The highest-selling essay in human history: Message To Garcia. 40 million copies in print. Elbert Hubbard, a 19th century salesman, wrote it in 1 hour post an argument with his son. It was given to all soldiers on both sides in the Russo-Japanese war. The essay's writing lessons:


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The highest-selling essay in human history: Message To Garcia. 40 million copies in print. Elbert Hubbard, a 19th century salesman, wrote it in 1 hour post an argument with his son. It was given to all soldiers on both sides in the Russo-Japanese war. The essay's writing lessons:

Follow the Fire. Hubbard on how he wrote Message to Garcia: "The thing leaped hot from my heart, written after a trying day, when I had been endeavoring to train some rather delinquent villagers to abjure the comatose state and get radioactive." When the muse comes, follow.

Follow the Fire. Hubbard on how he wrote Message to Garcia: "The thing leaped hot from my heart, written after a trying day, when I had been endeavoring to train some rather delinquent villagers to abjure the comatose state and get radioactive." When the muse comes, follow.


Tie into the Zeitgeist. Hubbard starts the essay with "In all this Cuban business-" The essay, written in 1899, started on a note everyone recognized: The Spanish-American War. What contemporary event can you use as an entry-point into a timeless idea?

Tie into the Zeitgeist. Hubbard starts the essay with "In all this Cuban business-" The essay, written in 1899, started on a note everyone recognized: The Spanish-American War.

What contemporary event can you use as an entry-point into a timeless idea?


Use Metaphors. Hubbard tells us, in the very first line, that the hero of his essay Rowan "stands out on the horizon" of his "memory" like "Mars at perihelion." Perihelion is the day when Mars is closest to the Sun, and burns particularly bright. Special light shone on his hero.

Use Metaphors. Hubbard tells us, in the very first line, that the hero of his essay Rowan "stands out on the horizon" of his "memory" like "Mars at perihelion." Perihelion is the day when Mars is closest to the Sun, and burns particularly bright. Special light shone on his hero.


Quickly reveal the problem. The US President had to talk to Garcia, the insurgency leader, but he was impossible to reach. Hidden somewhere in the mountain jungles of Cuba. Hubbard: "No mail or telegraph message could reach him." Special agent Rowan was called in.

Quickly reveal the problem. The US President had to talk to Garcia, the insurgency leader, but he was impossible to reach. Hidden somewhere in the mountain jungles of Cuba. Hubbard: "No mail or telegraph message could reach him." Special agent Rowan was called in.


Rowan sealed the President's letter in an "oilskin pouch," reached Cuba via an boat, disappeared into the jungle for "three weeks," and successfully finished his mission. Hubbard: "There is a man who should be cast in deathless bronze and the statue placed in every college!"

Rowan sealed the President's letter in an "oilskin pouch," reached Cuba via an boat, disappeared into the jungle for "three weeks," and successfully finished his mission. Hubbard:  "There is a man who should be cast in deathless bronze and the statue placed in every college!"


Hubbard on what young men need: "It is not book-learning young men need, nor instruction about this and that, but a stiffening of the vertebrae which will cause them to be loyal to a trust, to act promptly, concentrate their energies: do the thing." Are we giving young men this?

Hubbard on what young men need: "It is not book-learning young men need, nor instruction about this and that, but a stiffening of the vertebrae which will cause them to be loyal to a trust, to act promptly, concentrate their energies: do the thing."

Are we giving young men this?


Hubbard uses counter-intuitive insights to make his point: "In our pitying let us drop a tear, too, for the men who are striving to carry on a great enterprise, and whose hair is fast turning white through the struggle to hold in dowdy indifference and slipshod imbecility."

Hubbard uses counter-intuitive insights to make his point: "In our pitying let us drop a tear, too, for the men who are striving to carry on a great enterprise, and whose hair is fast turning white through the struggle to hold in dowdy indifference and slipshod imbecility."


Hubbard ends on a civilizational note: "Civilization is one long, anxious search for the man who, when given a letter for Garcia, without asking any idiotic questions, &amp; with no lurking intention of chucking it into the nearest sewer, sets out to do nothing else but deliver it."

Hubbard ends on a civilizational note: "Civilization is one long, anxious search for the man who, when given a letter for Garcia, without asking any idiotic questions, & with no lurking intention of chucking it into the nearest sewer, sets out to do nothing else but deliver it."


Writing lessons from the best-selling essay of all time: • Follow the Fire• Tie into the Zeitgeist• Use Metaphors• Quickly reveal the problem• Use counter-intuitive insights• End on a civilizational note To hone your writing further, check out: <a href="https://memod.com/jashdholani/boards/write-like-a-god-2648" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Write Like a God</a>

Writing lessons from the best-selling essay of all time:

• Follow the Fire
• Tie into the Zeitgeist
• Use Metaphors
• Quickly reveal the problem
• Use counter-intuitive insights
•  End on a civilizational note

To hone your writing further, check out: Write Like a God


6 writing lessons from the highest selling essay of all time

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6 writing lessons from the highest selling essay of all time

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