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Here’s your reading list for the week of November 2nd, 2024.
M: Writing as a Way of Thinking
T: Talking can cure Writer’s Block
T: If you want to stand out, keep your head down
F: How Substack's follow feature betrays its original mission
S: Why Substack Is Evolving into a Social Media Platform
Sunday
Writes and Write-Nots
Written by Paul Graham
Almost all pressure to write has dissipated. You can have AI do it for you, both in school and at work. The result will be a world divided into writes and write-nots. There will still be some people who can write. Some of us like it. But the middle ground between those who are good at writing and those who can't write at all will disappear. Instead of good writers, ok writers, and people who can't write, there will just be good writers and people who can't write.
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Monday
Writing as a Way of Thinking
Written by Dan Shipper
Paul Graham’s argument hinges on a central premise: Writing is thinking. That premise is true as a subset but not as an identity. Writing is thinking, but the converse doesn’t hold: Writing is not the only way to think.
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Tuesday
Talking can cure Writer’s Block
Written by David Perell
If transcribing your voice doesn’t feel like pure writing, remember that Winston Churchill did most of his writing by dictating his thoughts to a secretary who typed his ideas for him. Then, once his ideas were on the page, he revised them. If it wasn’t above Churchill, it isn’t above you.
— Source
Wednesday
Memory Dividends (Die with Zero)
Written by Bill Perkins
Great memories can pay out dividends or “experience points” that end up being worth more than the original event gave you.
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Thursday
If you want to stand out, keep your head down
Written by Michael Thompson
The world is only as loud as you allow it to be.As a career coach and university lecturer, I work with a lot of people who ask how they can get ahead. I used to give them all sorts of fancy advice. Today, however, my advice is much simpler: steal a line from Liam and identify one skill you’d like to improve, carve out a few hours a day, and do it until you’re no longer bad at it.
— Source
Friday
How Substack's follow feature betrays its original mission
Written by Taylor Lorenz
The main question for Substack, is whether they can arrive at a follower/subscriber paradigm that lives up to the values they espouse. While posting to Notes undeniably boosts newsletter discovery, the follow paradigm Substack currently employs still eschews the "unmediated relationships" that the company has claimed to prize.
— Source
Saturday
Why Substack Is Evolving into a Social Media Platform and How to Ride the Wave
Written by String Nguyen
It’s about messy action, not perfection. A common challenge for new creators is they want to publish the perfect post. But you only find your voice when you take 1000s of actions. Messy action is better than not publishing.
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Fin
My objective here on Substack is simple, to highlight the work of other writers and creators, and offer my perspective on all the unique insights and ideas I discover. Distribution is difficult, especially when you're just starting out. I'm always looking to share work that doesn't get enough exposure so feel free to reach out anytime if you want to be included in this newsletter.
Thanks for your time,
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P.S. Remember, time is your most valuable asset