Write of Passage Weekly

Hello writers,

Welcome back to Write of Passage Weekly, where you learn to unlock the Internet's serendipity. Last week, you learned the cure to writer’s block. Today, we’re exploring why writing is fundamental to human nature.

Write of Passage Is Now Open

Writing online is the path to better work, deeper meaning, and a richer life. If you’re ready to start writing online, join us for Cohort 11, which runs from October 2 to November 8.

This cohort, we are also offering up to two full-ride scholarships for qualified applicants. If we would be crazy not to include you in the next cohort, apply for the Write of Passage Grant.

Modern Prometheus

What is the main difference between you and an animal, say, your beloved pooch?

Most would say that it’s your capacity to think. And they’d be correct; the distinguishing feature between man and beast is a consciousness so painfully deep that we are fated to contemplate our own mortality. Being able to think comes with the ability to plan far out into the future and the ability to reason, but this also means that we’re aware of all the dangers that could speed up entropy and send us careening towards chaos (a feeling otherwise known as anxiety). 

The ability to think is our burdensome gift from the heavens.

But thinking is not all we can do, and it’s not all we should do. Having the capacity to think and only using it for silent contemplation is like owning a Porsche 911 Turbo just to keep it locked in the garage. The real magic of thinking happens when you write. That’s because writing brings your thoughts into the world. Yet, there is a risk; to write, you must be willing to be wrong and say it anyway. This is the rite of passage that transforms a part of you into something immortal. While flesh may be birthed and succumb to fatal illness or mortal wounds, ideas can live forever — but only if they are written. 

Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to man. You have the divine gift of human consciousness and the ability to create something beautiful. Anyone can consume or imitate. Anyone can appreciate the light and warmth of knowledge. But it takes courage to share your ideas. It takes courage to steal fire from the gods. 

An unwritten thought has no weight in the world. You carry the spirit of Prometheus: the urge and the duty to create something new. 

Will you?

How I Write Podcast

Kevin Kelly: On Fame, Structuring Ideas, Writing Books, and Founding WIRED Magazine

Kevin Kelly is one of the most important tech writers of the last 50 years.

Kevin started as the publisher and editor of the Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of Steve Jobs’ favorite publications. After being mentored by Stewart Brand, he started writing books and magazine articles before co-founding WIRED magazine. He has since become a prolific author — writing one feature article for WIRED every year, and writing numerous bestselling books.

The man is full of paradoxes. Kevin writes abundantly but types very slowly. He writes often but calls himself a “reluctant writer.” He constantly explores new ideas but actually likes editing more than writing.

Rare is the opportunity to sit down with a master, a man with decades of experience as a writer. This episode is one such opportunity.

Listen Now: YouTube | Spotify | Apple

From Our Team

Write of Passage Cohort Version Notes

Will just released the latest improvements to the Write of Passage student experience. We treat course-building like software development; each cohort, we iterate each cohort based on extensive student feedback. If you’ve ever wondered what we’re up to, this is the TL;DR.

Thank you for reading Write of Passage Weekly. Feel free to share any thoughts or questions. We’d love to hear from you.

Happy writing,

The Write of Passage Team

P.S. If you’re curious about Write of Passage, come experience the best writing education on the Internet firsthand. Next week, David will teach you two of the main frameworks from the Write of Passage curriculum: Architect vs. Archeologist and POP Writing. Join us for the Write of Passage Test Drive, on September 21 at 12 pm ET.