My favorites, readers’ favorites, and a little about me as a human
Four years ago, I was gathered around a campfire with a few friends, and I told my buddy Alex that I wanted to be a writer someday. …
Don’t limit yourself to only the influences in your genre
Have you noticed that many of the most creative people in the world have numerous passions and interests? They’re not isolated on a solitary little island of music or dance or painting — they’re involved in numerous creative streams that feed each other.
Think of Lin-Manuel Miranda applying his love…
ProTips
The award-winning author of ‘The Joy Luck Club’ shares her MasterClass advice
Amy Tan wrote the runaway bestseller The Joy Luck Club, which reportedly sold over three million copies.
Then Tan followed up that book with five more bestselling novels, along with several nonfiction books and children’s books. Tan recently shared her writing secrets in a MasterClass about fiction and imagination.
Each of these nonfiction books reads like fiction
Four years ago, I started a book club at my company. One year later, our book club realized that we had read more about serial killers and fraudsters than we had about business tycoons, civil rights leaders, and presidents. The morbidly fascinating world of true crime captivated us.
There’s something…
I’ve used this tactic with hundreds of fiction and nonfiction books, and it’s been a huge help
Have you ever run into a situation where you want to locate a specific idea or quote from a book you’ve read, but you can’t find it anywhere?
I used to run into that problem constantly. I’d read an awesome quote or story, but when I tried to find it…
You might find a grammatical mistake in this article…and perhaps that’s okay
I’ve found a number of mistakes in articles written by my favorite authors — Ryan Holiday, Tim Denning, Shaunta Grimes, Tom Kuegler, you name it.
For years, every time I found a grammatical error or misspelled word, I was shocked. …
PROTIPS
Here’s the best advice from her MasterClass on writing
You may know her from her essays in the New York Times and Salon, her memoir Hunger, or her countless other books and publications.
Roxane Gay is a social commentator, author, and professor who has developed a reputation for being candid, vulnerable, and courageous. …
Elizabeth Gilbert, Joyce Carol Oates, and David Sedaris all tapped the wisdom of deceased authors. So should we.
“I wouldn’t be writing the way I write now if I hadn’t read Lewis Carroll. And I wouldn’t be writing the way I write now if I hadn’t read James Joyce…All writers have mentors.” -Joyce Carol Oates
Books are portals into the minds of the most creative and thoughtful people…
You were born to create things. It’s time to claim your birthright.
I used to marvel when I met authors. I thought to myself, “That person had a story so interesting they could fill an entire book.”
I don’t marvel about writers anymore. It’s not that I’ve lost any respect for the craft. On the contrary, I respect authors more now than…
I’ve summarized each one in three sentences. How many of these have you read?
For years, I looked down on people who preferred fiction over nonfiction. As an avid reader of business, personal development, psychology, history, and leadership books, I thought reading too much fiction was a waste of time.
My bookish snobbery led me to judge people who talked about the latest fiction…
