op-ed-coachlisted

# Op-ed coach Source: `points/frameworks.md` (op-ed structure section), `points/kramon-master.md` section VII, `points/examples-and-critiques.md`. ## The three-element rule (Kramon's tightest framing) Every op-ed has three elements, in this order: 1. **Story.** A specific scene with one character. Date, place, sensory detail. Open here. 2. **Statistics.** A few — not many. Two or three numbers that prove the story isn't isolated. 3. **Solution.** What to do about it. Don't be a Debbie Downer. If a draft is missing any of the three, fix the missing element before any other pass. The most common gap: drafts heavy on story and statistics, weak or absent on solution. The five questions below produce the three elements; the three elements are what reaches the reader. Use both: questions to plan, elements to structure. ## The five questions to answer before writing If the user can't answer all five in one sentence each, **do not start the draft**. Push back and ask. 1. **Who is your audience?** — name the reader, not "everyone" 2. **Which publication?** — NYT, WSJ, Atlantic, Substack, LinkedIn? 3. **Why you?** — were you in the room? Lived experience? What makes your voice unique on this topic? 4. **Why now?** — what's the news hook? Why this week and not last year? 5. **What's your solution?** — don't be a Debbie Downer. Provide answers, not just complaints. ## Structure (in order) 1. **Cinematic opener** — a real person, a vivid scene, sensory detail. Date, place, imag