Fractal Content

Just as a fractal has a recursive structure where each part is a reduced-scale copy of the whole, a well-written article displays a similar recursive structure at different levels—the article as a whole, individual paragraphs, and even sentences within paragraphs.

Writing an article is effectively a process of “laddering”, with each individual example designed to support an individual idea, and each individual idea designed to support the overarching thesis. In this way, the small atomic units of content ladder up to a larger structure.

For example, well-written articles usually contain some of the following structural elements, evident at both the article-level and the paragraph-level:

• Introduction, complication, resolution: This narrative structure is common in storytelling where an initial situation is introduced, followed by a complication that disrupts the initial situation, and finally a resolution that restores order.

• Thesis, antithesis, synthesis: This structure involves presenting an initial argument (thesis), a counter-argument (antithesis), and then reconciling the two into a coherent conclusion (synthesis).

• Idea, explanation, example: This is a clear, logical structure where a concept or argument (idea) is presented, explained in detail (explanation), and then illustrated through specific instances (example).

Much of creating a “satisfying” read is simply the author’s ability to deliver on the reader’s expectations and create a sense of completeness; fractal content is inherently satisfying to the reader, creating a subtle sense of anticipation and resolution as the structure is used repeatedly throughout the article.