12 Jul 2026 #writing
Anne Lamott has written over 20 books.
Among them, Bird by Bird, one of the most popular writing memoirs.
I just devoured her interview on David Perell’s YouTube channel.
Here are my quotes, extracts, and lessons:
#1. “The point is not to try harder, it’s to resist less.”
#2. “If it’s literary, you can’t use it.”
This line reminded me of Smart Brevity’s beach and bar test:
If you wouldn’t use it at a bar, don’t use it.
“Don’t use words, you’d have to look up.”
As a rule, Anne Lamott decides to keep reading a book on the first three pages.
If they use fancy words or choppy dialog, she’s out.
#3. “The writer’s job is to pay attention.”
When looking with the right lens, there’s material everywhere.
That’s the real of daily writing: training to find ideas.
#4. “Before cellphones, I always had my students carry a pen in their back pocket and an index card. And then get home, take the index card out and add it to the pile.”
The other day, I almost lost a story because of a dying battery.
That’s why I’ve learned to keep something to write, apart from my phone.
I keep old receipts and a tiny pencil on my wallet.
#5. “When you decide to be a writer, everything is grist for the mill. Every experience, every thought, you put it all down, and take out the boring stuff.”
Everything is material.
#6. For dialog, “You can only say ‘said’.”
The rhythm and speech should give away who’s talking.
#7. “You can do anything and get away with it, if you don’t lose me.”
Does it sound good? Do readers like it? Good. There are no rules.
#8. “One of the great gifts of being a writer is that it can help you get your curiosity restored.”
Writing is therapy.
Showing up to write 200 words saved me from burnout.
That’s why I keep writing.
#9. “Tell me a story. Make me care.”
It reminds me of James Altucher’s ABS: always be story-telling.
That’s what we’ve been doing as humans since we sat around fire.
Stories is what makes us AI-proofed writers.
#10. Every good story follows ABDCE:
Action, background, development, climax, and ending.
11 Jul 2026 #writing
Yesterday, I found Seth Godin’s riffs: a collection of his best quotes from his blog. He’s one of the writers I’ve stolen from.
Here are my favorites:
“Seek out the smallest viable audience, not the largest possible one.”
The smallest viable audience is you: who you were years ago or who you are now.
Write or create for your younger self. And if you make something just for you, at least one person will like it.
That’s why I write some of my books for my younger self.
And they’re a success if at least one person outside my circle buys them.
“Write until you are not afraid to write.”
I published my first LinkedIn post in 2024, years after writing my first blog post.
But even after hundreds of posts, I still was afraid of hitting “Post.” I thought people will make fun of me. I only logged in after a couple of days of publishing. Just entering my password felt threatening. But nobody really cared.
Prove yourself wrong!
“There’s no such thing as writer’s block. There’s fear of bad writing. Simply write.”
Sure, there’s fear of bad writing.
But I’ve suffered from “I have too much on my head” block.
When that happens: pause and handwrite everything you have on your mind. Empty your cup. Or walk. Walking fixes almost everything.
And there’s also “I need momentum” block.
When that happens: read others’ blogs and find something to steal. When you find something, stop reading and write your own.
“We’re not born a genius, it’s a skill. And skills can be learned.”
With enough time, everything is figurable.
You don’t need 10,000 hours to reach mastery.
There are shortcuts. OK, “shortcuts” sound like cheating.
Instead, let’s call them: learning strategies for faster results.
10 Jul 2026 #mondaylinks
Hey there.
Quick update: 4 people have already preordered Street-Smart Coding Manifesto. A small win I’m celebrating. If you want to grow beyond syntax, this book is for you.
As usual, here are 4 links I thought were worth sharing this week:
#1. The new profitable coding gig seems to be to clean up vibecoded apps. Here’s a team already doing it (3min). It’s time to change our LinkedIn bios to “AI slop fixer.”
#2. Cheap and accessible media has changed the meaning of resting, turning us into fat kings (5min).
#3. AI has stolen the meditative part of our jobs. That’s why coders should start meditating (2min).
#4. How fast is your internet connection at home? Well, Switzerland has 25 Gbit dedicated home connections. Here’s how they do it (10min).
And in case you missed it, I wrote on my blog about the joy of coding the old way (2min) and about “Who Is Quitting” hitting the front page of Hacker News (2min).
(Bzzz…Radio voice) This email was brought to you by… Street-Smart Coding Manifesto. My case against syntax obsession to stand out. Because real impact comes from skills outside your IDE.
Preorder for just $1 and become a coder who stands out beyond syntax. Support with $5 or more, and I’ll thank you in the Acknowledgments.
Keep coding smarter,
Cesar
09 Jul 2026 #misc
As a creative practice, I write 10-idea lists every day. Here are 7 interesting ideas I found recently. I’m writing them as I go, so I’m missing sources.
#1. Have a list of alternative activities to scrolling.
Instead of grabbing your phone, have a default activity for when you’re bored.
That might be opening your journal or reading a book.
Or have a creative date with yourself.
#2. Rest isn’t the same as stillness.
Rest is inactivity that recharges you for later work.
Industries profit from rest.
But stillness is inactivity just for the sake of doing nothing.
Yes, you’re allowed to do nothing.
#3. Stress is external. Anxiety is internal.
From a book I skimmed in a grocery store. I can’t remember its title…
Once the stress source is gone, so is stress.
Think of hitting an important deadline at work.
But anxiety is a fight in your own mind.
You have power over it.
#4. Human attention requires human effort.
Paul Graham from Y Combinator doesn’t read AI-generated emails.
There’s nothing remarkable in prompting an LLM for a business pitch.
Don’t send screenshots of ChatGPT replies.
Don’t copy-paste ChatGPT replies and pass them as yours.
Anyone can do that. Show human effort.
#5. How to make a billion dollars.
Again from Paul Graham.
It isn’t as hard as it might sound.
#6. Build a fortress of related books.
This is from Anthony Metivier’s YouTube…
Read books that build on each other.
Read one main source, a complementary source, and a contrasting source.
If you’re learning about guitar, read a songbook, a book on music theory, a biography of a musician…
#7. Use 10 words to describe your product.
This is from a product marketplace I can’t remember…
Its only requirement is to use 10 words to describe your product.
Excellent idea for a book one-liner.
For more interesting ideas, check out 10 Surprisingly Simple Ideas That Changed My Life And Could Change Yours Too. It’s on my books page.
08 Jul 2026 #writing #selfgrowth
These days, I’ve been fighting my inner voice and its self-doubt.
I needed to reread my own advice:
From change starts in your mind, I remembered, action alleviates anxiety.
From write like no one’s watching, I remembered, signal takes time and there’s always a chance tomorrow.
From do nothing, I remembered, when overwhelmed, pause instead of doing more.
A blog leaves breadcrumbs and success clues for yourself.
That’s the real advantage and a good reason to keep writing.
Find some of my best pieces of life advice on 10 Surprisingly Simple Ideas That Changed My Life And Could Change Yours Too. Find it on my books page.