No, seriously. This is how to do it. For real. — When I got my first book contract, a million years ago, I kept myself busy for several years researching and reporting, and then sat down to write the book and of course, came to a screeching halt. Compared to writing, reporting had seemed easy: I knew what I need to…

And why you need to ignore it to do your best work — The other day, I posted on Twitter, “Is there a writer alive who doesn’t suffer from imposter syndrome?” and received a thunder of replies. I didn’t even need to explain what I meant by “imposter syndrome”. It’s firmly planted in the vernacular, and everyone seems to instantly understand (and be…

It’s half instinct, half necessity, and half strategy — This story is behind Medium’s membership paywall, which means the writer earns through our Partner Program. To become a Medium member, click here. I think of myself as having two jobs. One is (to steal a term from the corporate toolbox) very outward-facing: It’s an exploratory, fact-finding enterprise. It’s where…

She taught us to tell the stories that made us uncomfortable — Once in a while, you read something that is so indelible in its tone and temperament that it immediately changes what you imagine writing is all about. That is how it was for me with Joan Didion. It’s not that I recognized myself in her writing, which is why you…

Don’t overdo it and don’t underdo it — I love compliments of any sort, but I’m always a little thrown off when people compliment me on the quotes in my stories. …

God is definitely in the details — This story is behind Medium’s membership paywall, which means the writer earns through our Partner Program. To become a Medium member, click here. It’s stating the obvious to say that details are everything, but I’ll go ahead and state it: Details really are everything. People read to get the big…

My new book, On Animals, lets me take stock of decades of work — This story is behind Medium’s membership paywall, which means the writer earns through our Partner Program. To become a Medium member, click here. In just a few days, my new book, On Animals, will be published. I’m incredibly excited. I’ve published quite a few books, but there is nothing in…

Individualism is just fine if you live on an island in the middle of nowhere — The other day, I came to a stop at an intersection a few miles from my house. The intersection is a whopper, with four wide, divided streets crossing, creating a huge starburst of concrete. As far as I know, there has never been a stoplight at this intersection. It’s controlled…

These will be my office companions until they fall apart (or I do) — This story is behind Medium’s membership paywall, which means the writer earns through our Partner Program. To become a Medium member, click here. I used to be friends with a writer who could only work if she was wearing her father’s plaid wool hunting shirt. I don’t know she could…