Who: Rob Walker

Claim To Fame: Rob Walker is a journalist covering design, technology, business, the arts, and other subjects. He is a senior writer and columnist for Marker, the new business publication from Medium. He has contributed to The New York Times, Bloomberg Businessweek, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, and many others. His latest book is The Art of Noticing. He is on the faculty of the Products of Design MFA program at the School of Visual Arts.

Where To Find Rob: His Website, His Newsletter, Amazon, Twitter

Praise For Rob: “If you want a more interesting and creative life, the first thing to do is to start paying better attention to it. In The Art of Noticing, Rob Walker provides an essential guide to becoming an explorer of your everyday world. I found a ton to steal here and so will you.” — Austin Kleon, New York Times bestselling author of Steal Like An Artist

When and where do you like to write? Are you the same-thing-every-day kind of writer or can you write anytime, anywhere?

I have worked from home for about 20 years (four houses in three cities) and over that time I’ve always had a dedicated office where I do most of my work. I’ve certainly written in newsrooms, and occasionally cafes or other public spaces, and hotel rooms and that sort of thing, but I’m most comfortable in my own space. As for when, that’s changed over time, I am more productive earlier in the day now; I can’t do the up-all-night thing anymore!

Do you have any pre-writing rituals or habits before you sit down to write?

Not exactly. But I do a lot of writing “in my head” before I actually begin writing — I think about the opening in particular, I usually have that sorted out before I start. I try to have a general sense of the shape of whatever I’m starting. This often changes during the process. But the point is that having the opener in my head means that when I start I actually have a start, I’m not just sitting there looking at a screen.

What do you do when the writing isn’t coming easy? Do you struggle at all with that dreaded enemy of writing: writer’s block?

I get up and walk around quite a bit. I’ve heard about writers who lie down or nap, I couldn’t possibly do that; I’m too keyed up. But I’ll walk the length of the house and go out on the back porch, maybe even throw a ball for the dog – and, again, trying to write in my head, try to work out the specific problem I’m having. I don’t often have writer’s block in the sense of being totally unable to write, it’s usually more like getting stuck on a problem (how do I get across this point more quickly etc. etc.). Maybe that’s what all writer’s block is, and I just find it less intimidating to frame it as just solving a series of discrete problems.

Great writers tend to be great readers and researchers. What does your reading and researching process look like? Do you have a system or method for capturing and organizing material you may want to use in future books, articles, or newsletters?

I’m definitely an info hoarder – I’m interested in lots of things, and there’s so much that I think “Oh there could be a piece in this at some point.” I’ve cycled through many systems, from clipped articles in folders, to digitally cut and pasted stuff in Word documents (again organized in folders, but digital), and for the last few years in Evernote. I lately have been having some doubts about Evernote, so, maybe something else will emerge as a new solution. But right now I have lots of “potentially useful” material spread out across all these venues. Plus I keep certain kinds of ideas in physical notebooks. So it’s a mess, and the only thing that holds it together is memory — which is a pretty precarious strategy, but there you have it.

In addition to your books, you are a columnist for Marker, and have written columns in the past for The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, and Slate Do you find that your routine and process differs between writing a column and writing a book?

Definitely my process changes to match whatever is paying the bills. And I’ve had different feelings at different times about the pace I am most interested in – more rapid fire, more slow burn. I often have both going on at the same time: something short-term like a column, while there’s some longer-term project, more of a feature or maybe a book or maybe something outside journalism, in the background.

Deciding on a great idea to write about can be the most challenging aspect for a writer. How do you come to the point of ‘this is something I want to write about’? Are there habits or daily practices you use to think about book or article ideas?

This is of course the ultimate challenge, and I don’t know that I have great advice or have always made the right decisions! (I spend a lot more time thinking about the stories that didn’t happen than the ones that went well.) All I can say here is that it’s good to have a circle or network of people you can try ideas out with. I don’t mean actively saying, “Hey I’m thinking about X, is that a good story in your opinion?” I mean more like conversationally observing something about X and seeing whether the person you’re talking to appears to care – whether they think you’re right or wrong or whatever, just trying to judge if you’re onto something. I’m not suggesting being sneaky, or turning all your interactions into focus groups. But one well-known way of framing any story is to boil down how you would describe it at a party or a dinner or whatever – so I just try to do a lot of that. Genuine conversation (in person or on the phone or online) is a good way of exploring what’s interesting to people and why.

What books or writers have most influenced the way you think and the way you write?

Someday I’ll write something about influence, but in general I always dodge this question. Once I start naming people all I can think about is who I’m leaving out or forgetting, and it’s just torture.

What is your advice to aspiring writers?

First, make sure you’re really an aspiring writer, and not just drifting into it. If you don’t want it badly, do something else. It’s a difficult career. It’s totally worth it if you really want it — but it’s totally not if you don’t.

Second, when you’re early in your career, be open to taking on opportunities and challenges that weren’t exactly what you had in mind. Don’t be proud. Maybe you want to write features for The New York Times Magazine. Chances are good that you might have to do some other things first. My first NYC job was at American Lawyer, which is not something I aspired to – but I learned a lot, worked with amazing people (many of whom remained contacts throughout my career), and challenged myself as a writer and report. I mean, I was happy to move on eventually, but it opened up new possibilities. So don’t worry, when you’re starting out, about landing a dream job right away. Be open minded about learning new things, and do your best. Good work is good work.

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