{"id":1241,"date":"2019-01-31T18:59:56","date_gmt":"2019-01-31T18:59:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/?p=1241"},"modified":"2019-02-20T18:49:57","modified_gmt":"2019-02-20T18:49:57","slug":"angela-duckworth-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/angela-duckworth-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"MacArthur “Genius” And Bestselling Author Angela Duckworth On Perseverance And Conquering Fear"},"content":{"rendered":"

Who:<\/strong>\u00a0Angela Duckworth<\/p>\n

Claim To Fame: <\/strong>Angela Duckworth is a pioneering psychologist, celebrated researcher and professor, and the author of the instant\u00a0New York Times<\/em>\u00a0bestseller\u00a0Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance<\/span><\/a>. <\/em>She is the Founder and CEO\u00a0of\u00a0Character Lab<\/a>, a nonprofit whose mission is to advance the science and practice of character development. A 2013 MacArthur Fellow<\/a>\u00a0for her research transforming our understanding of the roles that grit and self-control play in educational achievement, Angela has advised the White House, the World Bank, NBA and NFL teams, and Fortune 500 CEOs. She has received numerous awards for her contributions to K-12 education, including a Beyond Z Award from the KIPP Foundation<\/a>.\u00a0And her TED talk<\/a> is among the most-viewed of all time.<\/p>\n

Where To Find Angela:<\/strong>\u00a0Her\u00a0Website<\/a>,\u00a0Amazon<\/a>,\u00a0Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n

Praise For Angela:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cPsychologists have spent decades searching for the secret of success, but Angela Duckworth is the one who found it. In this smart and lively book, she not only tells us what it<\/em> is<\/em>, but also how to get it.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>\u2014 Daniel Gilbert<\/a>, author of National Bestseller\u00a0Stumbling on Happiness\u00a0<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

\n

When and where do you like to write? Are you regimented about your writing routine?<\/h3>\n

In my home office, and ideally in the morning after coffee, but pretty much anytime I can find a moment of quiet\u2026<\/p>\n

Do you have any pre-writing rituals<\/a> that help you get in the zone? Anything you do when the writing isn\u2019t coming easy?<\/h3>\n

I think in general if you try to do big things, you fail. If you break big things into small things, you succeed. So I try to set out small tasks.<\/p>\n

Grit<\/em><\/a> is about how determination and perseverance trump innate talent. The fear of rejection<\/a> or of not being good enough haunts many aspiring writers. How can one grow their writing grit?<\/h3>\n

Exposure therapy. Do something and fail. See what happens. The world will not end. You will not stop breathing. Your friends will not abandon you. You\u2019ll conquer your fears only by experiencing them.<\/p>\n

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 \u2018this is something I need to write about\u2019 as opposed to \u2018this is something I enjoy reading about\u2019?<\/h3>\n

Good question. I don\u2019t know. I mostly feel compelled to write when I think my writing will be helpful. I\u2019m not a novelist. I am a scientist trying to share insights into human nature that we can use to our advantage.<\/p>\n

All of your work is very research<\/a> intensive. What is your method for researching and organizing material you might want to use for your future writing?<\/h3>\n

I read, think, and take notes until I feel there is, in a sense, and overflow of understanding. Then I sit down to write. I don\u2019t think you should begin when you\u2019re still learning because, well, it\u2019s too hard to learn and write at the same time.<\/p>\n

Writers have to be master prioritizers \u2014 juggling all sorts of projects and deadlines at the same time. That\u2019s certainly the case for you. Do you have any methods for managing tasks and time to stay productive and not let overwhelm sneak in?<\/h3>\n

See above. Break down big tasks into small ones. Break down small tasks into tiny ones. And plan ahead. If you want to know more, subscribe to my thought of the week at https:\/\/www.characterlab.org\/signup<\/a><\/p>\n

What are the best pieces of writing advice<\/a> that you\u2019ve ever received or read?<\/h3>\n

Writing is hard. Most authors tell you this. They\u2019re right. You can\u2019t hear it often enough. When you\u2019re weeping into your beer, or about to throw your laptop into the trashcan, remember: writing is hard.<\/p>\n

What writers and books have had the greatest impact on your writing and thinking?<\/h3>\n

I love About Alice<\/em><\/a> by Calvin Trillin. I loved the encouragement, and the honesty, of Stephen King\u2019s On Writing<\/em><\/a>. Most of all, I was touched by an angel when my high school registrar put me in Mr. Carr\u2019s English class twice\u2014sophomore year and senior year. Because it was from Mr. Carr that I learned to love words, to hear them, and to put them together in ways that brought me pleasure.<\/p>\n

____________<\/p>\n

Ready to create a writing routine of your\u00a0own?<\/h3>\n

Sign up now and receive our free guide\u00a0\u201c12 Essential Writing Routines To Help You To Craft Your Own<\/span><\/a>.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Learn from the routines of superstar authors\u00a0Stephen King, Gertrude Stein, John Grisham, Ernest Hemingway, Neil Gaiman, and many more.<\/em><\/p>\n

Get the free guide\u00a0here!<\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Who:\u00a0Angela Duckworth Claim To Fame: Angela Duckworth is a pioneering psychologist, celebrated researcher and professor, and the author of the instant\u00a0New York Times\u00a0bestseller\u00a0Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. She is the Founder and CEO\u00a0of\u00a0Character Lab, a nonprofit whose mission is to advance the science and practice of character development. A 2013 MacArthur Fellow\u00a0for her […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1244,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1241","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-non-fiction"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMacArthur "Genius" And Bestselling Author Angela Duckworth On Perseverance And Conquering Fear - Writing Routines<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/angela-duckworth-interview\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"MacArthur "Genius" And Bestselling Author Angela Duckworth On Perseverance And Conquering Fear - Writing Routines\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Who:\u00a0Angela Duckworth Claim To Fame: Angela Duckworth is a pioneering psychologist, celebrated researcher and professor, and the author of the instant\u00a0New York Times\u00a0bestseller\u00a0Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. She is the Founder and CEO\u00a0of\u00a0Character Lab, a nonprofit whose mission is to advance the science and practice of character development. A 2013 MacArthur Fellow\u00a0for her […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/angela-duckworth-interview\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Writing Routines\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/writingroutines\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-01-31T18:59:56+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-02-20T18:49:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/angela-duckworth.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"700\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"467\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kevin Currie\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@writingroutines\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@writingroutines\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kevin Currie\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/angela-duckworth-interview\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/angela-duckworth-interview\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Kevin Currie\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/#\/schema\/person\/a2da8a719a4aa9d1696b8bd8759fe175\"},\"headline\":\"MacArthur “Genius” And Bestselling Author Angela Duckworth On Perseverance And Conquering Fear\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-01-31T18:59:56+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-02-20T18:49:57+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/angela-duckworth-interview\/\"},\"wordCount\":786,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/angela-duckworth-interview\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/angela-duckworth.jpeg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Non-Fiction\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/angela-duckworth-interview\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/angela-duckworth-interview\/\",\"name\":\"MacArthur \\\"Genius\\\" And Bestselling Author Angela Duckworth On Perseverance And Conquering Fear - Writing Routines\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/angela-duckworth-interview\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/angela-duckworth-interview\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/angela-duckworth.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-01-31T18:59:56+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-02-20T18:49:57+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/angela-duckworth-interview\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/angela-duckworth-interview\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/angela-duckworth-interview\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/angela-duckworth.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/angela-duckworth.jpeg\",\"width\":700,\"height\":467},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/angela-duckworth-interview\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"MacArthur “Genius” And Bestselling Author Angela Duckworth On Perseverance And Conquering Fear\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/\",\"name\":\"Writing Routines\",\"description\":\"A behind-the-scenes look at the daily habits of writers and authors\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Writing Routines\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/writing-routines.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/writing-routines.png\",\"width\":1280,\"height\":720,\"caption\":\"Writing Routines\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/writingroutines\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/writingroutines\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/writingroutines\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/#\/schema\/person\/a2da8a719a4aa9d1696b8bd8759fe175\",\"name\":\"Kevin Currie\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a895ee40fa4dc9bd6e05a5b3cc103d0f686e1b2c695f3dd8885f82d2a4dd379a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a895ee40fa4dc9bd6e05a5b3cc103d0f686e1b2c695f3dd8885f82d2a4dd379a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Kevin Currie\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"MacArthur \"Genius\" And Bestselling Author Angela Duckworth On Perseverance And Conquering Fear - Writing Routines","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/angela-duckworth-interview\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"MacArthur \"Genius\" And Bestselling Author Angela Duckworth On Perseverance And Conquering Fear - Writing Routines","og_description":"Who:\u00a0Angela Duckworth Claim To Fame: Angela Duckworth is a pioneering psychologist, celebrated researcher and professor, and the author of the instant\u00a0New York Times\u00a0bestseller\u00a0Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. She is the Founder and CEO\u00a0of\u00a0Character Lab, a nonprofit whose mission is to advance the science and practice of character development. A 2013 MacArthur Fellow\u00a0for her […]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/angela-duckworth-interview\/","og_site_name":"Writing Routines","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/writingroutines\/","article_published_time":"2019-01-31T18:59:56+00:00","article_modified_time":"2019-02-20T18:49:57+00:00","og_image":[{"width":700,"height":467,"url":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/angela-duckworth.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Kevin Currie","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@writingroutines","twitter_site":"@writingroutines","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Kevin Currie","Estimated reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/angela-duckworth-interview\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/angela-duckworth-interview\/"},"author":{"name":"Kevin Currie","@id":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/#\/schema\/person\/a2da8a719a4aa9d1696b8bd8759fe175"},"headline":"MacArthur “Genius” And Bestselling Author Angela Duckworth On Perseverance And Conquering Fear","datePublished":"2019-01-31T18:59:56+00:00","dateModified":"2019-02-20T18:49:57+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/angela-duckworth-interview\/"},"wordCount":786,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/angela-duckworth-interview\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/angela-duckworth.jpeg","articleSection":["Non-Fiction"],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/angela-duckworth-interview\/","url":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/angela-duckworth-interview\/","name":"MacArthur \"Genius\" And Bestselling Author Angela Duckworth On Perseverance And Conquering Fear - Writing Routines","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/angela-duckworth-interview\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/angela-duckworth-interview\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/angela-duckworth.jpeg","datePublished":"2019-01-31T18:59:56+00:00","dateModified":"2019-02-20T18:49:57+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/angela-duckworth-interview\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/angela-duckworth-interview\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/angela-duckworth-interview\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/angela-duckworth.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/angela-duckworth.jpeg","width":700,"height":467},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/angela-duckworth-interview\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"MacArthur “Genius” And Bestselling Author Angela Duckworth On Perseverance And Conquering Fear"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/","name":"Writing Routines","description":"A behind-the-scenes look at the daily habits of writers and authors","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/#organization","name":"Writing Routines","url":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/writing-routines.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/writing-routines.png","width":1280,"height":720,"caption":"Writing Routines"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/writingroutines\/","https:\/\/x.com\/writingroutines","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/writingroutines\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/#\/schema\/person\/a2da8a719a4aa9d1696b8bd8759fe175","name":"Kevin Currie","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a895ee40fa4dc9bd6e05a5b3cc103d0f686e1b2c695f3dd8885f82d2a4dd379a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a895ee40fa4dc9bd6e05a5b3cc103d0f686e1b2c695f3dd8885f82d2a4dd379a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Kevin Currie"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1241","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1241"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1241\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1245,"href":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1241\/revisions\/1245"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1244"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1241"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1241"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.writingroutines.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1241"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}