On Writing #3

Substack · Watch/Read · (gathered 2026-08-29)

• Zvi Mowshowitz shares a collection of diverse observations and perspectives on writing, emphasizing that there’s no single “core process” and drawing lessons from various successful writers, often contrasting their methods with his own pragmatic approach.
• Many writers, including Zvi, experience anxiety about their ability (“do I still got it?”) or potential to “blow it,” but this dread can be channeled by opportunity or risk, not solely by fear of failure.
• The post highlights varied writing processes, from Scott Sumner’s focus on reading, audience, and direct language, to Jasmine Sun’s deep investigative interviewing, and the debate between quick “vomit drafts” vs. extensive pre-writing. Zvi generally thinks on the page and finds revising bad nonfiction harder than writing well initially.
• While physical desk details are less important (“Beware The Fetish of the Desk”), investing in a multi-monitor computer setup significantly boosts productivity. For thesis-driven posts, only split into multiple parts if each can stand alone; otherwise, publish the full natural length, as readers are not intimidated by it.