You attribute an idea to the person that introduced it to you. For example, Derek Sivers introduced me to the value of surprise when writing. People read to learn and they only learn when they’re surprised. Thus, you should find something surprising in your writing. Once you’ve found it, cut everything else. I loved this …
George Bernard Shaw supposedly claimed to have built an international reputation by thinking a mere once or twice a week, so I’ve tried to do the same. There’s not much else to do on the subway anyway. On occasion – while thinking, an idea would appear. For the longest time, I would admire it in …
In A Year of Flânerie, I mentioned a desire to write again. As a kid, I was an avid reader and writer. Partially because a liberal arts education naturally involves a lot of reading and writing, but also because I enjoyed it. While my parents frequently had to force me to do math exercises, I …