This is the kind of insight that only a writer as sharp as @jasonzweigwsj could have. Read it. Then read it again.
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If you’re stuck, make writing a tactile experience. It doesn’t have to be as boring as sitting down at your computer and starting at a screen for hours on end. I’ve always enjoyed this quote from @nytdavidbrooks. We’re most creative when we’re active and playful.
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When writing, focus on the long-term instead of the short-term. People over-estimate the benefits of publishing one article, but under-estimate the benefits of building a body of work. (h/t @Alex_Danco)
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When you know you’re going to write, you change the way you live. Writing forces you to observe the simple things you’d otherwise ignore. As Sherlock Holmes said: “The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes." perell.com/blog/why-you-shou…
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Writing tips from Elmore Leonard: ∙ Delete the parts readers tend to skip ∙ Cut exclamation points ∙ Avoid prologues ∙ Shorten your paragraphs ∙ Keep the flow of your story moving "My most important rule is one that sums up the 10: if it sounds like writing, I rewrite it."
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At McKinsey, people write with the Pyramid Principle. Here's the formula: 1) Start with the short answer first because busy executives want to get to the point. 2) Summarize your supporting arguments. 3) Logically order your supporting ideas. I added an example below.
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"Advice? I don't have advice. Stop aspiring and start writing." — Alan Watts
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Start your story in the heat of the action, right before you get eaten by the bear. Things to remember: 1) Trim the backstory. 2) People want to hear the juicy stuff. 3) Ask: "What’s the minimum amount of backstory my reader needs in order to understand me?” (h/t @wes_kao)
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Delete everything that's not surprising. "People only really learn when they're surprised. If they're not surprised, then what you told them just fits in with what they already know. No minds were changed. No new perspective. Just more information." — @sivers
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Write with a thesaurus. Don't use it to look up words you've never seen before. Instead, use it to find words that everybody knows and are also more descriptive than what you have on the page.
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Things to remember when writing: ∙ More substance, fewer words ∙ Good writing comes from good reading ∙ Use stories, not lectures ∙ Delete without mercy ∙ Good ideas are easy to write, bad ideas are hard (h/t @morganhousel)

3:26 PM · Jan 14, 2021

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