[Lucas Mann, inner stuff]: Getting around an inner critic devoted to making sure you sound smart + releasing the desire to blow people away with your genius Ep 117
In this second part of my conversation with Lucas Mann, author of Attachments, Essays on Fatherhood and Other Performances and co-owner (with his wife, Ottavia) of the fabulous Riff Raff Bookstore and Bar in Providence, Rhode Island, we really got into the evolution of his thinking about what it means\u2013and what it takes\u2013to be a \u2018successful\u2019 writer, and what the even means.\n\nSpecifically, we talked about:\n\nThe hardest part of writing for Lucas\u2013namely, discipline\u2013and why writing an article feels so much harder than writing a book\nHow his inner critic is obsessed with making sure he sounds smart, and not like he\u2019s just writing about feelings\u2013and how it\u2019s always wrong\nHow getting older has helped him be less precious about his writing\nHow being a competitive, jock-y kid fed into his writing path\nHow teaching creative writing (which he does at U. Mass Dartmouth) has changed since he was an MFA student at the University of Iowa\nReleasing the idea that the only way to be good at something is to be maniacally devoted to it\nWhy he loves the Enneagram\n\nVisit Lucas at www.lucasmann.com.\n\nFor full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.\n\nThanks to this week\u2019s sponsor, Air Doctor Pro. Visit airdoctorpro.com and use code KATE to save 30% off an amazing indoor air filter *and* receive a free three-year warranty (an $84 value).\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices