How to Write Better

Kapil Gupta, a writer and commentator known for insisting on artistic purity, explains why he writes from necessity and rejects prescriptive rules. He discusses minimal editing, following instinct over technique, writing short and true to himself, and avoiding fame and market pressures. The conversation highlights solitary devotion and truth as the engine of creative work.

Matt Sumell, short fiction writer and UC Irvine MFA whose work has appeared in The Paris Review and Esquire, talks about the emotional cost of writing. He explores using personal life as material. He contrasts composing and editing, explains why he prefers short stories to novels, and shares skepticism about AI and a preference for analog craft.

Ramona Ausubel, bestselling novelist known for The Last Animal, shares playful craft tips. She explains why starting anywhere eases anxiety. She describes the 20-minute rule to push past quitting. She talks about primordial slush, the half-draft method, the sandwich rule, the one-word story, and ways back into the stalled middle.

Leo Babauta, founder of Zen Habits and author on minimalism and mindful living, shares his journey from blogging to podcasting and coaching. He talks about dropping perfectionism, writing urgently, and creating in public. They discuss ongoing doubts, the messy reality of practice, focused habits like Pomodoros, and cautious views on AI for writers.

Jessica Ciencin Henriquez, poet and essayist (MFA, author of Burn After Reading), talks about editing down to the essential, the push-pull of social media as fuel and distraction, and using Substack as a playful lab for writing. She reflects on vulnerability versus oversharing, wrestling with ego, and how AI fits into a human voice–driven practice.

Cal Newport, a computer science professor and bestselling author known for books on productivity and focus, shares his approach to tight drafting and iterative self-editing. He talks about killing darlings to preserve narrative momentum. He explains when article ideas become books and how AI can help research but should not write for you.

Colin Wright, author and blogger behind Exile Lifestyle with 30+ books, shares his layered drafting approach likening revisions to oil painting. He discusses avoiding rigid rules, trading cleverness for clarity, resisting output-as-superpower thinking, and thoughtful uses and risks of AI for writing.

Vanessa Van Edwards, behavioral researcher and bestselling author of Captivate and Cues, shares how self-doubt fuels writer's block. She talks rituals like ending mid-sentence, treating research separately from writing, and testing ideas on social media. She explains using AI as a brainstorming partner, choosing formats by audience response, and two simple rules: write to one reader and read your work aloud.

A candid conversation about five ways A.I. can dull your voice and make writing feel generic. They explore how A.I. can rob authenticity, skip essential learning, and produce soulless perfection. Practical uses are also covered, like proofreading, research, outlining, and drafting technical documents. A balanced take on when A.I. helps and when it harms creative growth.

A bestselling author breaks down three common ways blogs fail and why expectations matter. Practical habits like writing daily and publishing weekly get attention. Advice on keeping your first post simple and using an about page for introductions. A warning about letting money trump mission rounds out the conversation.