“Any activity becomes creative when the doer cares about doing it right or better.” – John Updike, Born Mar. 18, 1932. A lot of writers worry too much about creativity, and not enough about consistency of output. If that’s you, let’s talk about manipulating your mind out of making that mistake, shall we? Creativity is… Read More →
Discipline and Foundations are What You Build On (Because You Can’t Build On Nothing)
“Technique is what you fall back on when you run out of inspiration.” – Rudolf Nureyev, Born Mar. 17, 1938. “I don’t have a good idea.” Shut up. Write anyway. “I don’t have anything to say.” Stop it. Write something anyway. “It didn’t come out the way I wanted.” Fuck you, publish it anyway. We… Read More →
Know the Answers Your Reader Won’t Think to Ask For
“The questions don’t do the damage. Only the answers do.” – Sam Donaldson, Born Mar. 11, 1934. In Sam’s field of journalism, that can be true. A probing question that gets an answer from a prominent figure is often revealing in a way the answerer may not have meant. And often, it can be damaging… Read More →
Contingency Plans Multiply Your Profits (With No Extra Work)
“I’ve found that prayers work best when you have big players.” – Knute Rockne, Born Mar. 4, 1888. Let me teach you how to never lose again. Let me teach you how to always come out ahead. It’s called “contingency” and it’s this lazy man’s road to riches. Every single thing you do successfully CAN… Read More →
What People Want: Wisdom at No Cost; Truth Without Sacrifice…
“A vision of truth which does not call upon us to get out of our armchair – why, this is the desideratum of mankind.” – John Jay Chapman, Born Mar. 2, 1862. I know two things for sure. 1. You just learned a new word. 2. J.J. made a true statement above. Everyone has a… Read More →
You Don’t Need to “Earn” Money. It’s Just Paper and Imagination.
“The darkest hour in any man’s life is when he sits down to plan how to get money without earning it.” – Horace Greeley, Born Feb. 3, 1811. Darkest hour, Horace? Money is an unnatural man-made invention. What about it should make one need to EARN it? As though it must be deserved before being… Read More →
Come Get Corrupted With Me And Let’s Get Rich (While Helping People)
“Life is a corrupting process from the time a child learns to play his mother off against his father in the politics of when to go to bed; he who fears corruption fears life.” – Saul Alinsky, Born Jan. 30, 1909. A lot of advertising writers talk some bullshit like “I use persuasion, not manipulation”… Read More →
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