How He Sold 4 Million Books | Morgan Housel | How I Write Podcast

Writing Routine

Morgan Housel's writing routine is as unique as it is effective. He spends most of his time in a meticulously organized home office, where he only writes one day a week, dedicating the rest to unstructured activities like reading and thinking 1. His process is unpredictable; he often starts with a title and lets the writing teach him about the topic, sometimes ending up with conclusions opposite to his initial thoughts 2. This approach allows him to explore his interests deeply, as he skims through books to find what truly captivates him 3.

I think it's always every single time, the latter. When I start an article, I have no idea where it's going to go.

--- Morgan Housel

His writing is a journey of discovery, both for himself and his readers.

   

Inspiration

Inspiration for Morgan Housel often strikes in unexpected places, like while walking or on a treadmill, rather than at his desk 4. He captures these moments by sending himself emails with ideas, which can start as simple titles and evolve into full articles. Audiobooks have also played a significant role in his career, with the audiobook version of "The Psychology of Money" outselling the physical book two to one 5. This unexpected success highlights the diverse ways people consume content today.

It'll never come to me when I'm sitting at my desk.

--- Morgan Housel

Morgan's approach to writing is as much about capturing fleeting moments of inspiration as it is about structured creativity.