You already have the opinion. Here's where it goes.
You have opinions. Strong ones. You share them in strategy sessions, in board meetings, in the hallway after a bad quarterly call.
Then someone asks you to "put something out on LinkedIn" or pitch an op-ed, and the opinion that came so easily in the room disappears the moment you sit down to write it.
That's not a writing problem. It's a structure problem. You don't know where the idea goes.
This is the skeleton I use with clients to turn a strong opinion into 600 publishable words in about the time it takes to finish a cup of coffee. Fill in each section. Don't worry about polish yet — just get the bones down.
Before you start filling it in
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The framework
Part 1
THE HOOK
A claim that at least some smart people in your industry would push back on.
"Most people in [industry] believe ___. I think that's wrong, and here's why it matters right now."
Part 2
THE STAKES
Why does this matter today, specifically — not in the abstract, but right now, this quarter, this news cycle?
"This isn't just a theoretical disagreement. If [industry/audience] keeps believing this, the real cost is ___."
Part 3
THE EVIDENCE
What have you actually seen that backs this up? A number, a story, a pattern from your own experience — not someone else's.
"I've seen this play out firsthand. When [specific situation], the result was ___."
Part 4
THE TURN
Where does the conventional wisdom go wrong? This is the paragraph that makes people re-read the headline.
"The mistake most leaders make is assuming ___. What actually happens is ___."
Part 5
THE CALL
What should change? Be specific — a decision, a behavior, a mindset shift. Give the reader something to do with what you just said.
"If you take one thing from this, let it be: ___. Start by ___."
Notes on use
Fill in all five boxes before you edit anything. Resist polishing Part 1 while Part 5 is still blank.
Aim for 100–150 words per section. That's roughly 600 words total — the sweet spot for most op-ed placements and a strong LinkedIn thought leadership post.
The Hook and the Turn are the two sections readers remember. If you only have time to sharpen two paragraphs, sharpen those.
This skeleton works for a LinkedIn post as-is. For a byline placement (WSJ, RealClear, a trade publication), the same structure holds — it just needs a sharper edit and a placement strategy.
Got the bones down and want help finishing it — or placing it somewhere that matters?