thirty books isn't a book

While writing is always useful for self-discovery, good writing should also involve discovery-discovery, i.e., finding something worthwhile to write about. If you’re a blocked author, charge ahead on your first draft: no Wikipedia rabbit holes, no hunting down citations, just go go go! But that doesn’t absolve you of the core requirement of research. Or, even more important, of search, i.e., getting out there and discovering the truth through direct observation. Listen up before you write anything down.Every idea should start with a search. Instead of cherry-picking an academic paper or magazine quote to justify the point you’re already planning to make, run an experiment. Try your technique yourself and see what happens. Flip your idea on its head and try the opposite—see if you can prove yourself wrong. Conduct an informal poll of your friends or colleagues. If you’re writing fiction in the milieu of working-class Boston, don’t watch The Departed. Go spend time in a bar in Southie.…