[[2025-07-11|25-07-11-01]], [[jeff_dotson]]'s 🟪what is the problem, ♻️why is it important/difficult, 🟧what do we do, 🔴what's different # 🤟 Verse: The Four-Sentence Symphony First you write a sentence—then three more, each leaning on the half-open door of the last. 🟪 **“_This paper tackles ____, a problem that ____._”** ♻️ **“_It matters because ____, yet existing approaches ____._”** 🟧 **“_We ____ by ____._”** 🔴 **“_Unlike prior work, this shows ____, reshaping how we ____._”** | 💠 Step | Purpose & questions to ask | Sentence‑craft tips (from _First You Write a Sentence_) | Checklist before moving on | | -------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------- | | **1 🟪 Problem** | _What puzzle or gap does the paper tackle?_ ‑ Name the phenomenon in one clear clause.‑ Hint at stakes to lure the reader onward. | • Lead with a strong verb; avoid noun‑gravy.• End the line on an unresolved note (“half‑open door”) so the next sentence feels inevitable. | ✔ Unique phenomenon stated.<br><br>✔ No method jargon yet. | | **2 ♻️ Importance / Difficulty** | _Why does this puzzle matter, and why is it hard?_ ‑ Contrast consequences of ignoring it.‑ Acknowledge existing limits or costs. | • Use **causal connectors** (“because”, “yet”) to tighten flow.• Keep the rhythm brisk—think of the sentence as a courteous gift. | ✔ Stakes or barriers explicit.<br><br>✔ Reader senses urgency. | | **3 🟧 What we do** | _What decisive move does the paper make?_ ‑ State the core method, model, or experiment in one beat.‑ Pair technical noun with an action verb (“we derive…”, “we test…”). | • Place the novelty verb early (“we introduce…”).• Prune qualifiers; let one vivid image stand. | ✔ Action & deliverable clear.<br><br>✔ No result claims yet. | | **4 🔴 What’s different** | _How does this advance the field?_ ‑ Contrast with prior work or intuition.‑ Land on the most surprising payoff or insight. | • Echo a keyword from Sentence 1 to create resonance.• End on a definitive full stop—leave no loose hinge. | ✔ Contrast unmistakable.<br><br>✔ Memorable closing cadence. | --- ## The Musical Writing Principle A verse is your paper's **heartbeat** in four measures. Like a string quartet where each instrument enters at the perfect moment, your four sentences form a complete musical thought: 1. **🟪 Alert** (The Dissonance): State the surprising tension that demands resolution 2. **♻️ Dig** (The Development): Reveal why this tension matters and resists easy solution 3. **🟧 Grow** (The Modulation): Present your method that transforms the problem 4. **🔴 Core** (The Resolution): Declare what changes when your insight takes hold ## The Consecution Rule Each sentence must end with **a half-open door** (Moran's "Foolish Like a Trout"): - 🟪 ends with a paradox that begs for explanation - ♻️ ends with a gap that demands filling - 🟧 ends with a promise that needs proof - 🔴 ends with an insight that echoes back to 🟪, completing the Möbius loop ## The Gift Economy Each sentence is **a gift, not a tax** (Moran's "A Small, Good Thing"): - Maximum 30 words per sentence—respect the reader's breath - One core verb per sentence—maintain forward momentum - Zero redundancy between sentences—each adds new value - Complete thought in 120 words total—leave them wanting more ## Example Verse: The Promise Vendor > 🟪 Entrepreneurs systematically overpromise to attract resources—behavior that appears irrational yet persists across industries. > ♻️ This paradox matters because standard bias explanations can't explain why successful ventures emerge from apparent delusion. > 🟧 We model promise-making as rational choice, introducing symmetric commitment costs and a unique "matching value" for aligned stakeholder beliefs. > 🔴 Overpromising becomes optimal strategy when opportunity costs dominate failure costs—reframing entrepreneurial "bias" as context-appropriate rationality. ## Your Verse Template ```markdown 🟪 [Subject] does [surprising action]—[conventional view] yet [persistent reality]. ♻️ This [tension/paradox] matters because [current tools fail] to explain [important phenomenon]. 🟧 We [active verb] by [method], introducing [key innovation] that [transformation]. 🔴 [Core insight] when [condition]—[reframing statement] as [new understanding]. ``` ## The Verse-Writing Ritual 1. **Write the 🔴 first**: Know your destination—what transforms? 2. **Find the 🟪**: What anomaly makes your 🔴 necessary? 3. **Bridge with ♻️**: Why can't existing thought connect 🟪 to 🔴? 4. **Build the 🟧**: How does your method span the gap? 5. **Read aloud**: Do the sentences flow like movements in music? 6. **Cut 15%**: What can you remove while preserving the melody? Remember: A verse is not a summary—it's a **composition**. Each word earns its place through sound, sense, and sequence. The best verses make readers hear the rest of your paper before they've read it. --- *Practice: Write your paper's verse in four attempts. First attempt: get the ideas down. Second: enforce the word limits. Third: polish the consecution. Fourth: ensure each sentence gifts something essential.*