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284 ON WRITING WELL When you get such a message from your material—when your story tells you it's over, regardless of what subsequently happened—look for the door. I got out fast, pausing only long enough to make sure that the unities were intact: that the writer-guide who started the trip was the same person who was ending it. The playful reference to Lawrence preserves the persona, wraps up a multitude of associations and brings the journey full circle. The realization that I could just stop was a terrific feeling, not only because my labors were over—the jigsaw puzzle solved—but because the ending felt right. It was the correct decision. As a postscript, there's one last decision I'd like to mention. It has to do with the nonfiction writers need to make his or her own luck. An exhortation I often use to keep myself going is "Get on the plane." Two of the most emotional moments of my life came as a result of getting on the plane in connection with my book Willie and Dwike. First I went to Shanghai with the musicians Willie Ruff and Dwike Mitchell when they introduced jazz to China at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. A year later I went to Venice with Ruff to hear him play Gregorian chants on his French horn in St. Mark's basilica at night, when nobody else was there, to test its unique acoustics. In both cases Ruff had no assurance that he would be allowed to play; I might have wasted my time and money by deciding to go along. But I got on the plane, and those two long pieces, which originally ran in The New Yorker, are probably my two best articles. I got on the plane to Timbuktu to look for a camel caravan that was an even bet not to materialize, and I got on the plane to Bradenton for spring training not knowing whether I would be welcomed or rebuffed. My book Writing to Learn was born because of one phone call from a stranger. It raised an educational idea so interesting that I got on the plane to Minnesota to pursue it. Getting on the plane has taken me to unusual stories all over the world and all over America, and it still does. That isn't to say
A Writer's Decisions 285 I'm not nervous when I leave for the airport; I always am—that's part of the deal. (A little nervousness gives writing an edge.) But I'm always replenished when I get back home. As a nonfiction writer you must get on the plane. If a subject interests you, go after it, even if it's in the next county or the next state or the next country. It's not going to come looking for you. Decide what you want to do. Then decide to do it. Then doit.
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On Writing Well
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On Writing Well cssao THE CLASSIC G
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C O N T E N T S osso INTRODUCTION 1
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INTRODUCTION CSSQ When I first wrot
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INTRODUCTION xi writers worse. Good
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P A R T I -esee- Principles
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4 ON WRITING WELL Absolutely not, h
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6 ON WRITING WELL of gimmicks to "p
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8 ON WRITING WELL struction that le
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10 ON WRITING WELL is too dumb or t
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12 ON WRITING WELL Faced with such
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14 ON WRITING WELL typical of hundr
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16 ON WRITING WELL think there's mu
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QSSSO Style So much for early warni
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20 ON WRITING WELL unique. The read
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22 ON WRITING WELL I realize that t
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24 ON WRITING WELL aging boxers don
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26 ON WRITING WELL tion or sleep. N
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28 ON WRITING WELL who fill the air
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30 ON WRITING WELL religion and the
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32 ON WRITING WELL and it allows fo
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34 ON WRITING WELL someone is forev
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36 ON WRITING WELL instance, and yo
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CSSSO Usage All this talk about goo
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40 ON WRITING WELL Mumford that the
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42 ON WRITING WELL Just where Webst
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44 ON WRITING WELL Meanwhile the ba
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46 ON WRITING WELL back, though I'd
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8 CSS30 Unity You learn to write by
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Unity 51 Such fatal mixtures are co
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Unity 53 When your zest begins to e
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csso The Lead and the Ending The mo
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The Lead and the Ending 57 I've oft
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The Lead and the Ending 59 One reas
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The Lead and the Ending 61 warehous
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The Lead and the Ending 63 general
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The Lead and the Ending 65 (lia and
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The Lead and the Ending 67 Somethin
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Bits & Pieces 69 sive-voice writers
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Bits & Pieces 71 tences become long
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Bits & Pieces 73 pistol might be lo
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Bits & Pieces 75 go." Look for all
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Bits & Pieces 77 The common reactio
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Bits & Pieces 79 who are so busy th
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Bits & Pieces 81 of thought. Compar
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Bits & Pieces 83 This still leaves
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Bits & Pieces 85 eral different way
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Bits & Pieces 87 which sick people
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Bits & Pieces 89 It's no longer nec
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Bits & Pieces 91 know that about ho
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P A R T I I I OBSO Forms
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96 ON WRITING WELL midst, and none
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98 ON WRITING WELL Magazines were s
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1 2 CSSO Writing About People The I
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102 ON WRITING WELL building turned
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104 ON WRITING WELL roommate. With
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106 ON WRITING WELL Obviously the t
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108 ON WRITING WELL used words and
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110 ON WRITING WELL call the person
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112 ON WRITING WELL revelation by J
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114 ON WRITING WELL Now, nobody thi
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1 3 -esee- Writing About Places The
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118 ON WRITING WELL rency. Half the
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120 ON WRITING WELL Bernardino out
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122 ON WRITING WELL American spore.
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124 ON WRITING WELL hood of the wri
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126 ON WRITING WELL to 110 degrees
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128 ON WRITING WELL with a hawk tha
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130 ON WRITING WELL Nine of my site
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132 ON WRITING WELL recalled that u
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134 ON WRITING WELL want to see pop
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136 ON WRITING WELL to the roots of
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138 ON WRITING WELL My father loved
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140 ON WRITING WELL Row overlooking
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142 ON WRITING WELL chagrin was acc
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144 ON WRITING WELL Johnson, who gr
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146 ON WRITING WELL tors on adulter
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1 5 OSSO Science and Technology Tak
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150 ON WRITING WELL ing it up—but
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152 ON WRITING WELL Good. I could h
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154 ON WRITING WELL sleeping, for e
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156 ON WRITING WELL The nautilus ha
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158 ON WRITING WELL really belt it
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160 ON WRITING WELL constant relati
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162 ON WRITING WELL Constructed lik
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164 ON WRITING WELL Even a child kn
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1 6 csso Business Writing Writing i
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168 ON WRITING WELL First notice ho
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170 ON WRITING WELL During this yea
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172 ON WRITING WELL edly. Whenever
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174 ON WRITING WELL needs. It began
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176 ON WRITING WELL I learned about
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178 ON WRITING WELL acquiesce in th
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180 ON WRITING WELL any pig farmer
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182 ON WRITING WELL What ever becam
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184 ON WRITING WELL by, a loner. It
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186 ON WRITING WELL lete's psychic
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188 ON WRITING WELL moment is ripe
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190 ON WRITING WELL making the driv
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192 ON WRITING WELL little League,
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1 8 CRSSD Writing About the Arts Cr
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196 ON WRITING WELL Probably only t
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198 ON WRITING WELL a play, don't j
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200 ON WRITING WELL wigs, unorthodo
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202 ON WRITING WELL given back to u
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204 ON WRITING WELL What must be sa
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1 9 csso Humor Humor is the secret
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210 ON WRITING WELL use to disguise
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214 ON WRITING WELL heart, the home
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216 ON WRITING WELL Ade was a repor
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218 ON WRITING WELL medium—dogger
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220 ON WRITING WELL savoring his st
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222 ON WRITING WELL Singer s lethal
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224 ON WRITING WELL sion, said, "We
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226 ON WRITING WELL does it flirt w
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228 ON WRITING WELL said I would te
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PART IV Og&O Attitudes
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Page 310 and 311: 296 SOURCES 66 "Coolidge," by H. L.
Page 312 and 313: 298 SOURCES 188-90 Confessions of a
Page 315 and 316: I N D E X osao Aciman, André, 136
Page 317 and 318: Index 303 Eisenhower, Dwight, 239 E
Page 319 and 320: Index 305 Lin, Maya, 130 Lincoln, A
Page 321 and 322: Index 307 Satire, 209 Saturday Even
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