How to Write Mini Essays (in Obsidian)

How to Write Mini Essays Step-by-Step Tutorial:

Step 1: Understand the Concept of Mini Essays

• A mini essay is an idea on one page with at least 100 words and less than 300.
• It consists of a beginning, a middle, and an end.
• Mini essays can be linked together using tools like Obsidian to create a network of your thoughts.

Step 2: Benefits of Mini Essays

1. Generation Effect: Writing leads to improved comprehension and recall, generating more insights.
2. Feynman Effect: Teaching through writing helps in faster learning.
3. Note Making: Putting things in your own words enhances understanding and insights.

Step 3: Techniques to Kickstart Mini Essays

1. Experience: Start with a personal experience to engage the reader.
2. Opinion: Begin with a strong statement or opinion to capture attention.
3. Event: Focus on a specific event or incident to build your essay around.

Step 4: Writing Mini Essays Using Techniques

1. Experience Example: Write freely about a personal experience, discover insights, and rewrite with a clear takeaway.
2. Opinion Example: Develop your opinion with supporting points, link ideas, and rewrite for clarity.
3. Event Example: Explore a significant event, conduct research, summarize your findings, and present a strong thesis statement.

Step 5: Crafting Mini Essays in Obsidian

• Use Obsidian to organize your mini essays, link related ideas, and create a connected web of knowledge.
• Title your mini essay last to encapsulate the main idea effectively.
• Keep each mini essay concise, focused, and in your own words to maximize its impact.

Step 6: Benefits of Writing Mini Essays

• Mini essays help in deeper learning, generating insights, and creating intellectual capital.
• Writing mini essays enhances curiosity, sharpens insights, and fosters a connected web of ideas in your knowledge base.

Step 7: Conclusion

• Embrace the practice of writing mini essays to unlock your creativity, deepen your understanding, and stay connected with your ideas.
• Continuously write mini essays, link them together, and explore new connections to enrich your knowledge base.

By following these steps, you can effectively write mini essays using the techniques discussed in the video "How to Write Mini Essays (in Obsidian)" by Nick Milo on the "Linking Your Thinking" channel.