The Informed Life

Steve Portigal on Writing, part 2

Dec 17, 2023

Steve Portigal, author and user research consultant, joins the host to talk about the process of writing non-fiction. They discuss challenges of writing different book projects, structuring a book using Tinderbox, the evolution of the writing process, and online presence/book promotion.

37:07

Episode guests

Steve Portigal

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Quick takeaways

Each book project is unique and requires a personalized writing process that allows the author's voice to shine through.

Experimentation, organization, and refining ideas are crucial in the initial stages of writing a non-fiction book.

Deep dives

Different approaches to writing non-fiction

In this episode, the hosts discuss their experiences and approaches to writing non-fiction books. They highlight that each book project is unique and requires a different process, depending on the material and goals. The process of figuring out how to write the book can be challenging and may evolve over time. They emphasize the importance of finding a process that works for each individual and allows their voice to come through in the writing.

Introduction

2min

The Challenges of Writing Different Book Projects

11min

Structuring a Book with Tinder box

15min

The Evolution of the Writing Process

7min

Online Presence and Book Promotion

2min

Steve Portigal is an independent user research consultant. He is the author of Interviewing Users and Doorbells, Danger, and Dead Batteries. Steve and I both have new books, so we thought it’d be fun to compare notes on writing non-fiction. In this, the second of two episodes on the subject, we focus on the process of writing. If you haven’t done so already, listen to our previous conversation, which focused on our motivations.

Show notes