stated plainly
[Open by naming what the essay is prepared to defend.]

## Why this matters now
[Give the reader a reason to keep reading past the first screen.]

## The strongest evidence
[Lead with your best material, not your first-found material.]

## The honest counterargument
[Name the strongest objection and answer it.]

## What follows
[End with the consequence of accepting the claim.]

Where this structure goes wrong

• Opening with the topic instead of the claim, so the reader waits three paragraphs to learn what is being argued.
• Saving the best evidence for last, when a reader decides whether to continue in the first screen.
• Treating the counterargument as a formality and answering a weak version of it.

Questions about this template

Guides that go deeper

• How to organize a writing project that holds up — A working structure for a long-form writing project: one project home, research kept separate, a live outline, one current draft, clear stages.
• How to beat the blank page and start your draft — Beat the blank page by finding the decision you never made, lowering the fidelity, starting in the middle, and writing a paragraph you intend to delete.

Other templates

• The chapter template
• The article pitch template
• The research memo template