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I’ve worked with so many wildly talented young writers over the years that I feel qualified to say that there are two things that separate writers who go on to publish from those who don’t. First, a willingness to revise. Second, the extent to which the writer has learned to make causality.
George Saunders • A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life
what makes us a writer in the moment is the state of our mind. Are we interested, curious, noticing, changing our view, always changing our view, loving the world, compelled by the beauty of language? Nothing can take those things away from us and, the truth is, nothing external can give them to us either.
George Saunders • Art vs. Commerce
The Best Essay
paulgraham.com
Take the time to ascertain your talent. Our talents are not always obvious, even to ourselves, and they’re often not what we initially think or wish them to be. Push yourself into new contexts and listen to what other people tell you about your particular strengths. Feel for what makes you curious and excited.
Scott Galloway • The Algebra of Wealth: A Simple Formula for Success
Talent is insignificant. I know a lot of talented ruins. Beyond talent lie all the usual words: discipline, love, luck, but, most of all, endurance. ...If you are going to be a writer there is nothing I can say to stop you; if you’re not going to be a writer nothing I can say will help you. What you really need at the beginning is somebody to let y... See more