Jake
@jake
writer, creative programmer, running Printernet and trying to make the internet more interesting.
Jake
jakeweber.net
"Mostly when I think of pacing, I go back to Elmore Leonard, who explained it so perfectly by saying he just left out the boring parts." - Stephen King
One of the first things I ask people is “what have you tried?” Would you be surprised to learn that most have tried nothing?
- Paraphrased from a Tweet I saw
"Oh, and when I asked my listeners how many of them had ever thought about being a writer? What proportion raised their hands? At least two-thirds. Making me suspect, for the first time ever, that the urge to write is almost universal. As it would be, wouldn’t it, don’t you think? How else can you begin to come to terms with the fact of your... See more
When a friend of mine used to grumble because he had to write a
paper for school, his mother would tell him: find a way to make it
interesting. That's what you need to do: find a question that makes
the world interesting. People who do great things look at the same
world everyone else does, but notice some odd detail that's
compellingly mysterious.
paper for school, his mother would tell him: find a way to make it
interesting. That's what you need to do: find a question that makes
the world interesting. People who do great things look at the same
world everyone else does, but notice some odd detail that's
compellingly mysterious.
paulgraham.com • What You'll Wish You'd Known
"my books tend to be based on situation rather than story. Some of the ideas which have produced those books are more complex than others, but the majority start out with the stark simplicity of a department store window display or a waxwork tableau." - Stephen King
College isn't really about job training; college is about expanding your intellectual skills and building up your knowledge base to use them on; "furnishing your mind so you have a place to live in twenty years."
Linguistics FAQ
The mathematical genius Alexander Grothendieck once had a metaphor for solving problems. He suggested that instead of forcing open an impossibly hard kernel with a hammer and chisel, one should simply let it sit in water and wait. Over time, the shell softens and opens with ease. This is also true in writing; time is the only non-substitutable... See more
Epiphanies Come From Waiting
The most important active step you can take to cultivate your curiosity is probably to seek out the topics that engage it. Few adults are equally curious about everything, and it doesn't seem as if you can choose which topics interest you. So it's up to you to
find
them. Or invent them, if necessary.
find
them. Or invent them, if necessary.