I've spent several days with the Obsidian plug-in Graph Analysis, [^1] and I can see the value in the algorithm serving as an effective 'second-level backlink' system. [^2] However, now I'm trying to get the rubber to meet the road by asking myself, 'how will I use all these links to understand or write something effectively?'
My first inclination is to drift back to my 'nonlinear' note-taking strategy used in TheBrain. [^3]
For example, in my Zettel note entitled 'Action' (I wasn't very creative with titles, so I stopped using Keywords as entry notes), I learned from Stephen R. Covey that, as individuals, our fundamental condition is one of action. However, as human beings, we must combine action with a choice to empower us to create our circumstances. [^4]
Given the sentence I learned from Mr. Covery, 'our fundamental condition is one of action; however, we must combine action with a choice to empower us to create the circumstances in which we live.' So, in capturing this information and attempting to craft a Zettel note, should I:
Take this short sentence referencing 'action,' 'choice,' and 'circumstance' and place it as a marker under the 'index' section of all three Keywords.
Only reference the 'action,' 'choice,' and 'circumstance' in the base note itself, relying on the algorithm to capture the connections for me the next time I search the respective keywords.
Create a new working paper under 'essays, key concepts' entitled 'Our basic nature is action.'
I have been most successful in writing following the third point, i.e., creating a 'working' essay and beginning to connect ideas. But, truthfully, I am lazy, and if I get stuck in writing or cannot finish, the 'working' paper can languish for months before I return to finish, if ever.
I found a good case study for the third bullet point in creating a 'new working paper' under the working essay title 'To Craft A Note.' I wrote the entire 1500-word essay (so far) after reading and capturing three notes from 'The Art of Note-Making' by Mike Schmitz. [^5] The article entirely applies the basic concept of creating a new paper and building an essay from an idea. Mr. Schmitz uses the word 'craft;' however, the concept is the same. Work on the note regularly as new information arrives, continuing to refine the working material until you feel it is complete enough for publication.
It may be semantics, or I need clarification in Zettelkasten methodology expression to define the difference between a note and an essay.
Note-taking [^6] captures information from books, articles, and other written forms, including lectures. The captured note provides the 'spark' of an idea for an essay or 'nudges' our thoughts toward an existing paper.
The captured message, however, is not the "chunk of wood or stone" [^7] that you will continue to refine into a polished work of art. Instead, the note itself should be 'atomic' [^8] in nature and, therefore, resembles a piece of the puzzle, not the picture itself. Tim Urban creates beautiful imagery in his illustrated article "Life is a Picture, But You Live in a Pixel" [^9] to help us understand the sometimes mundane living of day-to-day. The same metaphor can apply to our growing tapestry of a budding book or essay. Only some pieces will fit right away; the captured, referenced, and repeatedly rearranged components will allow us to see the finished product eventually.
In conclusion, when a note sparks an idea through thought or phrase, please write it down. [^10]
Capture the wording to create a new working paper or essay under a Keyword notation. Then, attach the term to as many Keywords as needed.
Second, use the Graph Analysis algorithm by highlighting keywords in the sentence for reference.
Third, capture cross-references by adding hyperlinks to notes that direct back to the newly created working title.
Fourth, as additional information appears, continue to cross-reference and refine as needed until the blog or essay is completed.
Written December 17, 2022
Footnotes:
[^1]: https://github.com/SkepticMystic/graph-analysis
[^2]: Emile van Krieken refers to a 'second-level backlink system' in his video: "Co-citations a new tool-for-thought" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rK6JVDrGERA
[^3]: https://lindasbrickbarn.com/steves-trip-reports/2021/10/19/the-zettelkasten-method-a-nonlinear-zettel-note-format
[^4]: Covey, Stephen R. *The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People*. Franklin Covey, 1998. p.75.
[^5]: https://thesweetsetup.com/the-art-of-note-making/
[^6]: McPherson, Fiona P.hD. (2018). Effective Notetaking, 3rd edition; Wayz Press. p.13.
[^7]: https://thesweetsetup.com/the-art-of-note-making/
[^8]: Tietze, Christian. “Zettelkasten.” *Create Zettel from Reading Notes According to the Principle of Atomicity • Zettelkasten Method*, 3 Sept. 2013, zettelkasten.de/posts/create-zettel-from-reading-notes/.
[^9]: https://waitbutwhy.com/2013/11/life-is-picture-but-you-live-in-pixel.html
[^10]: Don't think insight is so e=mc^2^ profound that you can't forget it. You will. (Accidental Genius: Using Writing to Generate Your Best Ideas, Insights, and Content, by Mark Levy, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2011, Location 1700.)