My Pretend Editorial Team Provides Me With Expert Advise
How Regular Meetings With an Imaginary Advisory Board Helps Me Write Better, Faster, More – No Zoom Required
Editorial meeting minutes. Private and Confidential. Present: Steven Pressfield, Guyon Espiner, Simone de Beauvoir, Marie Colvin and Sitara Morgenster. Notes taken by Sitara Morgenster. Subject: Sitara’s work and journalism career.
Stranger than fiction? Oh, yes, it is. The only person in the meeting not imaginary is me. It’s a sunny winter morning, warm enough to sit outside. I write name tags for the members of my editorial team for the four empty chairs on my veranda. The fifth is for me to sit on.
The four names are of writers and journalists I admire. Simone died of old age 35 years ago, Marie was murdered by the regime of Bashar al-Assad in 2012. The two men present are still alive but don’t know I exist. I’d like to keep it that way. I’ve familiarized myself with their work through reading, listening and studying. The mere idea that they are here enables me to focus on articles I’m considering writing, and tasks I’m procrastinating on.
I decide there’s no need to move between chairs. But whenever one of my imaginary, esteemed team members offers advice, I become like an actor who imbibes…
