Steven Pressfield's Blog, page 95
February 19, 2014
My First Three Novels
The first one took about two years full-time. I started when I was twenty-four and gave up when I was twenty-six. The price of that one was my bank account, my sanity, my marriage.
The next one, six years later, took about eighteen months full-time. That one I actually finished. Couldn’t find a publisher for it
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The next one, six years later, took about eighteen months full-time. That one I actually finished. Couldn’t find a publisher for it
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February 15, 2014
Manipulation Versus Inspiration
George Packer delivered his version of the ever-popular “Amazon is destroying book publishing” theme in a recent long form piece in The New Yorker.
A consummate journalist and skilled writer, Packer’s points are compelling and consistent with Brad Stone’s reporting in his book The Everything Store, a book I wrote about a couple of weeks ago.
Here
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A consummate journalist and skilled writer, Packer’s points are compelling and consistent with Brad Stone’s reporting in his book The Everything Store, a book I wrote about a couple of weeks ago.
Here
More >>
February 12, 2014
How Resistance Proves the Existence of God
Consider James Rhodes, whose April 26, 2013 article in the Guardian UK I stole for last week’s post:
I didn’t play the piano for 10 years. A decade of slow death by greed working in the City, chasing something that never existed in the first place (security, self-worth, Don Draper albeit a few inches shorter and a
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I didn’t play the piano for 10 years. A decade of slow death by greed working in the City, chasing something that never existed in the first place (security, self-worth, Don Draper albeit a few inches shorter and a
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February 10, 2014
Taking Breaks
Today, Lynn Barrett asks us …
How do you know when you need a break?
TRANSCRIPT:
Steve: Are you asking me or yourself?
Shawn: I’m asking you, and then I want to follow up because I have an idea, too.
Steve: Okay. I come from this school of “I never need a break”. In fact, I think that when I hear that .
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How do you know when you need a break?
TRANSCRIPT:
Steve: Are you asking me or yourself?
Shawn: I’m asking you, and then I want to follow up because I have an idea, too.
Steve: Okay. I come from this school of “I never need a break”. In fact, I think that when I hear that .
More >>
February 7, 2014
The Magic of Snow (and Emerging Stories)
Ezra Jack Keats clipped a strip of four images from Life magazine in 1940. One child. Four endearing expressions and poses.
As the next two decades passed, the little boy in the images remained the same age, with the pursed lips and ballooned cheeks so often worn by children no more than three years old. Bundled
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As the next two decades passed, the little boy in the images remained the same age, with the pursed lips and ballooned cheeks so often worn by children no more than three years old. Bundled
More >>
February 5, 2014
“Find What You Love and Let It Kill You”
Thanks to Susanna Plotnick for sending me this post from April 2013 by James Rhodes, concert pianist. I’m ripping it off lock, stock, and barrel from the Guardian (UK) website and posting it here for our collective delectation.
My life as a concert pianist can be frustrating, lonely, demoralising and exhausting. But is it worth it?
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My life as a concert pianist can be frustrating, lonely, demoralising and exhausting. But is it worth it?
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February 3, 2014
Foolscap Your Life
This week’s question comes from Stelios Perdios. He ask …
I’m half-tempted to apply the Foolscap method to 2014 to help plan my goals. It sounds silly, but there’s already a built-in protagonist (me) and a villain (Resistance). Also, I’d rather chose my own theme for the upcoming year rather than ponder it in retrospect. Furthermore,
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I’m half-tempted to apply the Foolscap method to 2014 to help plan my goals. It sounds silly, but there’s already a built-in protagonist (me) and a villain (Resistance). Also, I’d rather chose my own theme for the upcoming year rather than ponder it in retrospect. Furthermore,
More >>
January 31, 2014
What Do You Want?
When thinking about the kind of story you’d like to tell, what do I want? is a great question to ask yourself.
Obviously you want to write a successful work of art, which will bring you recognition and ultimately enough of a living wage for you to write another one.
But why do you want that?
You may
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Obviously you want to write a successful work of art, which will bring you recognition and ultimately enough of a living wage for you to write another one.
But why do you want that?
You may
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January 29, 2014
Nobody Knows Nothing
If you follow this blog, you know that I’m not a big believer in feedback. By that I mean “notes,” “critiques,” “comments” about one’s work from writing groups or editors or friends or just about any other source.
It’s been my experience that very, very few people can read something and tell you accurately what’s wrong
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It’s been my experience that very, very few people can read something and tell you accurately what’s wrong
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January 28, 2014
How Long to Allow to Write a Book
This week on Ask Me Anything we take a question from Joel Canfield.
How do you decide how long to allow for writing a book? Do you set a time goal like one year, or do you let it take as long as it takes and trust the daily writing ritual to keep you on track?
Recommended
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How do you decide how long to allow for writing a book? Do you set a time goal like one year, or do you let it take as long as it takes and trust the daily writing ritual to keep you on track?
Recommended
More >>
