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ARCHIVES OF November, 2009

Writing Wednesdays

Writing Wednesdays

Elements of Success

By Steven Pressfield | Published: November 11, 2009

I was making a long drive this week, across the desert from L.A. to Phoenix, and I got to thinking about the elements that comprise success-particularly for people like us, e.g. writers, artists and entrepreneurs, who work from the heart and on their own, without any imposed external structure. What are the skill-sets we need? Over a lifetime, what challenges do we need to master?

In today’s post, I’m attaching a podcast of an interview I did with Jen Grisanti, who helms a Los Angeles-based consulting firm dedicated to helping talented writers break into the industry, shape their material, hone their pitches, and focus their careers. Her one-on-one consults with authors offer the insight of a personal studio executive. Considering Jen’s last job was as VP of Current Programs at CBS/Paramount, writers do, indeed, benefit from having their own “executive” – one who has worked with over 190 writers working in television, features and novels, and who is also the Writing Instructor for NBC’s, Writers on the Verge, and a blogger for The Huffington Post. (more…)

Posted in Writing Wednesdays
10 Comments

Afghanistan

AfghanistanAgoraOne Tribe At A Time

Size Matters

By Steven Pressfield | Published: November 9, 2009

[Today we have a special follow-up interview with Maj. Jim Gant, on the subject of how big (or small) a Tribal Engagement Team should be—and what kind of large-scale support it would need. But first I want to say thanks to the many, many readers who have responded to Maj. Gant’s paper “One Tribe At A Time” and to all the members of the military, policy and journalism communities who have helped to circulate it. Special thanks to James Dao of the N.Y. Times (“Going Tribal in Afghanistan”), James Meek of the N.Y. Daily News (“Memo to Obama: Talk to Jim Gant or Risk Losing Afghan War”), to Small Wars Journal and to Col. Dave Maxwell, to BlackFive and Andrew Exum at Abu Muqawama, and to Glenn Reynolds (Instapundit) and Mark Safranski (Zenpundit.)

[Now to our interview:] (more…)

Posted in Afghanistan, Agora, One Tribe At A Time
7 Comments

Afghanistan

AfghanistanAgoraAn Interview with an Afghan Tribal Chief

It Was Easier Fighting the Taliban

By Steven Pressfield | Published: November 6, 2009

SP: You’ve been in Kabul the last couple of weeks, Chief Zazai. What were you doing there?

Chief Zazai: I was meeting with British and American commanders, trying to get support for the Tribal Police Force program in my home valley. (more…)

Posted in Afghanistan, Agora, An Interview with an Afghan Tribal Chief
4 Comments
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