Sébastien Dubois
How to create new content using your existing notes
Transform atomic notes into cohesive linear content with this step-by-step guide.
Creating new content requires transforming Atomic notes organized in a graph structure into a linear form. This article guides you through this process.
The Foundation: Your Knowledge Base
The notes in your knowledge base should be:
- Densely connected like neurons
- Easily explorable with a specific goal in mind
In order to create new content, you will explore those with a specific goal in mind. You will focus on the relevant notes and links. By listing and ordering those, you will create the plan you need to prepare your new piece of content. That's the first step.
Step 1: Creating a Plan
- Focus on relevant notes and links in your existing notes
- Create a list with the points you want to cover
- Order the elements in that list logically, considering that readers know nothing, or very little about what you want to explain. Your goal is to maximize the accessibility of your content
The plan you create is like a mental model for a specific idea. It represents a path through your knowledge base, telling a specific story in a logical way.
The Value of Your Plan
The plan itself is valuable, and you should keep it around, as it can be reused/repurposed to create additional pieces later on.
- Acts as a mental model for your idea
- Represents a path through your knowledge base
- Can be reused for future content creation
Step 2: Expanding Your Plan
By going through the points one at a time, you will expand each point, reusing content from the corresponding notes, maybe even improving those along the way, in order to expand on each idea you want to cover.
It's okay to copy/paste content from your atomic notes to your new piece of content. Consider those as separate. In a way, a new piece of content (as opposed to atomic notes) is like a snapshot of a set of ideas in your knowledge base at a specific point in time.
- Go through each point in your plan
- Expand using content from corresponding notes
- Improve and update your atomic notes as needed
The Nature of New Content
- Consider it separate from your atomic notes
- View it as a snapshot of ideas at a specific time
Step 3: Finalizing Your Content
As a result, you'll end up with a linear piece of content (i.e., knowledge) that you can publish and share with others.
- Ensure a logical flow between expanded points
- Review and edit for coherence and clarity
- Prepare for publication and sharing
Conclusion
By following this process, you'll leverage and transform your interconnected atomic notes into a linear piece of content ready for your audience.
About Sébastien
I am Sébastien Dubois. You can follow me on X 🐦 and on BlueSky 🦋.
I am an author, founder, and coach. I write books and articles about Knowledge Work, Personal Knowledge Management, Note-taking, Lifelong Learning, Personal Organization, and Zen Productivity. I also craft lovely digital products . You can learn more about my projects here.
If you want to follow my work, then become a member.
Ready to get to the next level?
To embark on your Knowledge Management journey, consider investing in resources that will equip you with the tools and strategies you need. Check out the Obsidian Starter Kit and the accompanying video course. It will give you a rock-solid starting point for your note-taking and Knowledge Management efforts.
If you want to take a more holistic approach, then the Knowledge Worker Kit is for you. It covers PKM, but expands into productivity, personal organization, project/task management, and more:
If you are in a hurry, then do not hesitate to book a coaching session with me:
