10 Important Lessons James Altucher Taught Me About Reading and Writing
Recently I had the opportunity to interview best selling author, chess master, entrepreneur, investor and podcaster James Altucher for my website Bookshelf Beats. As of late James Altucher is a household name in my home. While my wife isn’t always crazy about many of the various podcasts I listen to, she enjoys the James Altucher Show and his disarming interview style. We still talk about his interview with Freeway Rick Ross, which rendered both of us silent while it played and sparked much discussion and debate after it was over.
I was nervous about approaching James when I sent him a message on Twitter asking for an interview. I didn’t even have my official site yet. He is much more successful than I am. He interviews people like Mark Cuban, Robert Greene, Carol Leifer, and Maria Popova. I was beyond nervous for the interview and spent hours upon hours preparing, researching, and reviewing his book of choice.
When he called, James put me at ease in an instant. He was friendly, insightful, and easy to talk to. We talked for an hour about his favorite book, Jesus’ Son by Denis Johnson. It was a fascinating experience and I learned so much about how to improve as a reader and writer. I wanted to share 10 essential takeaways I gained from our conversation.
- Force the reader to hang on to every word in every sentence. To James,
“ That’s a really great writer, where your eyes can’t glaze over any sentence.”
2. Find opportunities to make mundane events interesting with your word choice. James’s example, based on Denis Johnson’s writing style? Instead of a boring description of a sunset, try saying,
“The sun has four hours yet to live.”
3. While interesting use of language is important, clear communication with your readers is the most essential part of writing. As James says,
“Whether fiction or non-fiction, I want to do writing that communicates well.”
4. Be modest about your writing ability and always try to improve. James has multiple best sellers, yet he still has a humble view of himself as a student of writing, saying,
“ I love it and also I want to get better. I want to be as good as the guys on my show. I want to always try to improve.”
5. Read the books that influenced your favorite author. James can talk at length about Jesus’ Son, as well as Denis Johnson’s other books, but he can also tell you everything you’ll ever need to know about Charles Bukowski and Raymond Carver.
“If I were to interview Denis Johnson…which is something I’ve thought about trying to pursue, I’m at an advantage because I know he used to study under Raymond Carver. I’ve read all of Raymond Carver’s books.”
6. Read a book you are passionate about multiple times. It will make you a better writer. All readers miss important moments, no matter how focused. After reading Jesus’ Son over 200 times, James still finds something new every time.
“Read this book over and over and you’ll become a great writer… Jesus’ Son is worth reading so many times, because every time I read it, I see something I probably glazed over the last time, or I see something in a different way. That fuels my own writing.”
7. To be great at something, you must be obsessive in your study of it. James Altucher read Jesus’ Son over 200 times. Chuck Palahniuk read it over 300 times. When asked if he had actually read the book 200 times, James said,
“Probably more. At some point you lose count. It’s been 23 years since the book came out, and before the book came out, I had read all the stories several times in the individual publications.”
8. Add your autobiographical voice to your writing. Let the reader see intimate parts of your life, otherwise your writing can seem bland. As James says,
“ I feel whenever I read any of these bland posts like “The One Thing You Shouldn’t Put in Your Resume” or the “10 Traits of a Charismatic Leader”, nobody’s really telling their story…I want to know if these people experienced this.”
9. If you want to a great writer, reading lots of fiction is more important than reading books about writing. This is not a novel idea, but it bears repeating. Books about writing are great, but you need to read fiction if you want to learn about style and the rhythm of language.
“People always ask me, ‘What is the best book to teach one about writing?’ They’re thinking of books like On Writing by Stephen King or Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury and those are all fine books. But really, Jesus’ Son.”
10. It’s okay to be a minimalist. While clever use of language can help engage the reader, don’t worry if your writing is sparse. Says James,
“People say minimalist as if it’s like not very expressive. That’s not what minimalism is. Minimalism is when you use words that are the tip of the iceberg. There’s this strong sensation that the actual story is much bigger and you’re just not seeing it.”
Bookshelf Beats is a website run by Gino Sorcinelli. I interview people about books that change their lives, inspire them, and/or make them think differently. If you enjoyed this article consider subscribing to my Medium publication.
