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Legendary Technologist And Essayist Paul Graham On Walking Into Ideas, The Test Of Good Writing, And Becoming A Connoisseur Of Bad Writing - Writing Routines
Writer's block
Not knowing what to write about is more a problem when writing stories, but essay writing is basically thinking out loud.
When writers' block does strike, pacing around or going out for a walk helps.
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Writer's block
Not knowing what to write about is more a problem when writing stories, but essay writing is basically thinking out loud.
When writers' block does strike, pacing around or going out for a walk helps.
Evaluating criteria
The goal of an essay is to surprise the reader. If you write about a topic you understand reasonably well, and you're able to discover things you didn't consciously realize when you started writing, you have something worth saying.
Let your friends read your work. They'll sometimes find significant problems.
Common traits
Great entrepreneurs and great writers have this in common: They notice anomalies that other people skip over.
Advice to aspiring writers
Write. You have to practice to get better. If nothing else, write a journal.
Become a connoisseur of bad writing. When you spot something that seems bad, try to figure out why. Once you become good at finding mistakes, you'll be less likely to make them.
SIMILAR ARTICLES & IDEAS:
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Montaigne on happiness
From the essay 'Of Solitude', Montaigne says: these are the things we normally think will bring happiness; they're wrong.
'We should have wife, children, goods, and above all health, if we ca...
The 'back shop'
The 'back shop' doesn't mean a room behind your workplace to take refuge. It is not a type of selfish, introverted withdrawal from family life, but the need to protect yourself from the pain that would come if you lost that family. It is a place to mend a broken heart, not by avoiding future pain, but by coming into a different relationship with it.
To be with yourself
The promise of getting away from it all is a fool's errand since, wherever you go, you take yourself with you.
To be with yourself is a chance for a great companionship. Your soul has the means to attack and to defend, the means to receive and to give. The quality of your inner conversation will determine the quality of life.
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Writing in 2020
Due to a large number of distractions and obligations nowadays, it is increasingly hard to focus on creative writing.
Modern-day writers have the problem of procrastination and may be sufferi...
The Five Minute Writing Session
Just find five minutes and start doing your work, with complete concentration. Write for five minutes with seriousness and focus. You would need to tell yourself that if you don't write for five minutes and wait for the ideal three hours of free time, along with coffee, you may never get any writing done.
It may be painful to come out of these creative five minutes and get back to regular work, so set your expectations right from the beginning: Five minutes is all you have got.
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Identities and core beliefs
We build our lives around certain core beliefs. And discussing them will most likely yield anger and indignation (i.e discussing religion or politics).
We usually fail to adjust to the...
Do the work required
Rather than be opinionated, we should strive to be informed.
We should know the other side’s argument better than they know theirs. Instead of attacking a straw man, aim to knock down the strongest version of an argument you disagree with.
Charlie Munger
“I never allow myself to have an opinion on anything that I don’t know the other side’s argument better than they do.”
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Organize Your Thoughts Before Writing
While there's something to be said for spontaneous writing, it really helps if you sit down and organize your thoughts beforehand.
No matter your favorite method of organizing yo...
Set a Regular Schedule
Setting up and sticking to it is one of the best ways to perfect your writing.
Do it in the morning for best results, and break it up into small increments to avoid anxiety. Don't write during unscheduled times, either (though jotting down notes is okay—inspiration can strike at the strangest of times).
Keep Up with Good Grammar
Proofreading is an important part of writing, and despite some folks having a knack for good grammar, none of us is perfect.
Be sure to take advantage of some of the great word tools out there. Not only will they keep you writing correctly, but they're likely to keep you learning new words and idioms to freshen up your writing.
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Read widely, with maximum curiosity
The clearest thinkers tend to be those that draw from multiple disciplines.
Develop the habit of reading and eliminate/reduce the things that might stop you from doing that (e.g. mindl...
Put reality first and theory last
Confusing models with reality is a cardinal sin of clear thinking.
If you believe too strongly in your models of the world, you can start to ignore evidence that your model is wrong.
Campbell’s law
The basic idea is that when you reward people for a particular measure — clicks, dollars, likes, etc. — people will find a way to “game” the system.
For example: If journalism is fueled by clicks, journalists are going to write sensationalist clickbait.
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The lesson learned from the novel 'Emma'
Most of us have already heard about Jane Austen: she is a novel writer, whose masterpieces have proven timeless throughout centuries. When reading her novel 'Emma', one will certainly disco...
The take-away from 'Northanger Abbey'
This incredible novel teaches us one important lesson worth being remembered throughout our lives: be curious. You must be curious and open to change, as only in this way you can succeed to grow.
The lesson learned from 'Pride and Prejudice'
One of the best novels of all time, 'Pride and Prejudice' has a great lesson to teach us all: learn from your mistakes. Just as the characters admit their mistakes and act accordingly, one should always consider the things done wrongly and try to correct them before it is too late.
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Writing And Priorities
If you feel too overwhelmed for writing, list your goals in order of importance. Maybe writing is not your top goal and you are wasting energy thinking you should do it because you haven’t r...
Write For Just Fifteen Minutes
Professional writers rarely write for more than five or so hours a day because writing is mentally exhausting. This means you can get a lot done in a short amount of time.
You might not have five hours to write, but almost everyone has fifteen minutes. To keep yourself focused as you write, consider writing with a timer.
Stop Checking Email
Many use email as a to-do list, which leaves them reacting to life instead of living it according to goals.
It’s difficult to write when you’re checking email every five minutes. Don’t check emails during your daily writing time.
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Starting To Write
Writing can be a lonely, thankless job, filled with rejection. But it can also be very rewarding when your text resonates with people.
Ask yourself why you want to write and what do you wa...
Choosing a Time And Place To Write
- Results come when you work at your craft consistently every day.
- It’s good to write first thing in the morning, as you are more creative upon waking.
- If you have a job, your writing should take place outside your work time.
- Choose a “writing spot” and keep it consistent.
Set Small Goals
Don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to follow advanced techniques early on. There is endless advice on writing, but in the beginning, all that matters is getting words onto the page every day.
Set small, easy to accomplish goals and build upon it. Focus not on the end result, but on the process.
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10 Tips on Writing
- Read the Roman-Raphaelson book on writing.
- Write the way you talk. Naturally.
- Use short words, short sentences and short paragraphs.
- Never...
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Telling someone to never give up is terrible advice
Successful people give up all the time. If something is not working, smart people don’t repeat it endlessly. They revise. They adjust. They quit.
Just like the saying goes...
The 3 Stages of Failure
- Failure of Tactics - the HOW mistakes: failure to execute on a good plan and a clear vision.
- Failure of Strategy - the WHAT mistakes: when you follow a strategy that fails to deliver the results you want.
- Failure of Vision - the WHY mistakes: failing to understand why you do the things you do.
Fixing a Failure of Tactics
- Record your process.
- Measure your outcomes.
- Review and adjust your tactics.
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