Derek Thompson weaves together ideas from all over the place — economics, public policy, sports, and even pop culture. His writing is a breath of fresh air in a world of cookie cutter Internet content. Where other click-hungry journalists have caved to antagonistic practices, Derek’s writing is cool and charitable. And it’s also poetic. With a background in theater, he draws inspiration from the likes of literature and playwrights. This conversation will appeal to anybody who wants to write more elegantly, deal with critics, and master the art of the non-fiction story.

TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00 Intro
00:00:50 What is Derek’s process for writing
00:03:30 Derek’s cocoon of darkness
00:04:24 How does Derek set up his daily routine
00:05:20 The literal way that Derek writes
00:06:05 Does Derek dream about writing
00:06:25 The Eminem of Macroeconomic Analysis
00:06:55 Having a schedule like John Updike
00:08:15 Why Derek’s self-talk is loud
00:09:25 How theater has influenced Derek’s writing
00:11:15 Every good scene is a fight
00:12:25 How Derek thinks about conflict and tension
00:14:50 Derek’s recently contentious article on masking
00:16:30 What Derek thinks about critic
00:18:25 Moments of despair
00:21:25 Moments of Aha!
00:22:25 Subconscious dreams
00:23:25 Derek’s 9am mindset
00:26:10 Derek’s formula for interesting-ness
00:29:55 Writing and trust
00:31:15 Rants
00:32:25 Writing process as a Darwinian process
00:35:55 The Darkside of Moneyball
00:39:55 The Internet allows you to be weird at scale
00:41:25 The impressionist canon
00:45:15 Derek’s obsession with naming things
00:46:55 Hit Makers
00:49:30 How Derek’s distribution is now different
00:50:25 Balancing simplicity and complexity
00:51:25 Writing musically
00:52:35 "Repetition is the god particle of music"
00:57:25 What we see when we read
01:03:25 Why Derek writes

SPEAKER LINKS:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dkthomp
Website: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/derek-thompson/
Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/plain-english-with-derek-thompson/id1594471023
Books: Hit Makers: How to Succeed in an Age of Distraction - https://a.co/d/3yAif4H

WRITE OF PASSAGE:
Want to learn more about the next class Write of Passage?
Click here: https://take.writeofpassage.school/writing-sprints

PODCAST LINKS:
Website: https://writeofpassage.school/how-i-write/
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-write/id1700171470
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2DjMSboniFAeGA8v9NpoPv

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