Over the past few months, I’ve read some books about talent, and more specifically the age-old debate about whether it is possible to grow it. Some of the books I read are: Grit, by Angela Duckworth, Talent is Overrated, by Geoff Covlin, The Talent Code, by Daniel Coyle. Deliberate practice According to these books, it’s apparent that talent can be grown by resorting to deliberate practice. However, there’s nothing new about this, and I’ve already covered the topic.Nonetheless, when they describe deliberate practice, they say it’s a particular type of practice — extenuating and far from … [Read more...] about Is Reading Overrated for New Writers? An Unexpected Effect of Research on Deliberate Practice
Writing Goals, Outlines and Lightning-bugs
When we set ourselves a goal we have a strong tendency to consider it an all or nothing situation. Take for example someone who wants to lose some weigh, say twenty pounds. They look at the way they are now, and then imagine themselves at some point in the future, after they have shed the infamous twenty pounds. Now, they reason, they are unhappy, but then, once they have achieved their goal, they’ll be happy like the proverbial clam. Toward our writing goals - Baby steps While this behavior is natural, it can cause some problems. In fact, even if the goal we have chosen is one we … [Read more...] about Writing Goals, Outlines and Lightning-bugs
Story Prompts for Better Inspiration
Given that deliberate practice is the most important way to improve in any activity, I thought a spate of new and quirky prompts could help you just with that -- more practice. Hope you find them helpful. Small details A man notices all the spiders in his garden have just seven legs. He then begins to notice many other strange details. Like the way leaves always fall on the ground face down. Or the way bees fly repeatedly around the flowers before landing on them. Message in a bottle George buys an old LP. When he puts it on the record player, he discovers it's not the album he … [Read more...] about Story Prompts for Better Inspiration
How to Begin a Book — Clarity
In the past, I already wrote a post about how to begin a book. However, today I would like to add some more considerations. In particular, about why writers should be as clear as possible and take pains to make sure their readers can orient themselves from the very start of a book. How to Begin a Book -- Lack of clarity I believe this general principle makes a lot of sense for the following reasons: First of all, if you force your readers to go through something like fifty pages before they can at least in part figure out what is going on, you're turning the pleasure of reading into … [Read more...] about How to Begin a Book — Clarity
The Myth of Studying Smart — Why Details Matter
These days we're constantly told we should be studying smart and don't sweat the details. However, I believe some considerations are in order if we are to put this approach into a proficuous perspective. What studying smart is and what is not To start with, no matter what gurus keep saying, research shows that effective study requires both an important amount of time and notable effort. In fact, to make sure that what you're studying sinks in -- that's to say that it actually rearranges your neural patterns -- you have to persuade your super lazy brain that the thing you're trying to … [Read more...] about The Myth of Studying Smart — Why Details Matter
Three Simple Tips on How to Have Great Ideas
How to have great ideas? First start having a lot of ideas. Everyday discoveries The first is a trick I sometimes use to come up with new ideas when I feel stuck: I begin writing about an average Joe, or Jane. I put him into the first situation I happen to think, no matter how everyday it may seem. Then I simply let him do whatever he wants. During this exercise you don't need to come up with flawless prose. You just need to write well enough to be able to reread your story at a later time and understand what's going on. This trick is so simple it seems hoax. And yet it can work … [Read more...] about Three Simple Tips on How to Have Great Ideas
