The Trivium Writing Standard: The New Gold Standard for Writing

Writing matters. It shapes ideas, and ideas shape the world. The quality of writing has been declining since the advent of information technologies, but Trivium Writing is bringing a new standard for the industry. Even in a digital world, writing effectively matters greatly. Trivium Writing’s mission is to make good writing easy and accessible for everyone.

Where would our world be without writing? Much of civilization owes much for its existence to Greek and Roman heritage. Only by reading the writings of their intellectual ancestors were our countries' founders able to create the world we live in. After all, we are still influenced by Greek democracy, philosophy, science, and sports as well as Roman architecture, engineering, religion, and law. 

Our world may be imperfect, but if we love the world we live in, we must give writing its due credit. And we must take writing seriously if we wish to honor tradition and create a better future for the next generations.

What is the Trivium Writing Standard?

The Trivium Writing Standard is the standard we’ve created at Trivium Writing. It is a standard we strive for and promote. We believe that writing is the most powerful skill in the world, and good writing changes the world.

Although we care about good writing, we are not elitists. Elitists not only believe in good writing, but they also want to keep it to themselves. They are not interested in making good writing accessible. 

Whether they realize it or not, many teachers, professors, and school administrators are elitists. They are elitists because their failure to teach writing effectively keeps people from writing well—which perpetuates writing inequalities.

At Trivium Writing, we want everybody to be able to write well. That’s why we exist. That’s our essence. And that’s why we’ve spent time working on the Trivium Writing Standard.

Here are the seven pillars of the Trivium Writing Standard:

• Accuracy
• Conciseness
• Honesty
• Melody
• Memorability
• Power
• Sharpness

What is Trivium Writing?

Trivium Writing is a writing consultancy I founded in 2020. I have been passionate about writing since I was 15 years old, and I learned English as a second language. Coming from this unique background and experience, I cracked the writing code and developed a writing methodology called The Architecture of Writing.  

Trivium Writing helps deep-thinking entrepreneurs and business owners write and publish powerful nonfiction books by applying The Architecture of Writing methodology. We also provide writing advice, training, and resources to those who wish to improve their writing skills. We know that deep thinkers often struggle with communication because they think too much!

I founded Trivium Writing with one goal in mind: to make sure that deep thinkers have access to the resources they need to simplify their insights and to share them with the world. The word “Trivium” stands for the three introductory liberal arts of grammar, logic, and rhetoric. Together, these three disciplines underpin writing.

Why is the Trivium Writing Standard Important?

The Trivium Writing team and I fundamentally believe that ideas shape the world, and writing shapes ideas. However, because of the development of new technologies and changes in the education curriculum from the last half-century, we’ve seen a decline in the quality of writing.

The problem with writing isn’t that people are incapable of writing well. The problem is that writing isn’t inherently attractive. Writing is a means to an end, not an end in and of itself. But education systems the world over treat writing as an end, which makes it uninteresting. It’s not enough to be simply literate; we need to be able to communicate effectively.

The other problem Trivium Writing is seeking to solve is the scarcity of quality writing instruction. Even in prestigious schools and universities, the resources used are obscure, outdated, and not adequate for our times. These resources don’t serve students.

We created the Trivium Writing Standard and The Architecture of Writing to raise the standard for writing and give every deep thinker a voice. Literacy is critical to the health of a society, and writing is an important literacy skill. By becoming better writers, we become better thinkers—and good thinkers change the world for the better.

That’s why the Trivium Writing Standard is important.

Pillar #1: Accuracy

Writing should be true and precise—and not just at the content level. It should be grammatically correct and leverage grammar rules and patterns to create a compelling style. Accuracy is a sign of seriousness and professionalism.

Pillar #1: Conciseness

Writing should put every word on trial for its life. Although certain words can create style, we need to prioritize the message. Using as few words as possible is the hallmark of professional writing.

Pillar #3: Honesty

Writing should be open and vulnerable. Emotions are much more powerful than logic in writing. Words come to life when the author opens up to readers and allows them to read about his hopes, fears, desires, and insecurities.

Pillar #4: Melody

Writing should read like music. It should make the best of sentences, phrases, words, and rhetorical devices to create something that resembles a song. Melody is what takes writing from good to great.

Pillar #5: Memorability

Writing should mark our flesh. It should strike the reader with something new, fresh, and important. In other words, it should transform how the reader thinks. (It also needs to follow the pillars of the Trivium Writing Standard.)

Pillar #6: Power

Writing should show pride, strength, and confidence on the author’s end. Writing is leadership, so writing requires communication as a leader. That said, writing should not be forceful. The author is in collaboration, not in competition, with the reader.

Pillar #7: Sharpness

Writing should demonstrate intelligence and liveliness. It should radiate brilliance and empower readers with new information and new ways of thinking. Writing should also hurt a little. It should make readers feel they have lost a part of themselves while reading.

What Would You Add to the Trivium Writing Standard?

The Trivium Writing Standard is currently made of seven pillars. That said, we are lifelong learners and are constantly evolving. Do you think a pillar is missing? Email us at info@triviumwriting.com and let us know what you think is missing.

In your email, tell us the name of the missing pillar and describe it in more or less than 40 words. If we like it, we’ll add it to this post!