What I’m Reading: On Writing Well by William Zinsser

I approached this book with a lot of fear. I, an untrained hobby writer, have so much to learn about the craft that any entry point seemed intimidating. Especially in approaching a book focused exclusively on writing nonfiction. That had to be a slog. But I was utterly wrong on every account. This book is a godsend for my craft, and I can’t get enough of it. Zinsser has the incredible ability to both teach and live his lessons all at the same time. The book feels as if we are in the classroom with him. Even in the throes of discussing proper usage and punctuation, Zinsser’s wit comes up to strike you as if out of nowhere. I’ve already filled the book with notes, and I will be returning to it time and time again.

What I’m Listening To: Against the Rules with Michael Lewis

I’ve finally found a podcast to fill the hole that Revisionist History left behind. Perhaps unsurprisingly, that podcast also comes from Pushkin Industries. Michael Lewis, the author of books, like Moneyball and The Big Short, uses his new podcasting platform to take a closer look at the decline and state of the “referees” in American life, from government organizations, sports, legislation, mediation and more. I’ll be sad to finish this one in the coming days. I’m counting down until future seasons from Pushkin.

What I’ve Accomplished: The Resolution Series

One of the big goals I set for myself this month was to put out an article every week. It took shape as a series of posts or articles I wrote about my approach to habit development and concept. It’s a topic I have a lot of thoughts on and with new years resolutions looming, I thought it a good a place as any to start. While I’m not entirely happy with how everything turned out, the project did what I intended. It forced me to write. More importantly, it allowed me to experiment with longer-form writing and find a sense of style and structure in each of those posts. I was sure I wouldn’t be able to get anything written each week, but eventually, it would come to fruition. They aren’t perfect, or even well-done, but I got something down, and that’s what matters. At least for now. I’m excited to see what other pieces I will write in the coming weeks.