Deep Life Reflections: Friday Five
Issue 114 - Past Notes
Welcome to Issue 114 of Deep Life Reflections, where each week I share what I’ve been reading, watching, and thinking about.
I hope you enjoyed last week’s issue—Passages—where I shared five pieces of writing that caught my eye. Given the positive responses it received, it’s a format I’ll return to in future issues.
As I’m still in Spain—and working with a smaller writing window than usual—this week’s issue will follow a similar approach. We’re heading into the Deep Life Reflections archives, revisiting two past issues worth another look.
I also want to share something brief that caught my interest this week. More on that below.
This week’s cover photo is from last week’s trip to the Basque region of Spain—specifically, San Juan de Gaztelugatxe. For fans of Game of Thrones, this was the filming location for Dragonstone, the island fortress. It’s a rugged, beautiful part of the country—and a good hike too. It certainly got the heart rate up.
Join me as we look back through Past Notes for this week’s Friday Five.
Something that caught my eye this week
I watched an old video clip of author Ray Bradbury giving a talk on the best training for writing novels. Bradbury, one of America’s most celebrated 20th-century writers and author of Fahrenheit 451, told the audience that the biggest danger with writing a novel is wasting an entire year because you haven’t learned to write well yet.
He suggested instead to write a short story every week for a year.
“After a year, you’ll have 52 new stories” he said. “And I defy you to write 52 bad ones.”
By writing a short story every week, he argued, you stay happy because you finish something. “With writing a novel” he said, “you don’t know where the hell you’re going.”
Bradbury began writing at 12, but by his own account, he didn’t produce a decent story until he was 22.
As someone who loves writing and harbours ideas about someday writing novels, this struck me as great advice. And what a challenge: to write 52 short stories in a year.
Most people of course aren’t looking to write novels or short stories. But Bradbury’s advice holds true for whatever passions stir you. Whatever the craft, start small yet keep it challenging. Do it regularly so you start to see all the pieces required. And through repetition, build the instincts and skills you’re going to need.
Did anything catch your eye this week?
Woke Up This Morning - Issue 34, October 13, 2023
In this issue, we looked at how the world presents us with lessons, particularly through literature and television. I explored key concepts from one of the best books ever recommended to me: Difficult Conversations: How To Discuss What Matters Most. It’s a convincing read that distills fifteen years of research into practical strategies for managing the conversations we tend to avoid. This one belongs in your library
I also reflected on one of the greatest television shows of all time—The Sopranos. In contrast to Difficult Conversations, one of the show’s central themes is resistance to change. By recognising Tony Soprano’s pitfalls, we can better steer our journeys and see new opportunities.
Better perhaps to wake up curious than certain.
Big Ideas - Issue 37, November 3, 2023
For our second revisit, we explored the nature of ideas—and how they’ve shaped our world in both structured and unpredictable ways. The past offers a deep well of insight. For every person alive today, fourteen have passed on. That’s a lot of collective experience to draw from—especially from those closest to us, like our parents.
Under this framing, we looked at two very different works. Bill Bryson’s A Short History of Nearly Everything takes on the task of explaining the last 13.7 billion years in under 500 pages. And The Blair Witch Project, the innovative, genre-defining 1999 film, shot for just $60,000, reimagined the horror film and harnessed the early power of the internet.
In our search for new ideas, we can stay humble, like the man on the cover.
I hope you enjoyed this look back through the Deep Life Reflections archives.
Thanks as always for reading, contributing, and being part of the Deep Life Journey community. Have a great weekend.
James
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