No. 120 My next book has officially entered the deep work phase
Discussing academic use of zettelkasten, prepping for the System for Writing Master Course, and sorta but not really revealing my next book project!
No. 120 • 10/29/2025
Dear readers,
This week, I had the pleasure of discussing and demoing zettelkasten practices to William Wadsworth, founder of Exam Study Expert—the same person who recently released an interview with Sonkë Ahrens. I really appreciate William's enthusiasm for helping students with their study habits and, specifically, how to pass exams. To be expected, we ended up framing our zettelkasten discussion as a tool for academics. It's an area of the practice I don't often get a chance to focus on, so was stoked to get the opportunity.
The talk should be out in the next month or so, but if you want to read my take on how where I think the emphasis should lie for academics wanting to use a zettelkasten (hint: it has to do with "projects"), sign up for COMPOSITION to get the latest edition this Friday. (Make sure you hit "Subscribe" and not "Sign in," otherwise you won't get it!)
In other news....
Really getting excited for the upcoming A System for Writing Master Course. Registration will go live in late November. Classes will start in January 2026. This is the big one I do every year. Nine weeks, two session per week, so much information, so much time for questions and demos. It's the whole jam: setting up, doing deep work, and writing with a zettelkasten. Psyched so see so many of you clicking the link to receive more info. If you haven't done so already, click here. Info will start shipping in the next few weeks.
In even more news....
What I’m up to writing / teaching / speaking….
As some of you know, I usually work on two or three book manuscripts at the same time. Eventually, however, one of the manuscripts takes over, becoming the primary focus of my writing, and establishing itself as My Next Book. Happy to report that (barring any unforeseen jinx) My Next Book is now official. I'll save telling you the topic for later, but it'll be a new edition to the "Zettelkasten Primer" series I started with A System for Writing. In addition to being rooted in practical applications, problem solving, and question answering, it's also allowing me to dig into deeper, more nuanced theoretical elements of the practice. Hoping to have a rough draft by early next year, beta readers in the spring, and a release date somewhere around mid- to late-summer 2026.
What we’re up to on the property….
We've got our (ever-expanding) project list up for Fall 2025 / Winter 2026. Everything from prepping for a studio build to installing a wooden 16' gate to building sheds and wood racks to bringing electricity to the barn to installing a wood shop in said barn. 'Twil be busy times as usual.
What my book, A System for Writing, is up to....
The book continues to sell enough copies every month to provide for all my expenses. So proud of that lil' guy. Such a hard worker. Such a good earner. If you want to learn how I made this happen, that's just the kind of stuff I'll eventually be getting to in COMPOSITION. Sign up, if you want the intel.
FROM LAST WEEK'S COMPOSITION...
Reference note backlog woes
Woes regarding having to deal with a backlog of unprocessed notes (often staged in inboxes, reference notes, etc.) is a common concern in the zettelkasten and PKM communities. For reasons that extend well beyond the scope of this newsletter (no doubt informed by emotional and psychological baggage), many people find the sight of dozens of yet-to-be-examined-and-made-into-something-useful notes to be discouraging. Sometimes to the point of paralysis. Case in point, this post on the sub:
"Hey guys, I grabbed A System for Writing after you all recommended it really good so far. I’m on the part about capturing notes while reading, where he talks about reference notes. /// Before this, I’d basically write everything in detail as I read almost like I was making main notes on the spot which obviously kills the flow. But at the same time, having a huge backlog just doesn’t work for me. It stresses me out. /// I’m curious how you all handle this part. Do you process your reference notes right after reading, batch them later, or have a system that feels more natural and sustainable?"
I gave a long response, which you can read here. But, others gave good (and brief) suggestions, as well:
"I use two colors of highlights yellow for interesting and Light Blue for candidate main note. You might consider developing a similar system of two symbols to represent interesting background versus main note worthy ideas. Can write main notes after completion of reading."
"The first pass through the book is a quick scan, looking for new ideas, content that is significant. The second pass is a slower read is ONLY the parts you highlighted on the first pass. This might yield 7 or 8ish notes on the book. This helps avoid the backlog, promotes engagement with significant (new) ideas and ensures a rich ZK."
To read the rest (there's four other takes on the week's discourse, not including the introductory essay), sign up here.
Get my book
Pick up my latest book, A System for Writing, [here].
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