writing
Daily Lunch Notes
I’m still doing these [https://www.cjchilvers.com/my-most-important-daily-writing-assignment/]. Daily creativity can be practiced in many forms. These days, I’m easier on myself — some are totally of the top of my head and others I’ve edited from overused puns. Hey, I’m a dad, a mental condition
Who decides?
Young me: I’m only going to write about things that matter. Older me: You don’t get to decide what matters. The reader does. Young me: Then, how should I write? Older me: A lot.
Write for a life.
My useful pinned reminder in Notes:
Create a Morning Pages Habit
This one is kind of related to journaling [https://www.cjchilvers.com/journal-for-whats-now/] , in that it clears your head of recurring thoughts (open loops) that often lead to increased anxiety. Every morning, set aside some time to start your day by writing in a stream-of-conscience way. No editing. No censoring.
Your Habits Create Who You Are
Sean McCabe posted the following on Twitter [https://twitter.com/cjchilvers/status/1165090933001658368] last night: > To those over 40: What advice would you give a 30-year-old today? I responded [https://twitter.com/cjchilvers/status/1165090933001658368]: > Your daily habits will create who you are at 40, 50, etc. What
Revisiting Ulysses
Lots of writers I know and trust recommend Ulysses [https://ulysses.app], but I was pretty tough on it in my giant post [https://www.cjchilvers.com/which-note-taking-app-should-i-use/] about note taking/writing apps. Since that post, Ulysses released a big update [https://www.macstories.net/reviews/ulysses-15-review-split-view-on-the-mac-remote-images-improved-ipad-multitasking-and-more/] addressing one of
Be a Librarian to Your Readers: An Interview with Austin Kleon
Austin Kleon is the New York Times Bestselling author of Steal Like an Artist [https://amzn.to/2U953Cn], a guide to help you “embrace influence, school yourself through the work of others, remix and reimagine to discover your own path.” His follow-up book Show Your Work [https://amzn.to/2UUfDKO]
Marie Curie's Notebook
A look inside a notebook, on experiments from 1899-1902, still radioactive today (and will be 1500 years from today). This reminds me that paper notebooks are still the best format for archiving notes, and handwriting adds humanity to everything — including data collection. (via The Nobel Prize [https://twitter.com/nobelprize/
Consistency
This is one of the sentences I say regularly that drives people crazy: > “Consistency is great, but we don’t want to be consistently wrong.” Consistency really is great when it reinforces good habits in your readers (weekly newsletters, daily posts, etc.). It’s terrible when it’s used