Pearls from Malcolm Gladwell’s writing Masterclass
Original Source: WRITE A BEST-SELLING BOOK
Gladwell’s masterclass on writing is split into 20+ lessons with little less than 5 hours of video content. But I’m trying to cut it down short for easier consumption. If you are looking to get into detail, you can always go through this programme.
Obviously, there are going to be few filters and loss of information since it’s coming from me. Please be advised.
“Good writing does not succeed or fail on the strength of its ability to persuade. It succeeds or fails on the strength of its ability to engage you, to make you think, to give you a glimpse into someone else’s head.” - Malcolm Gladwell, from his book “David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants”
The Value of Imperfection in Writing
Writing can be compared to a jigsaw puzzle, where each piece represents a different aspect of the story. While in a puzzle every piece must fit perfectly, writing allows for imperfection. You can use writing to make a piece that doesn’t quite fit work.
Perfect narratives lack depth, while imperfect ones draw readers in, leaving them talking about the little quirks that make them unique. The key is to be interesting, not perfect.
The Ketchup Conundrum is an example of a compelling yet messy narrative. Malcolm Gladwell set out to solve the mystery of why there is only one ketchup brand that dominates the market. However, his expert, Howard Moskowitz, couldn’t provide an answer. Despite the broken puzzle piece, Gladwell continued to write about Moskowitz because the story was still interesting. In the end, the conundrum was never solved.
So don’t worry about making everything fit perfectly. Instead, focus on making your writing interesting, questioning and thought-provoking. Sometimes, the most compelling stories come from the imperfections that make them unique. Hence, worth telling and writing about.
Embrace Structuring
The structure can be a writer’s best friend. Rather than relying solely on clever transitions, consider using numbered sections to break up your work. Not everything has to be done with language.
By organising your writing into sections, you can provide clarity and help your readers follow your ideas more easily. Numbered sections also allow you to move fluidly between topics without worrying about how to transition between them with words alone.
So, next time you’re struggling to transition between ideas, consider using numbered sections to help you structure your work. Remember, not everything has to be accomplished through language.
Pen Tools
Communicating complex ideas can be a challenge, but providing your readers with the right tools can make all the difference. One effective strategy is to introduce a mental model or framework that can help your readers better understand your ideas.
To use this strategy, you can start by telling a story that illustrates your point. Then, take a break to introduce a mental model or framework that can help your readers make sense of the information. Finally, resume your story, and your readers will instinctively want to apply the new tool you’ve given them.
By providing your readers with a mental model or framework, you not only help them understand the story better, but you also make them more engaged with it. With the right tools in hand, readers are better able to grasp complex ideas and see the value in the information you’re presenting.
So, next time you’re struggling to communicate a complex idea, consider using a mental model or framework to help your readers understand and engage with your writing
Power of Data
Data can be a powerful tool in writing, but it’s important to present it in a way that your readers can appreciate. People are naturally drawn to numbers, but they need to be prepared to understand them in order to truly appreciate their significance.
Many of us first encounter data in school, through test scores. This information immediately captures our attention, as we want to know how we compare to our peers. In fact, some teachers have used physical charts to display test scores, seating students from highest to lowest. While this approach may not be the kindest, it certainly gets students’ attention.
The key to making data interesting is to connect it to your readers and help them understand its true meaning. Whether you’re presenting statistics or other types of numerical data, be sure to provide context and explain what it all really means. This will not only make the data more engaging but also help your readers draw meaningful insights from it.
So don’t shy away from using data in your writing. Just remember to present it in a way that your readers can appreciate and understand. When done well, data can be a powerful tool for capturing your readers’ attention and driving home your message.
Trick or Treat
“It’s important to balance the intellectually rigorous or complex parts of your story with “candy,” which are digressions or diversions that give the reader a break from the “meal” of your story. The candy is the stuff your readers are going to use to tell their colleagues and friends about the story. They’re the parts of your story that are easiest to talk about casually and remember. The meal is the stuff they dwell on and take home with them to process.” — Malcolm Gladwell
Thinking about something and talking about something are two different things. Our thoughts can be complicated, incoherent, and contradictory. Articulating them can be challenging. As a result, what we end up talking about are the things we can remember, express, and say in a short period of time during a conversation.
As a writer, your goal is to give your readers both candy and a meal. In a story, candy refers to the things people will talk about, while the meal refers to the things they’ll dwell on and process more deeply.
It’s okay to have candy in your writing as long as you also have substance. The candy can help draw readers in and get them excited about your work, while the substance will keep them engaged and leave a lasting impact.
So, as you write, remember to balance the candy and the meal. Provide your readers with interesting and exciting material to talk about, but also give them substance to think about and process more deeply. When done well, this balance can help you connect with your readers and keep them engaged with your work.
Cultivating Surprise
We tell stories because we enjoy surprising others and seeing their reactions when they discover something new. However, when someone responds dismissively to our stories, it can be discouraging and eventually lead us to stop telling them. As a writer, it’s your job to create an environment in which stories can be told and appreciated.
When someone tells you a story, they’re taking a risk. They’re risking that you won’t be surprised or interested in what they have to say. That’s why it’s important to respond enthusiastically and show appreciation for their efforts. This doesn’t mean faking it, but rather making an honest assessment of what you already know. Even if you already know part of the story, reward them for showing you the world from a slightly different angle.
Malcolm Gladwell once had a friend who always acted like nothing he said was surprising. This type of response can be discouraging and prevent us from sharing stories with others. As a listener, it’s important to be engaged and interested in what others have to say. By doing so, you’ll encourage them to share more and create a positive environment for storytelling.
So, next time someone shares a story with you, take the time to listen and appreciate what they have to say. Respond enthusiastically and show them that their efforts are valued. In doing so, you’ll create an environment in which stories can be shared and enjoyed by all.
Scoot from the World Wide Web
While Google can be a powerful tool for research, it’s not always the best place to find fresh and unexpected ideas. Instead, to find a compelling story, you need to be led somewhere unexpected. This can be challenging, but the rewards are often worth it.
Libraries, unlike Google, can offer new avenues of exploration. Each book is surrounded by similar books, offering a wealth of information that’s often unavailable online. Footnotes provide additional context, letting you retrace the author’s steps and uncover new sources of information. And, of course, librarians are always there to help guide you through the process.
The challenge of finding the direction of a piece is what makes it so rewarding. Google can give you dead ends, but a trip to the library can lead to unexpected discoveries and fresh perspectives. While the sources may not be as readily available as they are online, the effort you put into the research can pay off in a big way.
So, next time you’re searching for fresh ideas, consider exploring the resources at your local library. By diving deep into the sources and retracing the steps of authors before you, you’ll be able to find compelling stories and new perspectives that can make your writing truly exceptional.
Power of Digging Deep
Sometimes the smallest details can reveal the most important insights. When Malcolm Gladwell read a Harvard study about improving players’ health in the NFL, he noticed a detail that set the direction for the entire piece.
The study recommended that doctors on the field not be employed by the teams, due to a conflict of interest. Jeffrey Miller, the NFL’s Senior Vice President for Health & Safety, wrote a long rebuttal to the study, which piqued Malcolm’s curiosity. He wondered why someone in charge of player health and safety was called Jeffrey, not Doctor Miller.
As it turned out, Jeffrey Miller was not a doctor, but an anti-trust lawyer. The NFL hired him to protect the league’s anti-trust exemptions in case Congress took action on the rising health crisis among players.
This small detail was the key to unlocking a much larger argument about the NFL’s attitude towards player safety. It set the direction for the entire piece and showed how even the smallest details can reveal important insights.
So, the next time you’re doing research, don’t be afraid to dig deep and look for the small details that can make a big impact. You never know what kind of gold you might find.
Humility
Humility can be a powerful tool in interviews. When you adopt a humble tone and show genuine interest in the other person, it can make the conversation flow much more smoothly.
In contrast, when an interviewer tries to insert themselves into the conversation, it can derail the entire discussion. Late-night TV interviews, for example, are often more about the host showing off their own charm and wit than about truly engaging with the guest. While this may be entertaining, it’s not a true interview in the sense of exploring someone else’s perspective.
To conduct a successful interview, it’s important to put the focus on the other person. Be genuinely interested in what they have to say, and don’t be afraid to ask open-ended questions that allow them to share their thoughts and experiences. By adopting a tone of humility and showing respect for the other person, you’ll create an environment in which real conversation can take place.
So, the next time you conduct an interview, remember the power of humility. Put the focus on the other person, and show genuine interest in their perspective. By doing so, you’ll create a more engaging and authentic conversation that can leave a lasting impact on your audience.
Knowing when you are weak
As a writer, everything is on you to do. However, that doesn’t mean you have to do it all yourself. Outsourcing can be a powerful tool for getting things done more efficiently and effectively.
For example, when covering emotionally complicated terrain with subjects, it can be difficult to establish the necessary intimacy to get the story you need. Malcolm Gladwell once spent weeks trying to interview people in Belfast who lived through The Troubles, with little success. It wasn’t until he asked his assistant to try that he finally got everything he needed.
Outsourcing can also be useful for tasks like research, editing, and fact-checking. By delegating these tasks to others, you can focus your time and energy on the creative aspects of your writing.
So, the next time you’re feeling overwhelmed or stuck on a project, consider outsourcing some of the work. You don’t have to do everything yourself, and by relying on others, you may be able to achieve better results in less time.
Power of Simplicity
Malcolm Gladwell’s writing style is known for its simplicity and clarity. By writing at an 8th-grade level and using short, straightforward sentences, he ensures that his writing is accessible to a wide audience.
While some 8th-graders may still struggle to understand the complexity of their ideas, it’s not because of the writing itself. Rather, it’s a testament to the depth and nuance of his work.
In addition to making his writing more accessible, short sentences also have the benefit of making longer sentences stand out. By using longer sentences sparingly and strategically, you can create a powerful effect that draws in your audience and keeps them engaged.
So, the next time you’re writing, consider the power of simple language and short sentences. By making your writing accessible and easy to follow, you can connect with your audience and deliver your message more effectively. And when the time is right, don’t be afraid to use longer sentences to make a big impact.
The Notes of Writing
When it comes to writing, it’s not just about the words themselves, but also about the rhythm and musicality of the language. By reading your work aloud, you can get a better sense of how it flows and where you might want to make changes.
One of the benefits of reading aloud is that it can help you to identify where you want the reader to pause or savour something. By paying attention to the rhythms and pacing of your sentences, you can create a more engaging and immersive reading experience.
For example, if you’re telling a joke, you might want to put the punchline at the end of the sentence to create a sense of anticipation and surprise. And if you have a particularly pithy line or phrase, you’ll want to make sure it’s given the emphasis it deserves.
Malcolm Gladwell is wary of semi-colons, which he finds to be neither here nor there. Instead, he suggests using periods to signal the end of a sentence, or commas to indicate that a sentence isn’t over yet.
So, the next time you’re working on a piece of writing, try reading it aloud. Pay attention to the rhythms and pacing of your sentences, and make adjustments as needed to create a more engaging and musical piece of writing.
Act of Being Funny
Being funny in writing is no easy feat, especially when there’s an expectation that you’re going to be funny. But according to Malcolm Gladwell, the key to humour is often to be unexpected.
When we expect something to be funny, it’s easy for it to fall flat. But when humour comes unexpectedly in the context of something else, it can be all the more hilarious. This is why some of the funniest moments in writing come from unexpected asides or offhand comments.
Power of Titles
Don’t be fooled by its brevity — a title is a powerful thing. It’s the first thing readers see, and it can make or break whether they decide to read your piece.
That’s why Malcolm Gladwell recommends using the power of contradiction to create a title that elicits a reaction. It’s like putting two mismatched puzzle pieces together — it creates a tension that draws the reader in.
And let’s be real — coming up with a good title can be just as hard as writing the piece itself. But with a little creativity and a healthy dose of humour, you can craft a title that sets your writing apart.
So next time you’re struggling to come up with a title, remember: the contradiction is your best friend. It’s the peanut butter to your jelly, the yin to your yang, the…well, you get the idea.
The Critiques
Taking criticism can be tough, but it’s an opportunity for growth. Remember that criticism is just one person’s opinion, and if you feel it’s unfair, chances are your audience will too. Don’t let the haters bring you down — keep doing your thing and let your work speak for itself. As the saying goes: haters gonna hate.
A Seatbelt to Hold Yourself
From the beginning, Malcolm identified two distinct objectives in his professional life: to establish himself as a writer and to earn a living. He acknowledged that these goals would not always coincide.
Throughout much of his career, Malcolm maintained a day job to cover his expenses while working as a freelance writer during evenings, weekends, and occasionally on the job. He believes that had he waited to secure a writing position that could financially support him, he would have been waiting indefinitely.
Freelancing offers a significant degree of freedom when one’s livelihood is sourced elsewhere. This allowed Malcolm the liberty to write for any client he desired and to select only projects that would contribute to his career advancement.
According to Malcolm, the wisest choice he made as an aspiring writer was to maintain a day job, which alleviated the financial pressure associated with his writing endeavours.
READ
Criticism comes effortlessly to many, and Malcolm asserts that he could even depict War and Peace, an acclaimed literary masterpiece, as worthless. While it is occasionally necessary to highlight aspects deserving of criticism, the true challenge lies in recognizing elements worthy of praise.
A skilled critic’s primary role is to appreciate. Malcolm’s favourite critic, Dwight Garner, seeks out aspects that bring him joy. The prevailing impression from Garner’s reviews is a genuine delight in immersing himself in the world of books.
What Drives
The curiosity about the inner workings of others’ minds is a driving force behind Malcolm’s writing. He believes that the essence of exceptional non-fiction lies in crafting a window into the hearts and thoughts of others.
This sets non-fiction apart from other forms of art. For instance, when appreciating a Picasso painting, one gains insight into the artist’s mind. However, a non-fiction writer seeks to portray the minds of others, acting as a conduit for empathy and service.
Attempting to comprehend the thoughts and emotions of others is an essential aspect of our humanity. This is the core purpose of writing.