Crafting Excellence: Lessons from the Writing Journey of Robert Caro
The writing process of an average hobbyist differs significantly from that of a Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer.
In 1982, Robert Caro released the first book in his “The Years of Lyndon Johnson” series.
He followed this with three additional books in the series published in 1990, 2002, and 2012 respectively.
As of now, there is no definite date for the publication of the fifth and final book in the series.
According to an article published by Associated Press News, the publisher Alfred A. Knopf receives more inquiries from fans about the fifth volume, expected to cover the last nine years of Johnson’s life, than about any other book.
However, amid this immense endeavor, in 2019, Caro published a book called “Working: Researching, Interviewing and Writing,” which delved into his writing process.
I had the opportunity to pick up this book at the beginning of 2020 and was thoroughly impressed by his dedication to his craft.
Here are the insights and lessons to be gleaned from the book.
1. Dedicate Time to Think and Contemplate.
“But you’ll never achieve what you want, Mr. Caro, if you don’t stop…
