How Writing Leads to Thinking (and Not the Other Way Around)

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Lynn Hunt argues that writing is not merely the transcription of pre-formed thoughts but a process that actively shapes and generates new thinking. She emphasizes the importance of starting to write without over-reliance on notes and maintaining steady momentum, as clarity and ideas emerge through the act of writing and subsequent revision. Writing, Hunt suggests, requires ongoing effort and authenticity, and teaching it should be prioritized as a skill to develop rather than assumed to be innate.

https://www.historians.org/perspectives-article/how-writing-leads-to-thinking-february-2010/

How to Import and Export Scrivener Customizations

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Scrivener allows users to export and import various customization options—including appearance themes, project templates, styles, compile formats, and global settings—to maintain consistent setups across multiple computers or share with collaborators. While themes, templates, compile formats, and global settings can be saved as files for easy transfer, styles require importing from an existing project. This functionality enables writers to preserve tailored workflows, project structures, and formatting preferences within their creative process.

https://www.literatureandlatte.com/blog/how-to-import-and-export-scrivener-customizations

My Blogging Workflow

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Gordon McLean describes his blogging workflow as an evolving, flexible process centered on capturing ideas quickly in draft form and allowing them to mature over time before editing and posting. He emphasizes the importance of a gentle posting cadence and minimal structural complexity to keep writing as the primary focus, using tools like Ulysses and WordPress for publishing while incorporating images for visual appeal. Ultimately, his system prioritizes simplicity and adaptability, enabling him to write without overthinking the process.

https://www.gordonmclean.co.uk/2026/08/25/my-blogging-workflow/

On Running and Writing

Sabrina Little explores the deep connection between running and writing, highlighting how physical care through running enhances mental clarity and supports sustained creative work. She argues that the shared virtues of perseverance, patience, and resilience underpin both activities, making running an integral part of her writing process by providing mental space away from distractions to foster inquiry and focus. This relationship exemplifies how movement can be a vital component in the disciplined craft of writing.

https://www.irunfar.com/on-running-and-writing

Stop Trying to Distinguish AI-Generated Writing From Human Writing Because You Can’t

James Zhan critiques efforts to distinguish AI-generated writing from human writing, arguing that commonly cited “tells” are misleading and oversimplified, especially when based on limited examples like a New York Times literary experiment. He emphasizes that good writing—whether human or AI—varies by genre and purpose, and clear, accessible writing should not be mistaken for AI output. Zhan warns that assumptions about writing origin unfairly penalize skilled writers and that AI is fully capable of producing diverse styles, challenging the notion that one can reliably detect AI-generated text.

https://journal.james-zhan.com/ai-writing/

The Golden Rule for Becoming a Better Writer

T.R. Napper emphasizes that the essential rule for becoming a better writer is to read widely and consistently, as reading educates writers on craft, inspires creativity, and physically shapes the brain to support sustained focus and imagination. He critiques the modern trend of aspiring writers neglecting reading due to digital distractions and argues that reading builds the mental stamina and creative muscles necessary for writing, enabling the immersive flow state critical to storytelling. Napper advises prioritizing reading over screen time to develop as a writer and warns that without a genuine love for reading, one should reconsider pursuing writing seriously.

https://nappertime.com/the-golden-rule-of-becoming-a-better-writer/

How Incubation Can Improve Creativity

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Writer Kirk McElhearn emphasizes that creativity benefits from allowing ideas to incubate rather than solely focusing on productivity. He describes how taking breaks before and after drafting fosters subconscious processing, leading to clearer insights and easier revisions, a process echoed by novelists like George Simenon and Stephen King, who recommend intervals between drafting and editing to enhance creativity and problem-solving within stories.

https://www.literatureandlatte.com/blog/how-incubation-can-improve-creativity

Blog About Things You Don’t Understand Yet

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Sean Goedecke advocates writing blog posts about topics he doesn’t fully understand to deepen his learning process, emphasizing that writing clarifies thinking and often changes his mind. He views blogging as a disciplined research and reflection practice that benefits from taking clear, even controversial, positions and welcomes feedback—including from AI language models—to refine understanding and improve clarity.

https://www.seangoedecke.com/blog-about-things-you-dont-understand-yet/

Surrealism With Purpose: a Conversation With Illustrator and Novelist Thomas Kast

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Thomas Kast, an illustrator, photojournalist, and novelist with a PhD in Fine Arts, combines art, philosophy, and science in his work, including his philosophical sci-fi novel The Great Convergence and comic series Bablah’s Odyssey. His creative process involves blending personal experience with unorthodox narratives, using tools like Ulysses for writing organization, and drawing heavily on science and social critique to explore complex themes through surreal imagery and metaphor. Kast is also developing Lizard Joe, a manuscript-exchange platform designed to connect writers with suitable beta readers and streamline the feedback and publishing process.

https://stories.ulysses.app/surrealism-with-purpose-a-conversation-with-illustrator-and-novelist-thomas-kast/

There Are No Lossless Transformations of Natural-Language Text

Sophie Alpert argues that AI-generated text currently cannot reliably preserve an author’s intended meaning without careful human review and editing. She emphasizes that writing is an essential thinking process, and authors must fully own and understand every part of their writing to communicate clearly and respect readers' time. While AI can assist in brainstorming or proofreading, authors should avoid relying on it for unedited content and instead use it as a tool to support, not replace, their own detailed thought and expression.

https://sophiebits.com/2026/06/25/there-are-no-lossless-transformations-of-natural-language-text

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