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Work Ritual

How to Turn and Stay Pro: Beat the Noonday Devil

I worked with David Grann, author of Killers of the Flower Moon, among other smash-hit nonfiction books. When he was a staff writer, his office was around the corner from me and the other interns at The New Republic. Even for a newbie like me, it was difficult to avoid the conclusion David worked differently from others on staff.
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For Writer’s Block, Take Two Treatments

The root of writer’s block is organizational rather than romantic. Some writers imagine themselves as uniquely tortured souls, like Prometheus chained to a rock while an eagle devoured his liver every day. The reality is, they are poor administrators. They lack a reliable technique to produce good first drafts.  Read more

How a Yellow Pen Can Prevent a Common Writing Mistake

A mere two days after my post on factual errors appeared, in my day job I made an error of a different kind. I used a simple catchall phrase to describe a Washington-based interest group. In fact, the organization had a slightly more elevated function, which made my error akin to describing the Supreme Court as a body of federal judges.  Read more

Writers’ Need for a Work Ritual and How to Get One

The work ritual I developed in college and graduate school was more than an efficient time-management strategy. It was a battle plan. I was at war against the two-headed Hydra monster of distraction and social isolation, the twin foes that confront many students and knowledge workers. My ritual enabled me to fight the beast on even terms. Read more

The Roots of Hemingway’s Style

Ernest Hemingway’s writing style is always being described as “distinctive” and “muscular.” It’s easy to see why. He avoided adverbs and used strong verbs and short, declarative sentences. How he polished and perfected his style is, as you may imagine, a more difficult question.  Read more