Sobering and well put. It removes the mythical from a dream. I love that something so mysterious such as our stories and how they come to be, in order to make them legible in whatever medium, can still be concrete things and really, must be. This is to those of us who for too long in the beginning, idolized a writer’s life through rose-colored glasses. Thank you, Jeff.
I just shared some of these principles with a 75-year old mentor of mine who is pushing to finish a Master’s degree. There are a lot of ideas here which are transferable to his academic struggle and our life battles. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Jeff! As I lean into a second book this is such valuable advice. Am learning not to like this one as quickly and to breathe into the process vs outcome. It’s good to be here. Cheers.
What Jeff so wisely says about writing, is also true of life ... a day-to-day dance of structure and magic. "this plus that eventually equals… something."
"What is the big idea? How will it come together?" ... asked of our lives, of our Substacks, or of anything that matters. What is the "why," the big idea of what we do and what is the structure that holds it together?
Thank you, Jeff ... there is so much food for thought here.
I love the line about your book not being your baby! I used to be a pro musician/songwriter, (which is an UNBEATABLE tool for writing! In a song, you need to make a point in less than 30 seconds AND it has to rhyme!). I worked with a producer who used to work with the Pat Travers Band. He would tell me: “Don’t tell me how much you love your song or how great it is because I’m pretty likely gonna want to start ripping the arms and legs off your precious “baby” song…”
What I love about your insights into writing is that I am occasionally surprised and enlightened but most often, you CONFIRM what my gut tells me… I remember reading a quote from Bob Dylan who said there were ideas for song lyrics he had let “bake” in his head for years before he was ready to write them down
What I love about your insights into writing is that I am occasionally surprised and enlightened but most often, you CONFIRM what my gut tells me… I remember reading a quote from Bob Dylan who said there were ideas for song lyrics he had let “bake” in his head for years before he was ready to write them down
Someone Has to Hold the Structure
Sobering and well put. It removes the mythical from a dream. I love that something so mysterious such as our stories and how they come to be, in order to make them legible in whatever medium, can still be concrete things and really, must be. This is to those of us who for too long in the beginning, idolized a writer’s life through rose-colored glasses. Thank you, Jeff.
This is a beautiful reminder, thank you!
I just shared some of these principles with a 75-year old mentor of mine who is pushing to finish a Master’s degree. There are a lot of ideas here which are transferable to his academic struggle and our life battles. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Jeff! As I lean into a second book this is such valuable advice. Am learning not to like this one as quickly and to breathe into the process vs outcome. It’s good to be here. Cheers.
This is beautiful. I can't think of anyone who writes here who shouldn't read it. Thank you for sharing, Jeff.
So needed this today 🙏🏼 right now I feel lost in my writing process and do best when mentored by someone that can help with structure. Anyone else?
What Jeff so wisely says about writing, is also true of life ... a day-to-day dance of structure and magic. "this plus that eventually equals… something."
"What is the big idea? How will it come together?" ... asked of our lives, of our Substacks, or of anything that matters. What is the "why," the big idea of what we do and what is the structure that holds it together?
Thank you, Jeff ... there is so much food for thought here.
Fabulous essay--and a great reminder to not get too "precious" about your own work.
“Structure” and “check your ego at the door.” Great reminder!
So true! I love this:
"Ideas are like children. They want to run around. They want to stay up late and sleep in and eat candy before dinner. They want to be free."
I love the line about your book not being your baby! I used to be a pro musician/songwriter, (which is an UNBEATABLE tool for writing! In a song, you need to make a point in less than 30 seconds AND it has to rhyme!). I worked with a producer who used to work with the Pat Travers Band. He would tell me: “Don’t tell me how much you love your song or how great it is because I’m pretty likely gonna want to start ripping the arms and legs off your precious “baby” song…”
How right he was!
What I love about your insights into writing is that I am occasionally surprised and enlightened but most often, you CONFIRM what my gut tells me… I remember reading a quote from Bob Dylan who said there were ideas for song lyrics he had let “bake” in his head for years before he was ready to write them down
What I love about your insights into writing is that I am occasionally surprised and enlightened but most often, you CONFIRM what my gut tells me… I remember reading a quote from Bob Dylan who said there were ideas for song lyrics he had let “bake” in his head for years before he was ready to write them down
Loved this!