Writing Process: Dumping Thoughts and Creating an Outline

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The writer shares their writing process, which involves dumping all their thoughts onto a document, arguing and questioning themselves, and then creating a concise outline. They believe that the average length of an article on their website is 22 sentences.

It’s hard to capture in words the love and creativity that Derek Sivers brings to his work. He describes himself as a “monomaniac, introvert, and slow thinker.” But those words just reveal his humility.

Derek’s work has charmed millions — from his early days as a professional musician and circus performer, to founding CD Baby, writing fan favorites like Anything You Want and taking the stage at TED.

In this conversation, Derek shares how he finds his best ideas, why he plans to publish a “posthumous autobiography,” and why life is not a problem to be solved but a paradox to be experienced.

Website: sive.rs

Twitter: @sivers

Books:

How to Live: 27 Conflicting Answers and One Weird Conclusion

Anything You Want: 40 Lessons for a New Kind of Entrepreneur

Hell Yeah or No: What’s Worth Doing

Want to learn more about the next cohort with Write of Passage?

Click here: https://writeofpassage.school/hiw

Want to learn more about How I Write?

Website: https://writeofpassage.school/how-i-write/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DavidPerellChannel/videos

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-write/id1700171470