The Three Laws for Writing Transformative Non-Fiction.

I was listening to Brandon Sanderson talking about his three laws he uses to write his books. He adapted them from Isaac Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics. I adapted his laws to writing transformative nonfiction below. It's a work-in-progress.

See what you think.

1. Your book's ability to solve your reader's problem with your “magic” is directly proportional to how well your reader understands the mechanisms behind said “magic.” Your reader should completely understand your magic before attempting to apply it. This prevents your book's magic from being a deus ex machina and ensures that your book's magic is not lost to the curse of knowledge.

2. The limitations, costs, and failure modes of your book's "magic" should be as prominent (or more so) than the "powers" you promise. This adds credibility, prevents overpromising, and equips your reader to troubleshoot when the technique doesn't work. Show them when it fails, why it fails, and what conditions are required for success.

3. Expand what your reader has already internalized before you add something new. This law encourages you to refine and extend your existing magic systems rather than piling on new elements without considering your book's existing structure. This shows your reader they're learning one unified system, not a random toolkit.

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