Writing Book 4 · Lesson 3

The margin holds the topic

A topic word in the margin lets you find anything on the page without reading it.

What it is

You have kept the left column clear for numbers. In note-taking it does a second job: it holds ONE word naming what the notes beside it are about. Later, that column is how you find anything — you read down the margin instead of reading the whole page.

Watch it built

1
Write your notes to the right of the line as usual.
│ Roots grow down to find water
2
Ask what those notes are ABOUT, in one word.
roots
3
Put that one word in the margin, beside the line it names.
roots │ Roots grow down to find water
Remember
One word in the margin, naming what the notes beside it are about.
Ask yourself: “Could I find this again from the margin alone?”

Remember

One word in the margin says what the block is about.

42