Inside the Writing Process of Dan Pink, bestselling author of WHEN

Every month, I recommend a new book that’s helped me see the world differently. January 2018's is When, by Dan Pink.

As Big Daddy Kane said, writing ain’t easy. But somehow Pink makes it seem that way. He’s the author of many books (Drive, To Sell Is Human, et al.) and was the chief speechwriter for Al Gore back in the day. When, which reveals the hidden science of perfect timing, is his best yet.

You can read all about the new book here. Meantime, I caught up with Dan to talk about his creative process:

What’s your process for a big writing project like WHEN?

DP: I have files — both paper and electronic — for ideas, which I review every 6 months or so. When I’m contemplating writing a new book, I go through the files pretty rigorously and realize that most of the ideas are awful. For the few that remain, I do a little more research and then I begin writing a book proposal — usually a 30-page document that lays out what the book is, why it’s different from anything out there, and why it’s an appealing topic. I write this as much for me as I do for my publisher. It gives me a sense of the solidity of the idea and whether I want to spend a few years on this topic.

The next big stage is the research stage where I read and do interviews and read more and do more interviews and take notes and scribble on whiteboards and try to make early sense of the material. That can go on for a long time. But my aim is to get an early sense of the book’s structure — and then to try to find a chapter that I can begin working on.

What rituals, if any, do you have as a writer?

DP: When I’m in the writing stages of a book, I keep a pretty rigid schedule. Each day I show up to my office (the garage behind my house) in the morning, around 830am. And I give myself a word count — usually between 500 and 800 words. I don’t do anything else — no email, no phone calls, no Twitter — until I hit that word count. Sometimes I can do it in a few hours. Other times, it’s excruciating and I’m struggling well into the afternoon. For me, it’s the only process that works. If I write 600 words a day 6 or 7 days a week, the pages begin to pile up.

What’s your writing toolkit?

DP: I’m a devout pencil user for note taking and marking up reading. My favorite pencil is a Faber-Castell Jumbo Grip. I’m a big user of paper files, redweld folders, and a labeler — though I also rely heavily on Dropbox. I write on an IMac using Word and organize research on a MacBook Air (though I’ve just upgraded to a MacBook Pro.) I also use four whiteboard panels permanently affixed to a wall in my office as well as poster-sized Post-It Notes.

Where do you go for inspiration? (And perhaps we should also ask: WHEN do you go for inspiration?!)

DP: I’m not a big believer in inspiration, actually. I believe much more in getting to work. But when I see somebody who’s great at what they do — a writer, an athlete, an actor, a teacher — I do find that inspiring.

What’s your favorite thing you’ve ever written in your life?

DP: Besides the answers to these questions? Not sure about this one. But my wife and I did write our own wedding vows, so that piece of writing was certainly the most meaningful and enduring.

What’s the first book you remember loving?

DP: Michael Bond’s books on Paddington the bear.

What’s your best piece of advice for writers?

DP: Get started. Then show up every day.

What do you want written on your tombstone?

DP: Holy crap, this guy lived a long time!

Do you think you’ll ever get on the front page of Google for the term, “When”? :)

DP: Nope. My research indicates that the word “when” pre-dates my using it as a book title.

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