The "Expand and Contract" Method

The Core Problem

You face two common creative blocks—and they look like opposites:

Block 1: The Blank Page
You need to write something but don't know where to start. The cursor blinks. You have nothing. Every angle seems equally valid or equally boring. You're stuck at zero.

Block 2: The Overwhelm
You have too much to say. Research, ideas, perspectives, tangents—it's all jumbled together. You can't figure out what matters. You're drowning in your own material.

These feel like different problems, but they have a shared solution: controlling the creative flow between expansion and contraction.

The Core Insight

AI excels at two complementary operations:

Expansion: Taking a small idea and generating more—angles, variations, questions, examples, counterarguments. AI can produce quantity on demand.

Contraction: Taking a large volume of material and distilling it to essentials—key takeaways, core arguments, the signal in the noise. AI can synthesize and prioritize.

Most people use AI for one or the other. Power users use both, strategically, in a cycle.

The Expand-Contract Cycle

The method works in phases:

    ┌──────────────┐
    │   EXPAND     │  ← Generate options, angles, ideas
    │   (Diverge)  │
    └──────┬───────┘
           │
           ▼
    ┌──────────────┐
    │   CONTRACT   │  ← Distill, focus, prioritize
    │   (Converge) │
    └──────┬───────┘
           │
           ▼
    ┌──────────────┐
    │   REFINE     │  ← Expand the best, contract again
    │   (Repeat)   │
    └──────────────┘

Phase 1: Expand when you're stuck or need options
Phase 2: Contract when you're overwhelmed or need focus
Phase 3: Repeat until sharp

Expansion Techniques

Use these when facing a blank page or when you need more material:

Generate Angles

Give me 10 different angles I could take on [topic].

Example:

Give me 10 different angles I could take on 
"the future of remote work."

AI might return:

1. The economic case for hybrid (cost savings)
2. The mental health trade-offs
3. How remote work changes management styles
4. The infrastructure gap in rural areas
5. Remote work as a competitive talent advantage
6. The death of office culture (pros and cons)
7. Legal and compliance challenges of distributed teams
8. How time zones reshape collaboration
9. The "always on" problem and solutions
10. Remote work for knowledge workers vs. everyone else

Now you have starting points. Choose one to develop.

Anticipate Objections

What questions would a skeptical reader have about [claim or argument]?

This expands your thinking into territory you might have glossed over.

Find Counterarguments

What's the strongest argument against my main point?

Even if you don't include the counterargument, knowing it strengthens your position.

Explore Examples

Give me 5 concrete examples of [concept] in practice.

Examples make abstract ideas tangible. Expand to find the right ones.

Brainstorm Variations

I want to write about [topic]. Give me 7 different hooks 
or opening lines I could use.

Expanding the options helps you recognize the best one.

Contraction Techniques

Use these when overwhelmed with material or when you need to focus:

Distill to Bullets

Summarize this in 3 bullet points. Only the most important ideas.

Forces prioritization. What survives the cut is usually what matters most.

Find the Single Takeaway

What's the single most important thing a reader should 
remember from this?

If you can't answer this, your piece isn't ready.

Cut to Essentials

If I could only keep 20% of this content, what should stay?

Removes attachment to your own words and reveals the core.

Identify the Through-Line

Read this and tell me: what's the main argument or 
narrative thread? Is it clear?

Sometimes the thread is buried. Contraction surfaces it.

Headline Test

If this were an article, what would the headline be? 
Make it specific and compelling.

If you can't summarize in a headline, the piece lacks focus.

The Cycle in Practice

Scenario: Writing a LinkedIn Post About a Professional Insight

Starting point: You want to write about how you handle difficult stakeholders, but you're not sure what angle to take.

Expand Phase 1: Generate angles

Prompt:

I want to write a LinkedIn post about handling difficult 
stakeholders. Give me 8 different angles or hooks I could use.

AI returns:

1. The time I stopped trying to win and started trying to understand
2. Why "difficult" stakeholders are often right about something
3. The specific question that defuses almost any conflict
4. How I learned to separate the person from the position
5. The stakeholder from hell who taught me the most
6. Why I now treat resistance as information, not opposition
7. A framework for stakeholder conversations that always works
8. The 5-minute prep that changes every difficult meeting

Your pick: #6 resonates. Resistance as information.

Expand Phase 2: Develop the angle

Prompt:

I'm going with "resistance as information." Give me 5 sub-points 
or examples I could include to make this concrete.

AI returns:

1. Story: CFO who pushed back on timeline was actually flagging hidden dependency
2. Resistance often signals unclear communication—they're confused, not opposed
3. The question "What would need to be true for you to support this?"
4. When stakeholders resist, ask what they're protecting
5. Example: Marketing said "no budget" but meant "not convinced of ROI"

Now you have material to work with.

Contract Phase: Focus the piece

Prompt:

I have these 5 points. For a short LinkedIn post (150 words), 
which 2-3 are strongest? What should the core message be?

AI returns:

Strongest: #1 (concrete story), #3 (actionable question), 
and #5 (surprising twist on "no budget").

Core message: Stakeholder resistance isn't a problem to 
overcome—it's information to decode. The shift from "how 
do I win?" to "what are they telling me?" changes everything.

Refine Phase: Expand the best parts, contract again

Prompt:

Write a first draft using the CFO story and the "what are 
they telling me?" reframe. Keep it punchy—under 150 words.

Then apply the refinement process from Lesson 2. Edit for voice. Contract any filler. Done.

When to Expand vs. Contract

Exercise 1: Expansion Practice

Use expansion techniques to generate raw material for something you need to write.

Step 1: Choose a Topic

What do you need to write this week?

Step 2: Expand in Three Directions

Direction 1: Angles

Prompt:

Give me 10 different angles I could take on [your topic].

AI's angles:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Circle the 2-3 that resonate.

Direction 2: Objections

Prompt:

What questions would a skeptical reader have about [your angle]?

AI's questions:

Which one should you address in your piece?

Direction 3: Examples

Prompt:

Give me 5 concrete examples of [your concept] in practice.

AI's examples:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Which example is most compelling?

Exercise 2: Contraction Practice

Take something you've written (or a first draft) and use contraction techniques.

Step 1: Submit Your Material

Paste a draft, outline, or collection of notes you're working with.

Step 2: Apply Contraction Prompts

Prompt 1: Distill

Summarize this in 3 bullet points. Only the essentials.

AI's summary:
1.
2.
3.

Prompt 2: Single Takeaway

What's the ONE thing a reader should remember from this?

AI's answer:

Prompt 3: Cut to Core

If I could only keep 20% of this, what should stay?

AI's answer:

Step 3: Reflect

What did contraction reveal about your piece?

Exercise 3: Full Cycle Practice

Run through the complete expand-contract cycle on one piece of writing.

The Challenge

Create a 200-word piece on a topic of your choice using the full cycle.

Step 1: Start with a Seed

Topic or seed idea:

Step 2: Expand (5 minutes)

Use 2-3 expansion prompts to generate material.

Notes from expansion:

Step 3: Contract (3 minutes)

Use 2 contraction prompts to find focus.

Notes from contraction:

Step 4: Draft (5 minutes)

Write the piece based on what survived contraction.

Step 5: Contract Again (2 minutes)

Read your draft. Cut anything that doesn't serve the core message.

Step 6: Final Piece

Quick Reference: Expand and Contract Prompts

╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║                    EXPANSION PROMPTS                          ║
╠═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║                                                               ║
║  "Give me 10 angles I could take on [topic]"                  ║
║                                                               ║
║  "What questions would a skeptic ask about this?"             ║
║                                                               ║
║  "What's the strongest counterargument?"                      ║
║                                                               ║
║  "Give me 5 concrete examples of [concept]"                   ║
║                                                               ║
║  "Write 7 different hooks or opening lines"                   ║
║                                                               ║
║  "What am I not considering here?"                            ║
║                                                               ║
╠═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║                   CONTRACTION PROMPTS                         ║
╠═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║                                                               ║
║  "Summarize this in 3 bullet points"                          ║
║                                                               ║
║  "What's the single most important takeaway?"                 ║
║                                                               ║
║  "If I kept only 20% of this, what stays?"                    ║
║                                                               ║
║  "What's the main argument or thread here?"                   ║
║                                                               ║
║  "What would the headline be?"                                ║
║                                                               ║
║  "What can I cut without losing the core message?"            ║
║                                                               ║
╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝

The Rhythm of Creative Work

Expansion without contraction produces chaos.
Contraction without expansion produces thin work.

The best creative work oscillates:

• Expand to explore
• Contract to focus
• Expand the best parts
• Contract again

This rhythm applies to:

• Writing (blog posts, reports, emails)
• Presentations (brainstorm slides, then cut)
• Strategy (generate options, then choose)
• Problem-solving (explore angles, then decide)

Master the rhythm and you'll never stare at a blank page—or drown in too much material—for long.

Key Takeaways

1. Two blocks, one solution. Whether you're stuck at zero or drowning in material, the expand-contract cycle helps.
2. Expansion generates options. Use it when facing a blank page or when you need more material to work with.
3. Contraction creates focus. Use it when overwhelmed or when a piece feels scattered.
4. The cycle is iterative. Expand → Contract → Refine → Repeat until the work is sharp.
5. Save your best prompts. Both expansion and contraction prompts are reusable across many projects.

Next Steps

• [ ] Try 3 expansion prompts on something you need to write this week
• [ ] Take an existing draft and apply the contraction prompts
• [ ] Practice the full cycle on one piece of writing
• [ ] Identify whether you default to expansion or contraction—practice the other
• [ ] Save the quick reference card for future writing sessions