A love letter to the inverted pyramid

The inverted pyramid completely changed my writing–in journalism, PR, marketing, and for fun. 

When I was going through elementary to high school, I was routinely the best writer in the class. And I felt like in order to be the best writer, I had to be superfluously descriptive, dive deep into the details. Looking back, I was also unintentionally burying the lede in order to make an impression. 

Then Journalism 102 whacked me across the face with an AP Stylebook. “No.”

I remember learning about the inverted pyramid and thinking, “Oh. This is why I’m doing what I’m doing. Say what you’re talking about and why it matters.”

That’s the writing philosophy that has guided me from reporting to marketing to SEO to advertising. 

Here’s what I’m saying, and here’s why it matters. 

What has influenced my writing

I took AP English and Literature in high school with Mr Daly. One of the books we had to read was Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, and everyone in class hated it. “It’s so confusing! There’s too much in here!” I hated it too, but it also helped me understand stream of consciousness style and how to write how you think.  

Two authors Mr. Daly also assigned to the class have stuck out to me: F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway. I read The Great Gatsby my junior year of high school and it has remained one of my favorite books. I remember so vividly picturing those wild party scenes in my head on a vast green lawn, with summer twilight twinkling in the background, almost smelling the sweet summer nighttime air. 

We also read Hemingway’s Hills Like White Elephants in class. But I sought out For Whom The Bell Tolls on my own and was shocked at the story. And the clarity of it. 

On the opposite end of the spectrum, I also read The Scarlet Letter for that same class and was almost repulsed by the loquacious Nathaniel Hawthorne. The story felt muddled between all his fluff. (And it was summertime homework, so it just felt extra cruel.)  

My sister read The Fault in Our Stars by John Green as a high schooler. One day, she burst into my room, sobbing about one of the final chapters of the book. I recall sitting at my desk, watching her sob, and going “ooookkaaaayyyy…” A few months later, I was convinced to read the book myself and burst into her room sobbing just as hard. I marveled at how a story can grip you and wrench you to pieces. 

When I first started journalism classes, my professor Holly told me that I didn’t have to “have a button” at the end of my articles. I was blown away! I felt like everything had to be wrapped up nicely with a bow. But journalism is not like that. 

And all my journalism classes taught me to pare my writing down. Inadvertently, as I was trimming my ledes and inverted pyramids, the practice carried over to my creative writing. I always felt ridiculous adding more ‘flowery prose’ in my playwriting classes (even though it was necessary). 

While I was in middle and early high school, I read what I now understand is called “chick lit.” But for me, it was a way to see what was ahead for me in high school and adulthood with a glamorous, fantastica twist. Meg Cabot and Sophie Kinsella were the two main authors for me–I explored the world of high school and princess etiquette with The Princess Diaries series and bumbled around London with Becky Bloomwood in the Shopaholic books. Then, I strayed away. I guess my journalistic ambitions and education caught up with me, as I was devouring more cut-and-dry biographies and historical nonfiction rather than romcoms for years. (I still do love a good biography and nonfiction book–tales about old Hollywood stars or theatre legends and British royal history tomes are my favorites.) 

But then, like everyone else on TikTok in 2023, I picked up Happy Place by Emily Henry at my local library. And I remembered that romcom books can be FUN! With substance! And that it’s ok to escape into a love story while balancing it with some real-life problems focusing on grief and loss. So that began my recent rediscovery and proud reclaiming of “chick lit,” which I am enjoying with gusto. And rereading The Princess Diaries and Shopaholic series with newfound appreciation, more relatable life experience of my own, and unabashed joy. 

Because that’s what reading books and telling stories should be about, right?

Why working remotely is a great skill

I’ve held a number of positions in small start up companies where office space was limited — or nonexistent. And along while I adjusted to the new, professional world, it brought along another challenge: I would have to work remotely.

Working in a remote position is on the rise. According to a 2017 New York Times article, about 31% of Americans spend 80 to 100% working in an un-traditional office setting. And with the explosion of social media and the internet, I’m sure that trend is here to stay.

When I first started, I reveled in the freedom like an unsupervised child in a candy store. I binged on Netflix while plugging away at my laptop. I snuggled with my pups while writing up social media strategy. Stayed in pajamas all day? Did that.

Soon, it caught up with me. I needed to learn how to buckle down and really become a productive worker. Along the way, I’ve learned some great things about myself and skills that translate not only to working at home, but in the office as well.

  • Discipline. A great skill that working from home taught me was discipline. To force myself to stay on one task and not get distracted by the siren song of Netflix or the warm cocoon of my bed mere feet away. What works for me is setting a time limit. “Okay, I’m going to work for the next hour, THEN take a break and watch the next episode of the Crown.” Showing you can work hard and get things done without losing focus is valued wherever you go.
  • Flexibility.  The opposite of rigidness is going with the flow. Working in social media means basically checking all of your business accounts at all hours of the day to make sure everything is posted and there’s no inappropriate comments. And, if you’re like me and get creative surges at night, you can work whenever you feel most awake and productive. That can mean weekends, too! Showing your versatility in the workplace is great!
  • Communication. Since you can’t just stroll over to your boss’s desk to chat, learning how to effectively communicate is essential to working remotely and translates everywhere.
  • Learning your own work style. I always thought I needed complete silence to get work done. Turns out, sitting in a completely silent house for seven hours a day can get old quickly (and kind of spooky). I figured out I need some sort of background noise, mimicking the sounds of an office. Popping on travel shows at a lower volume does the trick for me! By being forced to confront your own work habits without any distractions, you can figure out what makes you a more productive worker and apply those habits in future jobs.
  • Computer wizardry. Usually, working remotely means using a computer to do you job. That means becoming very familiar with email, Microsoft Office, your website, software, etc. Wow your older relatives by successfully uploading a document to Google drive, or simply add “computer skills” to your resume.”
  • Resume booster. Speaking of resumes, adding “able to work remotely” will definitely grab the attention of the recruiter or HR officer. Working remotely is still a fairly new concept, so it’ll show you’re trustworthy, dependable and flexible.