Writing and content frameworks organized by purpose. Each entry includes category, components, use case, source, and related frameworks. Category-level LLM prompts are provided for each section.

Whether you’re writing technical documentation, project plans, or operational procedures, choosing the right framework makes your content more effective and easier to write.

Thought Pieces

Frameworks for exploratory writing that develop ideas through analysis and synthesis.

LLM Prompts: Create | Review - Category-level prompts that work with any thought piece framework (Classical Rhetoric, SECTIONS Model, Inverted Pyramid Meets Exploration, Dialogic Essay Structure).

Classical Rhetoric (Aristotle)

Category: Thought piece, persuasive essay.

Components:

  • Ethos: credibility and authority
  • Pathos: emotional appeal
  • Logos: logical reasoning

Use case: Essays requiring persuasion and exploration of ideas. Use when content must balance credibility, emotion, and logical reasoning.

Source: Classical rhetoric framework from Aristotle’s Rhetoric (c. 350 BCE).

Related: Dialogic Essay Structure, SECTIONS Model.

SECTIONS Model

Category: Thought piece, idea mapping.

Components:

  • Situation: context and background
  • Emotions: emotional dimensions
  • Contradictions: conflicting viewpoints or tensions
  • Thoughts: analysis and reasoning
  • Implications: consequences and outcomes
  • Options: alternative approaches
  • Next: forward-looking actions
  • Summary: synthesis and conclusion

Use case: Mapping complex ideas requiring exploration of multiple dimensions. Use for thought experiments and exploratory writing.

Source: SECTIONS model for idea mapping and exploration (framework origin not definitively attributed).

Related: Inverted Pyramid Meets Exploration, Dialogic Essay Structure.

Inverted Pyramid Meets Exploration

Category: Thought piece, layered exploration.

Components:

  • Core idea: central concept stated first
  • Layers: progressive expansion of related thinking
  • Implications: consequences and alternatives

Use case: Articles that start with a clear central idea and expand outward. Use when readers need the core concept immediately, followed by deeper exploration.

Source: Combines inverted pyramid structure (journalism) with exploratory writing techniques.

Related: SECTIONS Model, Classical Rhetoric (Aristotle).

Dialogic Essay Structure

Category: Thought piece, dialectical exploration.

Components:

  • Competing viewpoints: two or more opposing perspectives
  • Weaving: alternating between viewpoints
  • Synthesis: resolution or open question

Use case: Essays exploring complex topics with multiple valid perspectives. Use when showing nuance rather than arguing a single position. This framework is particularly useful when writing about system design trade-offs where multiple valid approaches exist.

Source: Dialectical method (Socratic tradition) adapted for essay structure.

Related: Classical Rhetoric (Aristotle), SECTIONS Model.

Influence Pieces

Frameworks for persuasive writing that aim to change behavior or attitudes.

LLM Prompts: Create | Review - Category-level prompts that work with any influence piece framework (Problem-Agitate-Solve, AIDA, 5 Whys + Benefit Ladder, BJ Fogg’s Behavior Model, Cialdini’s Influence Framework).

Problem-Agitate-Solve (PAS)

Category: Influence piece, behavior change.

Components:

  • Problem: identification of the issue
  • Agitate: explanation of why it matters and the consequences
  • Solve: proposed solution or action

Use case: Content that needs to motivate action by establishing a problem, intensifying concern, and then providing a clear path forward.

Source: Problem-Agitate-Solve (PAS) copywriting framework (attributed to Dan Kennedy and others in direct response marketing).

Related: AIDA, BJ Fogg’s Behavior Model.

AIDA

Category: Influence piece, copywriting.

Components:

  • Attention: capture the reader’s focus
  • Interest: maintain engagement
  • Desire: create want or need
  • Action: prompt specific behavior

Use case: Marketing copy, calls to action, and content designed to drive specific behaviors. Classic copywriting framework adapted for behavior change. See our AIDA Article Create prompt for applying this framework.

Source: AIDA model, attributed to E. St. Elmo Lewis (1898) for advertising effectiveness.

Related: Problem-Agitate-Solve (PAS), Influence Framework (Cialdini).

5 Whys + Benefit Ladder

Category: Influence piece, motivation mapping.

Components:

  • 5 Whys: iterative questioning to find root motivation
  • Benefit Ladder: linking surface behavior to deeper values

Use case: Content connecting actions to underlying motivations. Use when behavior change requires understanding deeper drivers.

Source: Combines 5 Whys root cause analysis (attributed to Sakichi Toyoda, Toyota Production System) with benefit laddering techniques (marketing research methodology).

Related: BJ Fogg’s Behavior Model, Influence Framework (Cialdini).

BJ Fogg’s Behavior Model

Category: Influence piece, behavior design.

Components:

  • Motivation: desire to perform the behavior
  • Ability: ease of performing the behavior
  • Prompt: trigger or cue to act

Use case: Writing designed to increase motivation, reduce friction, and provide clear triggers. Use for any content aiming to change behavior.

Source: See The Behavior Model.

Related: 5 Whys + Benefit Ladder, Problem-Agitate-Solve (PAS).

Influence Framework (Cialdini)

Category: Influence piece, persuasion principles.

Components:

  • Reciprocity: giving to receive
  • Authority: credible sources and expertise
  • Social proof: others’ actions and validation
  • Consistency: alignment with commitments
  • Scarcity: limited availability
  • Liking: similarity and rapport

Use case: Structuring examples and calls to action using proven persuasion principles. Use when you need multiple angles of influence.

Source: See Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.

Related: AIDA, BJ Fogg’s Behavior Model.

Fact-Based Reference Articles

Frameworks for authoritative, lookup-oriented documentation and reference content.

LLM Prompts: Create | Review - Category-level prompts that work with any reference framework (Diátaxis Reference Mode, Topic + Definition + Context + Examples + Caveats, TEA, FAQ Pattern, Cornell Note Style).

Diátaxis (Reference Mode)

Category: Reference documentation.

Components:

  • Facts: authoritative statements
  • Data: specific information and values
  • Examples: concrete illustrations
  • Where/how to use: application context

Use case: Standardized reference documentation where readers need fast lookup of facts, data, and usage patterns. This framework is particularly effective for API documentation where developers need quick access to method signatures, parameters, and return values.

Source: See Diátaxis.

Related: TEA (Topic, Evidence, Analysis), Topic + Definition + Context + Examples + Caveats.

Topic + Definition + Context + Examples + Caveats

Category: Reference documentation.

Components:

  • Topic: subject identification
  • Definition: precise meaning
  • Context: placement within a larger system
  • Examples: concrete illustrations
  • Caveats: exceptions and limitations

Use case: Reference articles defining terms, showing context, providing examples, and noting exceptions. Flexible structure for various reference needs.

Source: Standard reference documentation pattern (common in technical writing).

Related: Diátaxis (Reference Mode), FAQ Pattern.

TEA (Topic, Evidence, Analysis)

Category: Reference documentation, analytical reference.

Components:

  • Topic: subject identification
  • Evidence: cited facts and data
  • Analysis: interpretation of what the facts mean

Use case: Reference content requiring both factual presentation and analytical interpretation. Use when readers need both data and meaning.

Source: TEA (Topic, Evidence, Analysis) framework for analytical reference (framework origin not definitively attributed).

Related: Diátaxis (Reference Mode), Topic + Definition + Context + Examples + Caveats.

FAQ Pattern

Category: Reference documentation, web reference.

Components:

  • Question: specific query
  • Answer: direct response
  • Expanded explanation: detailed context
  • Links to deeper sources: related resources

Use case: Web reference pages organized around common questions. Use for content that needs to answer specific queries quickly.

Source: FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) pattern for web reference (common web documentation pattern).

Related: Topic + Definition + Context + Examples + Caveats, TEA (Topic, Evidence, Analysis).

Cornell Note Style (adapted)

Category: Reference documentation, learning reference.

Components:

  • Header: topic identification
  • Notes: factual information
  • Cue/keywords: important terms and concepts
  • Summary: synthesis and takeaways

Use case: Reference articles that double as learning aids. Use when content needs to serve both lookup and study purposes.

Source: Adapted from Cornell Note-Taking System (developed by Walter Pauk at Cornell University, 1940s).

Related: TEA (Topic, Evidence, Analysis), Topic + Definition + Context + Examples + Caveats.

Lesson Planning

Frameworks for instructional content aligned with instructional design principles, suitable for solo learners creating their own lesson plans.

LLM Prompts: Create | Review - Category-level prompts that work with any lesson planning framework (Backward Design, Bloom’s Taxonomy, 5E Instructional Model, Gagne’s Nine Events).

Backward Design (Wiggins & McTighe)

Category: Instructional design, lesson planning.

Components:

  • Desired outcomes: what learners should know or do
  • Assessment: how to measure achievement
  • Learning activities: experiences to reach outcomes

Use case: Instructional content where clarity on outcomes drives design. Forces explicit definition of success before creating activities. Particularly useful when planning project deliverables where success criteria must be defined upfront.

Source: See Understanding by Design. For more details, see Wikipedia: Backward Design.

Related: Bloom’s Taxonomy, 5E Instructional Model.

Bloom’s Taxonomy

Category: Instructional design, learning objectives.

Components:

  • Remember: recall information
  • Understand: explain concepts
  • Apply: use in new situations
  • Analyze: break down and examine
  • Evaluate: judge and critique
  • Create: produce new work

Use case: Shaping learning objectives and exercises that progress from simple to complex. Use to structure content from basic recall to advanced creation.

Source: See Bloom’s Taxonomy.

Related: Backward Design (Wiggins & McTighe), Gagne’s Nine Events.

5E Instructional Model

Category: Instructional design, self-paced learning.

Components:

  • Engage: capture interest
  • Explore: hands-on investigation
  • Explain: concept introduction
  • Elaborate: extend understanding
  • Evaluate: assess learning

Use case: Self-paced instructional modules. Use for content that needs to guide learners through discovery and application.

Source: 5E Instructional Model developed by the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) in the 1980s.

Related: Backward Design (Wiggins & McTighe), Gagne’s Nine Events.

Gagne’s Nine Events

Category: Instructional design, lesson structure.

Components:

  • Gain attention
  • State objective
  • Stimulate recall
  • Present material
  • Provide guidance
  • Elicit performance
  • Provide feedback
  • Assess performance
  • Enhance retention

Use case: Structured lesson planning with explicit events from attention through retention. Use when you need a systematic approach to lesson design.

Source: Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction from The Conditions of Learning (1965).

Related: 5E Instructional Model, Bloom’s Taxonomy.

Framework Selection Guide

Quick lookup by writing goal:

Thought exploration: Classical Rhetoric (Aristotle), Dialogic Essay Structure, SECTIONS Model, Inverted Pyramid Meets Exploration.

Behavior change: Problem-Agitate-Solve (PAS), AIDA, BJ Fogg’s Behavior Model, Influence Framework (Cialdini), 5 Whys + Benefit Ladder.

Reference documentation: Diátaxis (Reference Mode), FAQ Pattern, TEA (Topic, Evidence, Analysis), Topic + Definition + Context + Examples + Caveats, Cornell Note Style (adapted).

Instructional content: Backward Design (Wiggins & McTighe), Bloom’s Taxonomy, 5E Instructional Model, Gagne’s Nine Events.

Cross-References

Related articles:

References