Kevin Kelly: 5 Insights for Better Writing
“Talent is distributed unfairly, but there is no limit on how much we can improve.”
Kevin Kelly is a prominent author and thinker renowned for his insights into technology and its impact on society.
Kelly’s insightful writings have graced the pages of prestigious publications such as Wired magazine, where he served as the founding executive editor.
His articles and essays have consistently pushed the boundaries of conventional thinking, fostering dialogue about the profound impact of technology on our lives.
What can you learn from Kelly? Probably more than you’ll ever need to know, but here are a few things that stood out to me…
1.
Avoid the simultaneous act of writing and editing. “Separate the processes of creation. You can’t write and edit, or sculpt and polish, or make and analyze at the same time. If you do, the editor stops the creator. While you invent, don’t select. While you sketch, don’t inspect. While you write the first draft, don’t reflect. At the start, the creator mind must be unleashed from judgment.”
2.
Establish a deadline. “A deadline weeds out the extraneous and the ordinary. It prevents you from trying to make it perfect, so you have to make it different. Different is better.”
3.
Write something personal. “Don’t be the best. Be the only.”
Many of these quotes and ideas come from Kevin Kelly’s remarkable book, Excellent Advice for Living. Buy your copy right here.
4.
Learn how to recover from your mistakes. “Pros are just amateurs who know how to gracefully recover from their mistakes.”
5.
Art is made through revision. “Art is what you leave out. To make something good, just do it. To make something great, just re-do it, re-do it, re-do it. The secret to making fine things is in remaking them.”
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Want more? All of these quotes help make up my first book about the craft of writing, Ink by the Barrel — Secrets From Prolific Writers. Get your copy for free, right here.
