Who: Warren Berger

Claim To Fame: Warren Berger is the author of many books including the bestselling A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas and the internationally acclaimed Glimmer: How Design Can Transform Business and Your Life. He also writes for a wide variety of publications, including Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Psychology Today, and was a longtime contributor at Wired magazine and The New York Times.

Where To Find Warren: His Website, Amazon, Twitter

Praise For Warren: “We know that the art of asking questions is at the heart of discovery in science, philosophy, medicine―so why don’t we extend that power to all areas of our lives? The thoughtful, provocative questions Warren Berger raises in this book are indeed the kind of ‘beautiful questions’ that can help us identify the right problems and generate creative solutions.” ―Daniel Pink, New York Times bestselling author of Drive

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 usually write in a separate office, outside my house. I have plenty of space to write at home, but I find that going to a separate location—where I don’t have wi fi—helps me get away from distractions. I believe that small, everyday, and never-ending distractions may be the single biggest enemy for any writer.

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

I usually fix myself a cup of tea. Sometimes I’ll jot down ideas on a scrap of paper or notepad, before I actually go to the keyboard.

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?

Everyone faces writer’s blocks, and the blocks come in all sizes and different durations. There’s often a “small block” when you first begin writing—just because it’s hard to start writing. To overcome the small blocks, just resolve to stay at it, for at least an hour. You can get up and move around the room, but try not to leave your writing area. Usually something will happen in that hour, as long as you don’t leave the room or try to escape online. If the block is bigger and extends beyond an hour and shows no sign of going away, then I think it may be wise to take a break—going for a walk is always good. I find lots of ideas come to me while I’m walking or exercising. If you take a break, don’t get lost on the Internet or watch television or start reading a book. That will take you out of your own thoughts, into other people’s thoughts. Which doesn’t really help with your creativity.

All of your work is research intensive. What does your reading and researching process look like? Do you have a system or method for organizing material you may want to use in future writing?

I tend to do lots of research upfront—a combination of conducting interviews, reading books, and doing exhaustive Internet searches. Then I take stock of my research, make notes of what’s most important and what I want to use. Sometimes I’ll create outlines for my writing, based on my research. One tip about research—you have to know when to stop researching and start writing. Research can sometimes be used as a delay tactic. Because, frankly, it’s easier to do research (especially on the Internet) than it is to actually write. And there is no limit to what you can find out, but at a certain point, too much research can weigh you down. Sometimes I give myself a designated period for research—and once that time is up, I know I have to start writing something. Another important tip about research—be willing to throw a lot of it away. There’s a temptation to overstuff your writing with every interesting thing you’ve learned.

In all your research and writing on questioning, creativity, curiosity, and innovation, what have been the greatest insights you’ve applied to your writing routine?

This echoes some of what I’ve said, but it’s just that, in an age of distraction, we really have to work hard to remain focused. It may involve unplugging and cutting yourself off—from all forms of media and other people—for extended blocks of time. I like to have writing blocks of at least 3 hours.

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?

I look for themes or ideas that seem to be coming up again and again—I’ll keep noticing this theme and that tells me it might be worth pursuing. Pay attention to what intrigues you, infuriates you, things you find yourself wondering about. Be mindful of your preoccupations. I found myself thinking a lot about “questioning”—I kept noticing it as a theme that was coming up again and again—and so I decided to pursue it. Once you decide to pursue an idea, look around at who else is working on this—then try to figure out if there is some way you could come at it a little differently, to put your own spin on it.

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

I was greatly influenced by a writing professor at Syracuse University, named John Keats—who had been a lifelong freelance writer and showed me that it was a viable career choice. There are some great classic books on writing that influenced me: “Bird by Bird” is everyone’s favorite, and mine, too. Today, lots of people are doing very good research and writing on creativity—Todd Henry comes to mind, as does John Cleese (yes, the Monty Python guy). On innovation, I like the work of Seth Godin, Adam Grant, and the folks at IDEO. And I must give a shout out to my fellow “questionologists” such as Hal Gregersen, Frank Sesno, the Right Question Institute, and others pursuing this important subject.

What is your advice to aspiring writers?

Learn to enjoy the process of writing. Don’t think too much about future results, i.e., best-selling books or movie deals or literary acclaim. That may or may not ever come. But if you love the act of writing, and the thrill of exploring ideas and crafting your work, that is the real reward.

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