The popular subreddit Oddly Satisfying features videos that tickle my brain just so, from feats of fine penmanship to spectacles of spotlessness. My favorite genre of these posts usually goes by "unclogging a drainage pipe." For example. (There are many more.) What could satisfy more oddly than a

A young Albert Brooks wanted to be the "all-night guy" at an FM radio station in Long Beach, California. Early sixties; he's in high school. He goes in to interview with one of the disc jockeys at the station. "These disc jockeys," Brooks explained

Every significant project represents the combined efforts of a team. Forget your romantic notions of the Solitary Author in their Garret. Technically, anyone can write a book with a pen and some paper, but every great book is a joint effort, even if one name nearly always graces the spine.

To clarify a point from last week, the scavenger hunt story: It isn't just that the perceived size and significance of the competition is usually an illusion and should never discourage you from trying. That's part of it, but I was also trying to say that

Post-dinner at a Catskills resort in the late 1980s, adults danced the night away in the Cousin Brucie Room or watched David Brenner tell jokes in the nightclub. The kids chose from two pastimes: dropping quarters on Tron or Star Wars in the arcade or enjoying group activities facilitated by

Recently, I started reading The Inner Game of Tennis, the 1972 classic on peak performance, on the recommendation of screenwriter Michael Piller. I've heard people recommend The Inner Game for skills other than tennis, but writing? Yet in his own book, Fade In, Piller cites The Inner Game

Agents, editors, and publishers clearly specify what they're looking for. Then, most aspiring authors ignore those specifications and do exactly as they please. You can post whatever you want on your website or social media profile: "Seeking young adult fantasy and memoir." Leave absolutely no room

Nobody, I don’t care if you’re Warren Buffett or Jimmy Buffet, nobody knows if a stock is going to go up, down, sideways, or in [circles].—Wolf of Wall Street As a book editor/cultural gatekeeper, I acquired many books, and the truth is I never knew which

My daughter's friend broke my favorite pocket pen. We were in a diner. The two of them wanted to draw together on the table settings. They needed an extra pen. Yes, I shouldn't have done it. Even in the moment, I knew I shouldn't

Many "writing problems" are really just prep problems. Do the prep, solve the problem. Professional chefs understand the importance of prep, of thinking ahead. They get their tools clean and sharp. They organize their workstations. They bring the steak to temp, chop the necessary vegetables, and thaw anything