Writing tip: The belief that the 1st draft must be good makes working on it an intimidating prospect that often leads to paralysis. So let the 1st draft be junk; it should be purely about getting from start to finish, nothing more. You really write the piece when you rewrite it.

1. Write to Make Sense of Things

You don’t need to start with a point. You just need to start.

This is private writing. Messy, nonlinear, uncool. It’s the kind of writing that happens in the margins of your notebook, in half-sentences, in half-truths you’re still working through.

But this is where your best thinking gets born. This is where vague... See more