November 6, 2025
Pipe dreams & plot schemes
Writing Advice
Writers gush over the “wastewater” trick, squabble over fiction vs nonfiction
TLDR: A popular list of writing tips champions dumping bad ideas first so good ones can flow, plus a punchy “status change holds attention” rule. Readers cheered the validation but sparked debate over mixing fiction and nonfiction advice, arguing whether craft rules are universal or should be split for clarity.
A mega-list of writing tips just dropped, and the crowd is losing it over the splashiest metaphor of the day: “clear your creativity pipe” by dumping bad ideas first, then the good ones flow. Fans name-drop Neil Gaiman and Ed Sheeran as believers, while one reader practically did a victory lap, calling the whole thing “interesting and validating.” Another zeroed in on the spicy line, “The audience will always be held when a status is being modified,” which became instant Tip-of-the-Day meme bait. Plumber emojis were deployed. Calendars were updated with “unclogging sessions.” You get it.
But it’s not all kumbaya. A sharp-eyed commenter asked the author to split the advice: fiction vs nonfiction. That poked the hive. Some insist the rules are universal—“keep it clear and fun”—others argue a novel’s heartbeat isn’t the same as a term paper’s vibe. Newcomers asked what “status” means (translation: a change in a character’s situation or the reader’s understanding), and a few skeptics quietly wondered if the “linear pipe” oversimplifies how ideas arrive. Still, the mood stayed upbeat: writers want permission to be bad first, then better. The full guide has become a communal pep talk—and a low-key turf war over which tips belong to which tribe.
Key Points
- •The article compiles practical writing advice, much from direct quotes.
- •Effective writing aims to minimize reader cognitive load while maximizing enjoyment.
- •Good style depends on clearly imagining the communicative context (e.g., text, term paper, manifesto/sermon).
- •Creativity is likened to a backed-up pipe: writers should first output and accept bad ideas to clear the way for better ones.
- •With sufficient initial output, the brain learns to avoid weak patterns, improving idea quality; some public figures reportedly use this approach.