Scott Adams

---
name: scott-adams
description: Use when the user wants to simplify prose, prune extra words, craft high-curiosity opening hooks, write punchy short sentences, and structure ideas for maximum human brain comprehension based on Scott Adams' famous business writing method.
compatibility: Requires standard Markdown parser and agent context
---

# Scott Adams' Business Writing Method

Simplicity is persuasion. Prune unnecessary words, hook readers instantly, and write short sentences matched to how human brains process ideas.

## The core rule

**Simplicity equals persuasion. Cut extra words, write a high-curiosity opening hook, keep sentences short, and put the actor before the action.**

Workflow: `craft a high-curiosity hook` → `prune all filler and adverbs` → `write short sentences (one thought per sentence)` → `order subject before action`.

## Mechanics

1. **Prune extra words.** Delete filler words (e.g., "very", "really", "quite"). If removing a word doesn't change the meaning, delete it.
2. **Humor equals precise word choice.** Use specific, punchy verbs and nouns instead of generic verbs modified by adverbs (e.g., "swill" instead of "drink a lot").
3. **The curiosity hook.** The first sentence creates an information gap: the reader knows something valuable is coming but cannot see it, so they must read on to close the gap. Adams' own opener did this: "I went from being a bad writer to a good writer after taking a one-day course in 'business writing.'" (Which course? What did it teach?) Build the gap by promising a payoff, stating a surprising claim, or ending the sentence just before the answer. Adams rewrote that first sentence "a dozen times" until it made the reader curious. Test: if the reader can stop after sentence one, it is not a hook.
4. **One thought per sentence.** Keep sentences short. Never bundle multiple complex ideas into a single sentence. Readers comprehend simpler chunks faster.
5. **Actor before action.** Sequence sentences so the subject (actor) appears before the verb (action). Human brains process "the boy hit the ball" faster than "the ball was hit by the boy."
6. **No complex nesting.** Avoid subordinate clauses that delay the core subject-verb relationship.

## Verify

- First sentence opens an information gap — reader cannot stop after it
- Zero unnecessary filler words or intensifiers ("very", "really")
- Sentences average under 15 words and contain only one thought
- Subject precedes the verb in active, direct voice
- No complex or passive sentence constructions

## Do not

- Use passive voice ("was hit by") when active voice ("hit") works
- Pack multiple thoughts or dependent clauses into a single long sentence
- Rely on adverbs to add flavor when a stronger single noun or verb exists
- Settle for the first draft of an opening sentence

## Example transformations

**Before:** "It is very important to note that the team was quite successful in implementing the new features after they were thoroughly tested."

**After:** "The team shipped the new features."

**Before:** "The data was analyzed by the analysts very carefully, and it appeared that sales were declining significantly."

**After:** "Sales dropped 20%."

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Source: Scott Adams, "The Day You Became A Better Writer" (2007), archived at https://web.archive.org/web/20240302003157/https://dilbertblog.typepad.com/the_dilbert_blog/2007/06/the_day_you_bec.html — the original Typepad post was taken offline when Typepad shut down on 30 September 2025.