Love Jonson

People without culture will never significantly change the culture and I stand by that.

an exuberant story about how developing-world grit met the magic freedom dirt of America

The ballet isn’t happening on the sidewalk anymore. You can try telling a wholesome story about the interplay of the neighborhood butcher, the baker, and the Chinese herbal medicine shop owner, to the extent that they still exist. Of course, amusing, surprising, eccentric things still occur in New York on a daily basis. But the most desirable and e... See more

What’s the best way to format a pitch?

Optimize the subject line. For example:

Personal Essay Pitch / ‘I Didn’t Want a C-Section, But My Doctor Gave Me One Anyway’

Investigative Reporting Pitch / She Says She Was Raped at Work. Her Boss Says It’s Blackmail. Who’s Telling the Truth?

Tell us who you are and why you’re the right person for this piece.

... See more

Go back to a previous chapter of your novel (or an early passage in your short story, etc) and find a random object. Then assign that object meaning in your current passage so that it becomes a clue or serves a new purpose. Examples: an old valentine, an old tube of mascara, or the jewelry or tarot cards above.

Remember that your idea may evolve.

As I did my reporting, I realized that the story was going to be less about harmful character chatbots and more about how teenagers are using AI for mental health support and eating disorder recovery — and how clinicians are responding. I still included the report that I had initially framed my pitch around, but ... See more