Tag: writing

Most-Read Cultish Creative Posts Of 2021

Welcome to 2022. One cool thing about writing in public is seeing what resonates (and trying to figure out why). Here are the most-read posts of 2021, per the data. What common threads do you see? I’m seeing a lot of lucky catches on searchable quotes and concepts from TV, books, and other media. Hmm. A … Continue reading Most-Read Cultish Creative Posts Of 2021 →

Toni Morrison On Making Your Work Look Effortless

So you want to get good, eh? Here’s Toni Morrison on leveling up: I thought of myself as like the jazz musician: someone who practices and practices and practices in order to be able to invent and to make his art look effortless and graceful. I was always conscious of the constructed aspect of the … Continue reading Toni Morrison On Making Your Work Look Effortless →

Damn The Critics: When Gatsby Got Gut-Punched

New York Herald literary critic Isabel Paterson wrote in her review of The Great Gatsby that it was “a book for the season only.” H. L. Mencken at The Chicago Tribune called it “obviously unimportant.” The Dallas Morning News had the best (re: worst, most devastating, gut-punching) comment, “One finishes The Great Gatsby with a … Continue reading Damn The Critics: When Gatsby Got Gut-Punched →

Podcast Of The Week: The Fault In Our Birbiglias

Two masters of the amusing but heartfelt story, from two different domains, just hanging out for an hour. Listen for how they each pull and pick at details from their own lives and consider how they apply that level of awareness to their craft. Listen to John Green on the Working It Out podcast with … Continue reading Podcast Of The Week: The Fault In Our Birbiglias →

Podcast Of The Week: Remembering Sondheim

NPR ran a series of 3 podcasts on the life and career of Stephen Sondheim full of Terry Gross interviews, clips from songs, and conversations with others about his influence. With his recent passing, I realized I only knew some bits and pieces and was so moved by the outpouring of love I figured I … Continue reading Podcast Of The Week: Remembering Sondheim →

Podcast Of The Week: Josh Spector Dissects His Creative Business

I'm a huge fan of Josh Spector's work. Without being Seth Godin or James Clear, he's been Godin/Clear-level good for my brain. He recently gave an excellent interview on a new (to me) podcast: Creator Business Show. Spector discusses tricks he's used to boost his own conversion rates (by tweaking how he frames content), getting … Continue reading Podcast Of The Week: Josh Spector Dissects His Creative Business →

Hitchcock’s Secret For Murdering Writer’s Block

Alfred Hitchcock wrote some legendary screenplays. He also drove his co-writers crazy when they’d hit the occasional and inevitable roadblock. Here’s how he’d take a writers’ room from dead-end to back-on-track every time (and this is totally simple to steal!), via John Cleese: When we came up against a block and our discussions became very … Continue reading Hitchcock’s Secret For Murdering Writer’s Block →

Podcast Of The Week: Quentin Tarantino

Oh to be a fly on the wall for this one. Rounders and Pulp Fiction were critical parts of my formative years, and I still hold these movies on such a pedestal when it comes to dialogue, stories, and character. To have the writers of each sitting together and geeking out over each other's work … Continue reading Podcast Of The Week: Quentin Tarantino →