The Writer-versus-Writer Test
Choose the work itself before chasing the identity attached to it
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 94%
Michael Lewis separates wanting to write from wanting to be seen as a writer. The identity carries appealing images—books, interviews, recognition, and an admired lifestyle—but the craft consists mostly of solitary, repeated work. The test removes those external rewards and asks whether the person writes anyway. A candidate begins with a subject or experience that genuinely interests them, creates a small finished piece, and observes whether curiosity sustains the difficult process. If the work itself remains compelling, the person can increase commitment and build a career around demonstrated practice. If only the identity remains attractive, the experiment prevents an expensive career decision based on fantasy. The mechanism applies broadly to creative occupations whose visible rewards obscure their daily reality.
Origin
Extracted from Masters in Business through Michael Lewis's answer to young people asking whether they should pursue writing or finance.
Core principles
- 01Desire for status is different from desire for craft
- 02Intrinsic motivation produces work before permission arrives
- 03Interesting experience supplies material
- 04Career identity should follow repeated practice
- 05Test attraction through action rather than fantasy
How to run it
- 1
Remove the identity rewards
Describe the career as daily tasks while excluding fame, television appearances, praise, and lifestyle imagery.
Pro tip Interview a working professional about an ordinary week rather than a public success.
Watch out Do not evaluate the career from its most glamorous moments.
- 2
Name a real interest
Choose a subject, environment, or question that holds your attention independently of career ambition.
Pro tip Start with something you already investigate without being prompted.
Watch out A fashionable subject may not sustain the work once novelty fades.
- 3
Do the work now
Write regularly before obtaining permission, credentials, or a new job title.
Pro tip Use a small schedule that can survive your current obligations.
Watch out Endless preparation can preserve the fantasy while avoiding the craft.
- 4
Finish a concrete piece
Turn the interest into an article, essay, chapter, or other bounded artifact and revise it to completion.
Pro tip A finished short piece reveals more than an ambitious unfinished manuscript.
Watch out Do not confuse collecting ideas with writing.
- 5
Evaluate motivation
Ask whether the process itself generated enough curiosity and satisfaction to justify doing it repeatedly.
Pro tip Judge your willingness to return after a difficult revision, not only after praise.
Watch out One unpleasant session does not establish that the craft is wrong for you.
In the wild
Lewis entered Salomon Brothers without a settled writing career, recognized that his unusual workplace contained stories, and began publishing pieces while still employed. The work preceded the full-time writer identity and eventually supplied the richer first-person material for Liar's Poker.
→ Repeated writing about a genuine interest created evidence that he could leave finance for the craft.
An aspiring travel writer keeps a current job and completes four reported local travel essays over eight weeks. The person enjoys research but repeatedly avoids drafting, revealing that the imagined lifestyle is more attractive than the central task.
→ A low-cost trial prevents a premature career change and clarifies which part of the work is genuinely appealing.
Common mistakes
Falling for the public image
Media appearances and recognition are intermittent side effects, not the daily substance of writing.
Waiting for a writer title
If permission or employment must come first, the person never tests whether the underlying practice is intrinsically motivating.
Writing without genuine curiosity
Choosing a subject only because it appears marketable can leave too little interest to sustain reporting and revision.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for aspiring writers and other creatives considering a status-laden career change.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal for people who already have a substantial body of work and need business or publishing guidance instead.
From the transcript
“do you actually want to write? Or do you want to be a writer?”
“But so if you actually love to write, you're just gonna write.”
“go do something to interest you and write about it. Let's start there.”
From the episode
Michael Lewis Discusses the Culture of Finance (Podcast)