[Zettel Feedback] Creating Zettels

Mach3Maelstrom

This is one of my most developed Zettels, so no better candidate for a teardown from the seasoned players here

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Date: 2022-11-03 11:47:02

2.6d Create Zettels

In this step of the Zettelkasten process, we take our Literature Notes full of contextualized ideas and add them to our Slipbox as de-contextualized ideas. (see [[2.6.1 The Zettelkasten Process]])

Purpose

We create zettels to confirm our applied comprehension of an idea and to re-contextualize it against other ideas found in new sources. (see [[2.6d1 Creating Zettels Improves Applied Comprehension]])

Creating Zettels

1. Create Zettels -- Decontextualize Ideas
   1. Open Literature Notes taken from Capture Ideas (see [[2.6c Capture Notes]]) on second monitor.
   2. Read through Literature Notes and Zettels.
      • What does this note mean for my own research & questions within my slipbox? Why did these notes capture my interest? ¹
      • What ideas would help me continue a discussion in an existing Zettel?
   3. Create a new Zettel to capture that idea. ([[2.3a Conditions for Strong Zettel]], [[2.3a1 Obsidian Zettel Template]])
2. Review Zettel
   1. Does my title actually summarize EVERYTHING in this Zettel? If not, it's 2+ ideas. Split it up. ([[2.3a2 Zettel Titles]])
3. Link Zettels -- Recontextualize Ideas
   1. Make it easy to RETRIEVE. (see [[2.6d2 Make Zettel Linking Easier By Considering Your Desired Contexts]])
   2. Use my Five L's to link Zettels together. (see [[2.5a The Five L's to Connecting Zettels]])
4. Archive Lit Notes
   1. Remove #zk-todo tag.

Zettel Creation Tips

1. When developing a topic in your Zettelkasten, a new zettel should be in direct response to an existing Zettel ² (see [[2.6e Develop Topics]]). This ensures we're focusing into fewer topics (and thus making more progress), rather than scattering our focus across many topics.

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1. [[Ahrens-2022-SmartNotes]]: Ahrens, Sönke. How to Take Smart Notes: One Simple Technique to Boost Writing, Learning and Thinking. 2nd ed. edition, Sönke Ahrens, 2022. p. 94. ↩︎

2. Ibid, p. 105. ↩︎

Will

This is an excellent beginning. @Mach3Maelstrom This is meant as friendly advice, and if anything triggers you, then I've miscommunicated. Please appeal for clarification.

In this step of the Zettelkasten process, we take our Literature Notes full of contextualized ideas and add them to our Slipbox as de-contextualized ideas. (see [[2.6.1 The Zettelkasten Process]])

I'd suggest being more relaxed/informal with this one-sentence note summary. Something like:

@Will said:
When creating a note, I read and process ideas from highlights and notes, rephrasing them with my understanding.

• [[2.6.1 The Zettelkasten Process]]

There is no need for the link to be in parentheses or to use the referral 'see.' You are the only reader, and you know what these things mean.

2. Review Zettel
   1. Does my title actually summarize EVERYTHING in this Zettel? If not, it's 2+ ideas. Split it up. ([[2.3a2 Zettel Titles]])

According to your definition of 2+ ideas, this section begs for its own note. But, I question the premise of 2+ ideas. Creating a note on many topics can relate to several ideas. You could spend time atomizing this topic and become an expert at note-taking conventions. Alternatively, you could capture this in a more extensive in-depth note and spend your time atomizing notes on a more exciting and valuable topic of interest, like maybe Stoicism.

3. Link Zettels -- Recontextualize Ideas
   1. Make it easy to RETRIEVE. (see [[2.6d2 Make Zettel Linking Easier By Considering Your Desired Contexts]])
   2. Use my Five L's to link Zettels together. (see [[2.5a The Five L's to Connecting Zettels]])

I'd reformat this. I'm always looking for ways to speed note creation without compromising. We can speed up the note creation and improve the text in this case. Using the note titles as the meaning of note linking removes redundancy and is something to consider when writing note titles.

@Will said:
3. Link Notes Into ZK
- [[2.6d2 Make Zettel Linking Easier By Considering Your Desired Contexts]]
- [[2.5a The Five L's to Connecting Zettels]]

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Zettel Creation Tips

1. When developing a topic in your Zettelkasten, a new zettel should be in direct response to an existing Zettel [^3] (see [[2.6e Develop Topics]]). This ensures we're focusing into fewer topics (and thus making more progress), rather than scattering our focus across many topics.

Maybe this section could be combined with the initial note summary.

Behind the spoiler is my note with a similar context. 619 words, 13 outgoing links, and 19 incoming links.

ZettelDistraction

@Will said:
Alternatively, you could capture this in a more extensive in-depth note and spend your time atomizing notes on a more exciting and valuable topic of interest, like maybe Stoicism.

Forgive me for chiming in here, but since you mentioned Stoicism, I commend to your attention this interesting commentary by philosopher Daniel A. Kaufman, titled Endings. Endings ends with a persuasive rejoinder to Stocism.

Mach3Maelstrom

Thank you for the feedback! I appreciate your considerate words, but getting constructive criticism on my zettel writing is the only way I'll improve.

Which is a great segue for the first point.

Re: Relaxed Writing: I admit, I know I have a bad habit of writing stuffy when I'm writing technical or how-to material. In high school, one of my teachers told me I wrote like a mathematician . I want to work on writing more personably, especially if I intend on writing blog posts with the content I string together. The way you demonstrated tagging notes in a bullet below the phrase looks cleaner, too. I'll certainly adopt it.

Re: Definition of 2+ ideas: I see your point, especially since I've already received feedback from the group that lists & flowcharts should usually get 1 zettel per line with one overview zettel capturing the process itself. However, I'm initially resistant to creating a note with many topics within it, since that seems to break the "rule of atomicity" to me. @Will - Can you explain how you can capture multiple topics while still maintaining an atomic slip structure?

Re: Reformatting: I see your point. I was adding a blurb to provide context in case the title changes, but I can see two issues:
1. You already alluded to; it's faster and cleaner to do it the way you've recommended, and
2. If I change the title & the content, I'm leaving "stale" content behind so the blurb may not be necessary here.

Here are the overall takeaways I'm going to practice:
1. Practice writing my zettels (especially technical ones) in a more relaxed tone.
2. Tag notes as bullets under relevant phrases, instead of at the end of the sentence.
3. Feel free to use zettel titles to summarize sub-points if the title encapsulates the point being made.