Who: Tyler Cowen

Claim to fame: His books are must-reads. His blog, The Marginal Revolution, is a must-subscribe. He’s a Professor of economics at George Mason University and Director of the Mercatus Center.

Why’d we pick him, in ten words: Tyler Cowen is consistently counterintuitive, freakishly productive, and deeply thoughtful.

Where to find him: At his blog, Marginal Revolution

Age when he started:  “Since early in high school I wanted to be a writer of economics and philosophy. I started doing it in my first year in college and have never ever stopped or even let up.”

Let’s start with the basics: What time of day do you start writing? Is it easier for you to write early in the morning? Late at night?

Most of my core writing is done between 9 and 12 in the morning. Blog posts I might write at night or in the late afternoon, but my books are written in the morning, my columns too. Morning time is precious time.

What’s your preferred tool for writing—a word processor like Microsoft Word, Google Docs, etc.? A pen and paper?

Microsoft Word, I can hardly write by hand anymore, except perhaps a signature when I spend money. Many of my habits are slow to change, and the formatting in Google Docs confuses me when it comes to footnotes and the like.

Do you listen to music when you write, or do you prefer silence, or something else in the background?

The music doesn’t bother me, but I don’t really hear it either, so usually I don’t play it. If I do, I might choose Renaissance music, which I otherwise hardly ever listen to. It is less disruptive in terms of rhythm.

Do you have a writing space—an office, kitchen table, etc.? Or do you move around? Change locations? How does your physical environment affect your writing process?

I have two offices and a sofa, and if I am traveling it is on the hotel bed. All of those work for me.

Do you have any pre-writing rituals or habits?

Not really, just dig in, and be well-rested and well-hydrated and not too hungry.  It is almost always possible to achieve that state of affairs!

How many words a day do you produce, or try to produce? How much of that ever sees the light of day?

I don’t know, I guess I try to write a few pages every day. I don’t obsess over the counting, I just do as much as I can and stop before I feel I am done, so I am eager to start up again the next day, or after lunch. That to me is very important, not to write too much in a single day, but to get something written every single day. As for the second question, I have hundreds of pages of unfinished junk, cut material, outtakes, etc.

When you first sit down to write, how do you start?

The keyboard is the most useful part, though I will check my email and maybe Twitter first, so I don’t miss something big.

What’s your process for editing your own work?

I repeatedly edit it many times, at least ten. I just keep on doing it, until I can’t think of further improvements. I can’t say that is a process in any formal sense, simply a recognition that the “process” to date hasn’t worked very well and so it must continue. I don’t pretend this is efficient.

How do you finish out a day of writing? Do you have a process, or is it just that you know you’ve hit a natural stopping point?

I try to finish out early, so my mind is clear for reading, meetings, other kinds of decisions, whatever I need to do. I can’t write for anything close to a full day, it involves too much concentration.

How much of a day for you is spent in research versus writing, or are you doing both at the same time?

Both at the same time, but it depends what stage the project is at. In the earliest stages, the proportion of research is much higher. After a while, it simply ends up being a process of editing out mistakes and infelicities. Then I will go and restudy or reread the key materials I used.

Many say that the first step to being a good writer is to read good writers’ writing, and then try flattery by way of imitation. Is there an author (or authors) you’re trying to emulate when you write? If not now, were there ever?

I just try to write a lot. I don’t try to develop a style, since I don’t think contemporary American English—my natural idiom—lends itself so well to self-conscious style. I figure if I keep on writing, it might along some dimensions improve. Clarity, at the very least.

Do you consider writing to be easy? Would you say it comes to you naturally?

I find it easy to summon up the energy and desire. I don’t find it easy or even possible to write into the night.

When did your aspirations to become a writer begin, and at what age did you start writing in hopes of living off of it/making a life out of it?

Since early in high school I wanted to be a writer of economics and philosophy. I started doing it in my first year in college and have never ever stopped or even let up.

Which book would you say was your favorite to write?

The next one to come…

What are your favorite books on writing if you have any?

Shakespeare? The Bible? Melville?

I don’t like didactic books on writing, and if I’ve learned those things it is usually from editors.

Your books are packed with ideas. How do you get through ruts and the inevitable low points in writing such in-depth work?

I work at a very steady pace, and unless travel interferes I get something done every day. It never feels to me like I have low points, I suppose the low points for the author come in marketing the work, which can be repetitive and does not always involve the problem-solving skill in an interesting way.

How do you think about your academic writing versus your other work? Do you have a different way of approaching the different audiences?

I don’t draw such a big distinction. My academic writing was always relatively accessible, and my popular writing is relatively academic. For better or worse, I just don’t have that many modes.

How do you think about the audience you’re writing for? Is there one in your head, or are you basically writing for yourself?

I try to write a book that I would want to read. That isn’t easy! I then hope that a few of the rest of you can relate to that.