Read, Connect, Then Write
Build original writing by connecting ideas gathered through deep reading
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 98%
Treat reading as the primary production activity rather than preparation that happens before the real work. Gather varied inputs from books, articles, research, reports, and conversations, then notice where one source recalls or contradicts another. Those connections become the raw material for an original argument or story. Continue reading and thinking until the structure feels sufficiently clear that drafting becomes an act of expression rather than forced discovery. Housel suggests an approximate 90/10 allocation: devote most available time to reading and synthesis and only a small share to producing sentences. The output is stronger because it combines multiple inputs into a coherent perspective instead of asking an empty page to generate insight.
Origin
Morgan Housel described the process he developed during nearly two decades of professional writing. Extracted from Masters in Business.
Core principles
- 01Strong writing begins with extensive reading.
- 02Original ideas emerge by connecting material from different sources.
- 03Thinking time is part of the writing process.
- 04Forced drafting produces weaker work.
- 05Drafting should consume less time than gathering and synthesizing inputs.
How to run it
- 1
Gather varied inputs
Read and listen broadly across books, blogs, reports, studies, and podcasts. Seek useful ideas rather than material from only one format or field.
Pro tip Keep the process casual enough that curiosity can guide what you consume.
Watch out Do not mistake visible keyboard activity for the whole of a writer's work.
- 2
Notice associations
Identify moments when one source reminds you of another idea, study, or story. Record these associations before they disappear.
Pro tip Pay particular attention to connections between sources that would not normally be discussed together.
- 3
Build a unique connection
Combine related observations into a distinct argument, explanation, or narrative. Clarify what the combination reveals that each source could not show alone.
Pro tip Describe the connection in one sentence before attempting a full draft.
Watch out A collection of references is not yet a coherent idea.
- 4
Think before drafting
Develop the sequence and central point away from the pressure of polished prose. Begin writing only when the underlying story has become clear.
Watch out Forcing sentences before the idea is ready can produce the weakest version of the work.
- 5
Draft the prepared idea
Convert the assembled argument into concise prose, using drafting as the final expression of prior reading and thought.
Pro tip Aim to spend roughly ten percent of the total process on actual drafting.
In the wild
A financial writer reads a chapter about social psychology, hears a podcast story about speculative bubbles, and reviews a study of investor behavior. Instead of summarizing each source independently, the writer connects them into an article explaining why apparently rational investors imitate a crowd during periods of uncertainty.
→ The resulting article offers a distinctive mechanism supported by several complementary inputs.
Common mistakes
Starting with an empty keyboard
Trying to discover the idea while forcing polished sentences creates unnecessary friction and often weakens the writing.
Consuming without connecting
Reading widely produces little value if the writer never records associations or turns them into a distinct point.
Treating reading as leisure only
Writers may undervalue reading because it does not visibly resemble production, even though it supplies the substance of the work.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for writers, researchers, and commentators who need a steady supply of original, evidence-informed material.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal for urgent factual communications that must be drafted immediately from fixed information.
From the transcript
“Ninety nine percent of being a good writer is being a good reader.”
“I can tie all those together and come up with a really unique story myself that I can write about.”
“You should spend all of your time reading and thinking and maybe ten percent of your time actually writing.”
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