Ep. 156: LISTENER CALLS: My Process for Writing New Yorker Articles

Fiction Escape

Cal Newport shares his unique approach to fiction reading, which he views as a form of relaxation and escape. He admits to having a nostalgic connection to genre fiction, stemming from his childhood experiences with books like those by Wilbur Smith. These stories, often adventure-based and anachronistic, provide him with a comforting retreat from his usual nonfiction work 1.

I use fiction reading as an escape or relaxation. So it's all embarrassing. All of my suggestions are embarrassing because it's all just...genre fiction writers for which I have some sort of childhood connection.

--- Cal Newport

Despite his self-proclaimed "terrible" recommendations, Cal's enthusiasm for these books highlights the personal value they hold for him 2.

   

Author Insights

Cal expresses a keen interest in featuring authors like Andy Weir on his podcast, particularly to explore their writing processes. He admires Weir's "blackboard Sci-Fi" style, which integrates real-world physics into storytelling, and dreams of writing a novel in a similar vein 2.

I want to write a novel in Andy's style. So that style where it's not hard Sci-Fi I call it blackboard Sci-Fi so you actually work through, you know, he works through the actual physics of his story with real world physics to understand how everything works.

--- Cal Newport

Cal's fascination with slow productivity, as demonstrated by Weir's methodical approach to writing "The Martian," further fuels his desire to delve into the intricacies of creative processes 3.