The biggest takeaway for anyone seeking to write is this: don't go looking for the way other authors do their work. You won't find many who are consistent enough to copy, and there are enough variations in approach that it's obvious that it's not like hitting home runs or swinging a golf club. There isn't a standard approach, there's only what works for you (and what doesn't).

That the horrible Zika virus or HIV, we can look at what it means to be patient zero, what it means to need not much contact to spread, and all of those things follow into the way ideas spread.

Understanding the mythology of your partner, your customer and your audience is far more important than watching the instant replay of what actually happened.

Isn't the drawing board the place where all the best work happens? It's not a bad thing to go back there. It's the entire point.

If not enough people doubt you, you're not making a difference.

Make more decisions. That's the only way to get better at it.

Embracing the fear of freedom, deciding to determine your own path, this is the work of a grownup.