Yeah. We'll need lots of that where we're going...I mean, typing.
Heyo, Nik here! Welcome to this week's 4 Minute Read. If you're an aspiring writer, you'll love this one — and if not, I think you'll still love it ;) What do we have?
Hooked by Nir Eyal (an easy 4-step model for understanding and dealing with addictive technology)
What Makes Great Writing (a free, incredibly insightful newsletter by my dear friend Todd Brison for any creative)
Ready to pick up the pen, running shoes, or whatever tool you need to start carving your dream into existence? Let's go!
Hot Off The Press
On Writing by Stephen King
Stephen King is the epitome of making it as a writer. His over 60 books have sold more than 400 million (!) copies, making him one of the best-selling writers of all time. Half memoir, half treasure trove full of writing advice, On Writing is, like King's novels, a devilishly clever book. It draws you in with King's personal story, then whacks you over the head with a great education. Should we have expected anything less from a man who's been writing for 50 years? Probably not. Still, it's a unique and all-too-rare way of combining story and instruction, and I can highly recommend it.
A stressed man gets lost en route to his vacation and ends up in a diner that seems familiar yet peculiar — but the friendly and oddly well-informed stuff will make sure his stay becomes an experience he'll reflect on for the rest of his life...
People often overthink this book. Don't. Just enjoy it. It's a wonderful and inspiring story. Nothing more, nothing less.
If you want to be happier, find fulfillment, and go after your dreams, watch this encouraging video.
The Shoutout
Since we're on the subject of writing this week, I thought it'd be an opportune time to shout out my friend Todd Brison's great (and totally free) newsletter, What Makes Great Writing.
Todd is a long-time fellow writing friend, and a true lover of the craft, like I am. Sometimes, we geek out on Zoom over comma placements for an hour. #JustWriterThings
Because Todd is not afraid of getting into the writing weeds, he is great at whittling down moving writing to its essence. Here's an excerpt I edited from one of my favorite editions. It's about the book 1984 by George Orwell, but the byline gets to the heart of it: Why bother?
- Paul Graham, programmer turned venture capitalist, takes the time to write essays. Why would he bother?
- Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum founder, released a 36-page paper explaining the technology and his reason for building it. Why would he bother?
- Schools require students to write papers. Why would they bother?
Writing is you versus you. A conversation with self.
Writing is revolutionary not because of what it IS, but because of what it DOES.
Writing DOES offer you the ability to organize your thoughts, without interference, without time limits, and without the pressure of publicizing your work.
The point of writing is to advance your own beliefs.
The point of writing is to separate yourself from the popular narrative.
The point of writing is to think, freely.
That's what happened with Winston in 1984.
It's worth the risk, though, especially when you find yourself looking around and saying "I'm not quite sure the world is right."
Or, for the optimists:
"I think we can be better than this."
Writing is your best chance at free thought.
Whether you're a writer, creative, or simply someone who loves movies, books, and good stories, I highly recommend you give Todd's weekly emails a try.
This book was an early foray into the devious designs driving many modern apps, social networks, and platforms. How do companies get us so hooked on technology we, for the most part, don't really need? And how can we not just break those patterns but turn them around and make them work in our favor? Nir will teach you all of that and then some in a simple 4-step model you can understand quickly and will likely remember for a long time.
Ahh, the joys of being a self-anointed expert after finishing your latest non-fiction grab... 😌
That's all for now. Have a great weekend!
Happy reading, -Nik
PS: Did you know that, beyond their 5,000+ book summaries, Blinkist* also offers collections, full-length audiobooks, free spaces to discuss books with friends, and even guides relying on the best lessons from various titles to help you achieve a specific outcome? Try it all risk-free for 7 days* »
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