How to Write Well (in a Distracting World) — Ted Gioia

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You may know Ted as a music historian, and the go-to expert on jazz. Or, you may know him as The Honest Broker on Substack. Either way, he’s the most erudite guest this show has ever seen.

Ted gives a masterclass on the state of our culture at large. What’s up with our obsession with minimalism? Why do we value speed over beauty? Do we even realize that we’re distracting ourselves into oblivion? And, of course, what does this mean for us as writers?

This episode zooms out to look at where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re going. It’s an upheaval of mediocrity, a call-to-arms for the pursuit of excellence. If you’ve been wanting to reclaim the magic, the beauty, and the awe-struck wonder of the written word, this episode is for you.

WRITE OF PASSAGE:
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SPEAKER LINKS:
Website: https://www.tedgioia.com/
Twitter:   / tedgioia  
Newsletter: https://www.honest-broker.com/
YouTube:    / @tedgioia  
Books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Ted-Gio...

TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:30 Minimalism vs Maximalism
00:04:55 The Honest Broker
00:08:45 Dishonest writing and crisis of trust
00:10:40 3 questions to ask
00:13:00 Editing
00:17:25 Conversational writing
00:22:50 Substack
00:25:30 Songwriting
00:36:15 Formulas
00:41:00 Shift in music and culture
00:57:00 Writing tactics and schedule
01:07:00 Domain expertise
01:16:30 Reawakening of creativity
01:22:00 Where do writers get inspiration?
01:26:45 Dreams
01:33:00 Fire round (Beatles, Bob Dylan, Taylor Swift, Eminem)
01:36:30 Problems with writing
01:41:00 Culture
01:44:15 Critics
01:46:00 Dopamine Culture and Distraction

PODCAST LINKS:
Website: https://writeofpassage.com/how-i-write
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2DjMSbo...

ABOUT THE HOST:
I’m David Perell and I’m a writer, teacher, and podcaster. I believe writing online is one of the biggest opportunities in the world today. For the first time in human history, everybody can freely share their ideas with a global audience. I seek to help as many people publish their writing online as possible.

How I Write is a podcast by Write of Passage // Production by Adam Soccolich