FocusBox - Productivity ADHD Tool/Pomodoro Timers

Tim Urban wasn't a natural-born author. Today, he writes Elon Musk’s favorite blog and is one of the funniest and most beloved writers in the world. Here are 15 things he taught me in the new How I Write episode: 1. Write for the silly reader, not the snooty critic. 2. Reading is like fertilizer for your mind. 3. Instead of pursuing airtight academic perfection, aim to entertain curious people. Take them on a playful intellectual journey. 4. Good design is as much about being distinctive as it is about being pretty. Tim isn't conventionally talented at drawing, but his sketches stand out for being so unique. 5. If you get feedback as you grow as a writer, be careful who it’s coming from. The person giving feedback should A) believe in you, B) be rooting for you, and C) be completely aware that what they’re reading isn’t your max potential but you trying to figure out your voice. 6. Find an emotion that adults "aren't allowed" to write with, and double down on it. For Tim, that's being silly. 7. Your emotional reaction while writing is a proxy for the readers’. If you’re bored, so are they. Skip, cut, or rewrite the parts where your attention drifts. 8. In your research, notice which ideas, facts, and stories are giving you jolts of intellectual excitement. Collect and condense all these “dopamine hits” in your writing. 9. Everybody who writes in public has to get good as distinguishing thoughtful criticism from somebody who wants to help you from angry criticism from somebody who doesn't care about you. 10. Five places where creative ideas always spring out: in stimulating conversations, alone in nature, in the shower, while actually writing (not outlining), and while consuming great content. 11. If you get stuck while writing and have to choose between two options, follow the one that's more fun. 12. The ideas behind the writing are more important than the quality of the writing itself. You’d rather have great ideas and pretty good writing than the other way around. 13. If your voice is distinctive enough, you can basically get away with writing about anything. So if you don't want to commit to a niche, cultivate a unique style. 14. The goal for new writers should be to play and find their unique style. 15. It can take years to find your voice. Tim Urban wrote 300 blog posts before starting Wait But Why, and didn't embrace his famous stick figure drawings until he was a few years in. There’s no substitute for volume when looking for your unique writing style. I've shared the full conversation with @waitbutwhy here. If you'd rather listen on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple, check out the replies below.