Started @Gladwell 's writing masterclass - it's *really* good and I'm only like 30 minutes in. Here are some notes I made.
🧩 Writing is like a puzzle. You're taking pieces and arranging them to make a picture for the reader. It's satisfying in the same way. The only difference is that you don't have the finished picture for reference.
✍️ If the pieces of your writing don't fit, you can make them fit. You can write your way out of a problem.
🍏 The rule of the analogy is that the 2 things you're analogising are not identical. Analogies are supposed to be imperfect."Apples are actually a lot like oranges" is interesting.
🤝 Make promises you don't keep. Filmmakers say 'you should never set an expectation that you don't fulfill'. But it's fine for narratives to be imperfect. Being complete, or being truthful to your inventions, isn't the same as being interesting.
🥅 Being interesting is the goal. Even if it's imperfect.
🔖 The peculiar power of the imperfect puzzle - sometimes what makes stories stand out is the fact that the puzzle is incomplete. The responsibility for finishing it is put on the reader.
🔢 Write in numbered sections. This makes writing easier, because you can solve the problem of transitions by just moving to a new number. Numbers signal to the reader "this thought has finished. We're moving on. Trust me." Structure is your friend.
🛠 Give the readers tools. Start with "I'm going to tell you a story about X, but to understand X, we need some tools". Then talk about the tools. Now the reader has the tools, and they want to know how to use them. Hopefully, the desire to use the tool keeps them reading.
📊 We're interested in data, but only if we have a connection to it. We need someone to explain why it matters. Take the time to set it up. Everyone likes numbers. It's just a matter of preparing them to appreciate them.
🍭 There's a difference between the meal and the treat. The meal is the things you think about. The treat is the things you talk about. Talking about something and thinking about something are different. Give people the meal to think about, but also the candy to talk about.
🍬Give readers candy - the juicy bits that they can talk about in the elevator when they have 10 seconds, or that they can tell their friends about. Funny facts, interesting biographical details.
🙋♀️ Invite the reader to guess. I don't say 'this was a puzzle posed by researchers at the time'. I say 'this is a puzzle for you, the reader. What do you think the answer is?'. If the reader thinks it's X, and it's actually Y, that's fun.
😃 Invite readers to put themselves in your story. For example, "the psychologist said her husband does this strange thing where he X". The reader will think "oh yeah my son is sort-of like that too!". Let them do that.
🤔 Withhold information with a purpose - You don't have to withhold the main argument. You can withhold pieces that compel the reader forwards. Think about what you're not going to say in the beginning.
🧙♀️ Suspense is a function of time. It's the writer playing with expectations around time. You expect to have been told something by now, and you haven't been. That's suspense.
🤯 Surprise is when I tell you something and you had no idea it was coming, or that you needed to know it. Suspense is when you know you need to know something but you haven't been told it. A good writer plays both surprise and suspense games.
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We all want to get the best night's sleep possible.
Here's a mega thread of top tips to improve your sleep routine 🧵
1) It starts in the morning 🌞
Exposure to light in the morning sets our body clocks properly. Taking a walk first thing will give your body the light it needs to tell the time and start your day right.
2) Take 20 minute naps 😴
The occasional afternoon nap can be really beneficial. As long as you don’t sleep for more than 20 minutes, you'll wake up more alert and with more energy for the rest of your day. Try it next time you're procrastinating 😜
When we’re feeling really stressed out, it can be tempting to drop everything and hide in bed, ignoring our responsibilities and numbing ourselves with Netflix or doom-scrolling.
You might feel better in the short term, but in the long run this tends to cause more harm than good. Your mood will drop and you’ll only get more behind, leaving to even more anxiety.
So instead, let’s explore three methods which can reduce your stress AND help you stay productive.
When we hear the words ‘beginner’s mindset’, we might conjure up some negative ideas. Perhaps you think of amateurism, or a lack of commitment or knowledge.
But it turns out that thinking like a beginner can help even the most talented people perform at their absolute best.
It is part of what turned Michael Jordan into a legend.
In the 1980s, the Chicago Bulls dominated the NBA. They were led by Phil Jackson, their coach, who found inspiration in an unlikely place - the teachings of Zen Buddhism.