Jessica Danger (Morning Chalk Up | A Fresh Cup of Fitness)

Jessica Danger is a creative writing professor, an editor at the Morning Chalk Up, and a co-host of the "A Fresh Cup of Fitness" podcast. I’ve been writing #content for well over a decade now - starting with a polemical high school zine - and I haven’t put too much thought into my writing other than just vomiting ideas out. I was eager to get the perspective of an actual writer, editor and professor on how to improve writing, and I found many of her tips to be both super insightful and actionable. We also discuss balancing the incentives of clicks and engagement with maintaining an editorial standard when curating content for the Morning Chalk Up, as well as Jessica’s own creative projects like her new podcast "A Fresh Cup of Fitness" and her renewed focus on publishing her memoir.

Check out more from Jessica, the Morning Chalk Up & A Fresh Cup of Fitness here: Website: www.jlynndanger.com | Morning Chalk Up Podcast: A Fresh Cup of Fitness Instagram: @mamadanger | @morningchalkup

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Show Notes: [01:15] Writing is a skill that is learned through constant practice and iteration - just like skills in fitness. It's less magical than people think. [07:05] There's one consistent stumbling block that shows up for beginning, intermediate and advanced writers - it just presents itself differently. [14:52] Does reading actually translate into making people better writers? Or is there some other mysterious skill that makes people good at writing? What other drills can people use to improve their writing? [26:15] Most people make this mistake when trying to write and edit their work. And - what are other drills that people can use to become better editors? [35:00] What is worth sharing with the large audience of the Morning Chalk Up? What different types of people read the newsletter, and how does Jessica develop an intuition for what they are interested in? [42:00] No click bait and no "iceberg lettuce" in the Morning Chalk Up [49:40] What should a potential contributor think about when pitching an editor? And what drives editors crazy about bad pitches? [59:13] "A Fresh Cup of Fitness" podcast - and the difference between written content and a more conversational podcast [01:11:11] Jessica's memoir - and her plans to prioritize getting published after focusing on different aspects of her career Links and Resources Mentioned Romantic poetry "Shitty First Drafts" by Anne Lamott Fan fiction John Updike John Irving Raymond Chandler Ogden Nash "The Fourth State of Matter" by Jo Ann Beard Brittany Marsh Pocket Leo Tolstoy "Snow Crash" by Neal Stephenson "Neuromancer" by William Gibson "The Call of the Wild" by Jack London