Steven Pressfield's Blog, page 141

Is Writing Fun?

Let's kick off this new site on an unequivocal note: Yes, writing is fun!
You might think I'd be the last person to make such a statement, given the hardcore, iron-discipline ethic of The War of Art and my endlessly-reiterated doctrine of the struggle between Will and Resistance. But yeah, for me, writing is fun. I
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The Reality

Reality in Afghanistan (or in any other country for that matter) isn't a template of do's and don'ts. Reality is something that military units and the local inhabitants in specific areas create for themselves.
I recently read a number of manuscripts by the constructivist scholar Alexander Wendt.
The takeaway from Wendt's work?
The only reality that exists is
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Jonathan Fields

Jonathan Fields is a "doer." He doesn't just "talk the walk." He lives it. Jonathan is a lifestyle-entrepreneur, a blogger at JonathanFields.com and TribalAuthor.com, a marketing consultant, a speaker and the author of Career Renegade: How to Make a Great Living Doing What You Love.
SP: This series is about the creative process: how an artist
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Writing Wednesdays #36: Labors of Love

If you've been following these "Writing Wednesdays" posts, you've probably wondered what this "It's the Tribes, Stupid" stuff in the background is all about. The twain don't seem to meet, do they? I've felt that for quite a while too, so . . .

Launching a new site

Next week I'm launching a new site, which will be a better fit for all of my writing, titled "Steven Pressfield Online." "Writing Wednesdays" will have its new home there. We won't stop. In fact, we'll add a couple of new features...

"Writing Wednesdays" #4: On Research, Or What I Learned From A Single Sheet Of Fool's Cap

[I'm excited to share some of the new posts that will go up in the coming weeks. But for now, a repeat of one of the lessons I learned from Norman Stahl.:]

I've been lucky in my career in having a few really terrific mentors–just guys who've taught me stuff about writing and work. The best is Norman Stahl, the cosmically brilliant documentarian, novelist and military historian. Do you know people who've got a lot of bullshit? Norm has the least of anybody I've ever known. In fact I would say...

Writing Wednesdays #35: The Amnesiac's Story

Two of the most popular movies of the past few years are The Hangover and The Bourne Identity. What do they have in common? They're both amnesia stories.

Matt Damon and Franka Potente in "The Bourne Identity." It can be fun, finding out who you are.

I love amnesia stories. What could be more fun? Guy wakes up face-down on the floor of a villa in Vegas, or floating in a wetsuit off the coast of Marseilles. He remembers nothing. Who is he? How did he get there? And where the hell did that tiger ...

Writing Wednesdays #34: My Kind of Barbarian

Where do ideas come from? (I don't mean the shower–or while we're driving on the Taconic Parkway.) What is the source of creativity? Where did the iPad come from, or the Eiffel Tower, or Nude Descending A Staircase?

Here's Robert E. Howard, who created the Conan the Barbarian series:

How did this guy pop into Robert E. Howard's head?

While I don't go as far as to believe that stories are inspired by actually existent spirits or powers (though I am rather opposed to flatly denying anything), I...

Writing Wednesdays #33: Having A Practice, Part Two

Over the past couple of weeks we've talked about Shame and Habit as allies in the struggle against Resistance. Shame motivates us to face our fears, and habit helps keep us in the groove once we've gotten started. Momentum is another powerful ally, along with ritual, love, enthusiasm, aspiration, patience, selflessness and greed (the good kind.) Put 'em all together and we can really get some mojo going. We can be working hard, having fun, contributing to the planet and actually getting...

Writing Wednesdays #32: Habit

Konrad Lorenz, the Nobel Prize-winning zoologist, had a pet goose that he allowed the run of the house. The first day when the goose waddled in the door, there happened to be a mirror near floor height; the goose mistook his own reflection for some rival bird and flew into attack mode.

Nobel laureate Konrad Lorenz and friend

He pecked the hell out of the mirror before moving on to the kitchen and the rest of his day. Next morning: same thing. After a few days, Mrs. Lorenz removed the mirror so ...

WRITING WEDNESDAYS #23: SPECKING IT

[The blog is on the road this week.  Herewith: a re-run of one of the best-received posts, "Specking It."  Back next week!]

I moved from New York to Hollywood in the mid-eighties. This was the era of the "spec script"–a concept that has been of great use to me on many fronts beyond screenwriting. It might help you too.

An endangered species

Today the spec script is beyond endangered; it's just about extinct. Tinseltown's bread and butter for most the past decade has been the pre-branded...