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The Writer Files

This series is a celebration of some of the world's most accomplished writers -- writers like Seth Godin, Elizabeth Gilbert, and David Meerman Scott. Find out how (and where) these writers write ... and what inspires them to do so.

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A Powerful Key to Prolific and Potent Writing

"If you never find aspects to improve, you’re probably not that interested in growing." – Stefanie Flaxman

I’ve always found the goal of meeting a word count to be a bit silly.

Some messages can be clearly communicated in 200 words and others need 2,000 words.

But if you use 2,000 words when 200 words would perfectly suffice, your writing will likely feel excessive or even self-indulgent.

That’s why I consider the ability to self-edit one of the most valuable skills a writer can develop.

However, writers have to gain momentum to fuel their careers. They need to publish content regularly in order to make the best choices for their work going forward.

So, how do we marry these two ideas — precise communication and writing practice?
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How Journalist and Bestselling Author of ‘The Revenge of Analog’ David Sax Writes: Part Two

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The business and culture journalist and bestselling author of the recent book The Revenge of Analog, David Sax, dropped by the show to talk about the writing life, the importance of real things in a digital world, and the revenge of paper.

David is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in Bloomberg Businessweek, The New York Times, The New Yorker online, and other publications.

The author’s first book, Save the Deli, was a Los Angeles Times bestseller and won the James Beard Award for Writing and Literature.
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How Journalist and Bestselling Author of ‘The Revenge of Analog’ David Sax Writes: Part One

wf-david-sax-file-one

The business and culture journalist and bestselling author of the recent book The Revenge of Analog, David Sax, dropped by the show to talk about the writing life, the importance of real things in a digital world, and the revenge of paper.

David is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in Bloomberg Businessweek, The New York Times, The New Yorker online, and other publications.

The author’s first book, Save the Deli, was a Los Angeles Times bestseller and won the James Beard Award for Writing and Literature.
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How the Bestselling Author of ‘The Blue Zones’ Dan Buettner Writes

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The multiple New York Times bestselling author of The Blue Zones books and National Geographic Fellow, Dan Buettner, dropped by the show to talk about his world travels, life-saving longevity research, and some fantastic advice for writers.

The author is an internationally recognized explorer who discovered five places in the world — called Blue Zones — where humans live the longest and healthiest, and his 2005 National Geographic cover story “The Secrets of Living Longer” was a finalist for a National Magazine Award.

Based on his Blue Zones work, Dan founded a company of the same name to share “the world’s best practices in longevity and well-being” and has helped to successfully raise life expectancy in American cities including both Minnesota and Los Angeles.
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How #1 Hit Podcast ‘Welcome to Night Vale’ Co-Creator Jeffrey Cranor Writes: Part Two

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The co-creator and co-writer of the #1 international hit podcast Welcome to Night Vale and New York Times bestselling co-author of the novel of same name, Jeffrey Cranor, dropped by the show to talk about the importance of collaboration, deadlines, and bad writing.

In addition to producing and touring with the theater ensemble The New York Neo-Futurists, the playwright and author tours with live shows for the Night Vale Presents production banner, co-created with Joseph Fink.

Night Vale Presents now produces four podcasts that regularly sit at the top of the charts — including Within the Wires, also created by the author — and recently published two volumes of episode transcripts that include extras for fans of their original show.
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How #1 Hit Podcast ‘Welcome to Night Vale’ Co-Creator Jeffrey Cranor Writes: Part One

wf-jeffrey-cranor-file-one

The co-creator and co-writer of the #1 international hit podcast Welcome to Night Vale and New York Times bestselling co-author of the novel of same name, Jeffrey Cranor, dropped by the show to talk about the importance of collaboration, deadlines, and bad writing.

In addition to producing and touring with the theater ensemble The New York Neo-Futurists, the playwright and author tours with live shows for the Night Vale Presents production banner, co-created with Joseph Fink.

Night Vale Presents now produces four podcasts that regularly sit at the top of the charts — including Within the Wires, also created by the author — and recently published two volumes of episode transcripts that include extras for fans of their original show.
Read More…