Smart Isn’t the Same as Clear: How to Sharpen Your Ideas

All good writers know that it isn’t a final draft until it is edited. But can running ultramarathons make you a better editor? This episode of Think Fast Talk Smart features Nick Thompson, the CEO of The Atlantic, and the former editor-in-chief of WIRED. Nick also happens to be an exceptional runner, holding the American age-group record for men over 45 in a 50k race. He’s ranked among the top Masters Marathoners in the world. He’s also the author of The Running Ground, and he’s here to talk about his writing, his editing process, and how running in 50ks has helped him in his writing career! In this episode, Matt and Nick talk about: • The brutal truth that only 5% of your first draft survives in the end. • How reading out loud reveals mistakes that your eyes couldn’t catch • How authentic communication can’t be faked. (But it can be forced!) • How running can teach some hard lessons about writing • Why visual elements of interesting stories aren’t optional • How Nick balances the mistrust with the benefits of AI in journalism Nick Thompson uncovers hidden connections between physical endurance and mental clarity in this conversation with Matt Abrahams - connections that will definitely help you unlock the secret of communicating in this distracted digital age. Key Quotes • "When you're reading on paper your eyes are scanning you're moving you're like taking a piece of this paragraph and that piece paragraph... You read out loud, you're forcing yourself to really understand and to study it and to think through it." - Nick Thompson (06:02) • “If you're going to be serious about it and you're really going to try to understand your body and improve, you have to turn off the music. You have to listen to yourself.” - Nick Thompson (13:09) Chapters 00:00 Introduction 00:52 Communicating in the Digital Age 02:56 Editing is Writing 04:50 Reading Out Loud 07:07 Creating Eye-Catching Content 08:51 AI in Journalism 12:02 Why Nick Thompson Runs 15:57 “The Simplest Sport” 16:55 Matt’s 3 Questions 20:06 Conclusion Relevant Links: Nick Thompson: https://www.fastersmarter.io/guests/n... Nick’s Book: https://www.fastersmarter.io/the-runn... Episode References: https://www.fastersmarter.io/183-reth... Connect with us: Premium Signup: https://www.fastersmarter.io/premium/ Email Questions & Feedback: [email protected] LinkedIn: (  / think-fast-talk-smart  ) Instagram (  / thinkfasttalksmart  ) YouTube (   / @thinkfasttalksmart  ) Matt Abrahams on LinkedIn (  / maabrahams  )