Making Every Point Count
A point in any document — a blog post, a memo, a business case — is not just a thing you say. It's a unit of argument: a claim, supported by reasoning or evidence, that moves the reader closer to your conclusion. A document that doesn't make clear points is just words arranged in paragraphs.
What a point actually is
A point is a claim — a statement that can be agreed with, disagreed with, or acted upon. "Climate change is important" is not a point — it's a vague assertion that no reasonable person would dispute. "We should ban single-use plastics in office buildings before the end of the fiscal year" is a point.
The test: can the reader push back? If they can't — if your point is so obvious or so broad that no one would object — it's probably a truism, not an argument.
Every paragraph in your document should either make a point or support one. Paragraphs that do neither are filler.
The point's job
Every point does one of four jobs: inform, persuade, illustrate, or transition.
Inform: presents new information the reader needs to understand the conclusion. Persuade: argues for a contested position. Illustrate: makes an abstract idea concrete with an example or analogy. Transition: bridges two ideas that would otherwise feel disconnected.
Before writing a paragraph, know which job it's doing. A paragraph trying to inform, persuade, illustrate, and transition simultaneously usually fails at all four.
Supporting your point
A bare claim without support is an assertion. It might be right — but the reader has no reason to trust it. Support can be evidence (data, examples, citations), reasoning (because, therefore, which means), or analogy (it's like...).
The reasoning is as important as the evidence. "Sales declined 20%. We should hire more salespeople." is not fully reasoned. Add the bridge: "Sales declined 20%, which correlates with reduced outbound activity — suggesting the shortfall is a capacity problem rather than a pricing or product issue."
Don't assume the reader will connect the dots between your evidence and your conclusion. Make the connection explicit every time.
Points that don't earn their place
Filler points are statements that are true but obvious, or true but irrelevant to your argument. "Writing is an important skill in today's workplace" at the start of an essay about corporate communication style tells the reader nothing.
Repetition disguised as depth: saying the same thing in different words across multiple paragraphs. If you can't tell whether two paragraphs are different points or the same point restated, merge them or cut one.
The discipline: if a point could be deleted without the reader noticing anything missing, delete it.
Key Takeaways
- A point is a claim — something that can be agreed with, disagreed with, or acted upon
- Every point does a specific job: inform, persuade, illustrate, or transition
- Support every claim with evidence or reasoning — bare assertions aren't arguments
- Explain the reasoning explicitly — don't assume the reader will connect the dots
- Cut any point the reader won't miss
Try it in WolfScribed
Open a project and use the Scene Planner to put these ideas into practice.