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U.G.L.Y Writing
Every Tuesday, The Productive Disruptive delivers storytelling science, message makeovers, cultural commentary, and a little rebellious hope for anyone still stubborn enough to believe communication can change the world.
Dorian Johnson
February 03, 2026
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A “story” in 4 photos
Behold, the story of The Ugly Barnacle.
It’s a classic Spongebob moment. If you know, you know.
Patrick actually framed this as a story. It’s funny because it’s veryyyyyy empty.
And that’s sonmething that’s been sticking with me lately…
I’ve been seeing a lot of writing lately that feels like this.
Not bad writing.
Not incorrect writing.
Just… prematurely finished.
You open a post and immediately get:
the conclusion
the lesson
the takeaway
All at once.
It giving… “so ugly that everyone died, the end.”
Of course, there are follow-up questions…
Why was he ugly?
Who decided that?
What happened before everyone died? Was the cause of death actually just ugliness?
So many unanswered questions, and the story’s over…
There’s no buildup.
No friction.
No reason for your brain to lean forward.
So brains just don’t.
I’ve started calling this U.G.L.Y. writing.
Unearned ending
Given-away conclusion
Low tension
Yanked curiosity
Stories, with all their infinite possibilities, follow pretty predictable patterns.
Characters, of course, always.
But there’s also resistance.
Constraints.
Almosts. Choices.
U.G.L.Y. Writing shows up a lot in smart spaces.
Especially places where people value efficiency, clarity, and being “to the point.”
The intention is good.
But something subtle gets lost.
It isn’t wrong.
It just feels unanchored.
So, beautify the U.G.L.Y
🧠 Story Science Side Note:
The brain learns when something doesn’t go the way it expected.
That mismatch is called prediction error.
It’s what tells the brain, “Update this.”
Stories that end too fast never create that moment.
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2023.1171612/full
📝 Message Makeover:
Before:
“Just get to the point.”
After:
“Give the brain something to update first.”
Brevity is often important, but you may be rushing some things. Resist haste for the sake of haste.
🛠️ The PHacilitator’s Corner:
Here’s what prompted this issue.
I saw a post with a “see more” button on LinkedIn…
But between:
the image, and
the text before “see more”
I’m 96.7% sure the entire story was already told. (idk man, weird number just because).
So, no reason to click see more to me.
Here’s a tiny observation practice to try this week:
When you’re scrolling, notice the posts you don’t tap into.
Ask yourself:
Did the image give away the ending?
Did the opening sentence solve the problem immediately?
Did curiosity get yanked before it had a chance to form?
That’s U.G.L.Y. writing in the wild.
Once you start seeing it, you’ll also start noticing when your own work does it.
I got an article published in Parents! It’s linked below.
If you’re interested, give it a read.
If you’re not, perhaps you could share it with someone who could benefit? Parents of Teens/Tweens or folks who work in organizations that serve teens.
As a Public Health Educator specializing in Adolescent Health, I also support the adults who support youth. Writing and storytelling are also great teachers.
If you know of any organizations that cater to adolescent health, I’d love to hear about them. Shoot me a reply!
The End!
