on writing
Allegories as narrative philosophy (Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Plato’s works): economic, memorable, self-evident.
Types of first drafts: printer method, bulleted outline, multiple options, tangent w/ explainer.
Charles Dickens
“Make them laugh, make them cry, make them wait.”
Had a good talk with some WOP alum about names and pseudonyms. Some names have cultural roots, and we wondered if you wanted to be aligned or mysteriously separated from that. When it comes down to “nominal determinism,” by Greek last name translates to “lazy cripple” so I’m not too sad to drop it. I like the angle of, your self-assigned name is th
... See moreSubstack comment on the synergy in fast & slow writing:
... See moreI definitely lean towards the side of editing, restructuring, and rewriting, but I recently started a typewriter practice where I soft-publish a few one-take, one-page essays per week. I've been surprised by the legibility of those drafts. Getting tempted to move into a faster pace, while
“phenomenological citation” — A scientific word for a personal story. Observational and academic writers give evidence, sources, and citations to back up their thesis. But essays are unique in that the writer is a character that matters. An essay writer needs to put themselves on the page to show that their wisdom is earned. You need stories, confe
... See moreFiction is about letting go of control and letting a universe or character unwind through the aeolian forces of your imagination.
The release valve & the masterpiece.
Get literally every thought of your head, but also, articulate one important thing as best you can no matter how tremendously hard or time-consuming it is. It’s not either/or. It’s not quantity vs. quality; they affect each other. The more hyper-active your release valve, the stronger and faster you build au
... See moreThe journey doesn’t really begin until you get to the swamp.