In Part Two of this file the former Slate staffer, ultimate data/word nerd, and acclaimed author of Nabokov’s Favorite Word Is Mauve, Ben Blatt, dropped in to talk about crunching the numbers of classic and modern literature, debunking famous writerly wisdom, and how prolific writers establish their literary fingerprints.
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Start getting more from your site today! Ben is a journalist, statistician, and author who takes a “fun” approach to data journalism on pop culture topics as varied as Seinfeld, The Beatles, and baseball (his last book I Don’t Care if We Never Get Back, was about a mathematically optimal baseball road trip).
The author studied applied mathematics at Harvard and has been published in The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, Deadspin, and others.
His most recent book, Nabokov’s Favorite Word Is Mauve: What the Numbers Reveal About the Classics, Bestsellers, and Our Own Writing, “… brings big data to the literary canon, exploring the wealth of fun findings that remain hidden in the works of the world s greatest writers.”
NPR called the book, A hell of a lot of fun …”, The Wall Street Journal, “Enlightening,” and The Boston Globe called it, “Brilliant.”
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If you missed the first half you can find it right here.
In Part Two of this file Ben Blatt and I discuss:
How to trick yourself out of writer’s block
A data journalist’s book writing hacks, including when to add tables and graphs
Why brevity and simplicity will always stand the test of time
How a great writer sticks out in their own unique way
Great tips to creating a long and rewarding writing career
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Nabokov’s Favorite Word Is Mauve: What the Numbers Reveal About the Classics, Bestsellers, and Our Own Writing – Ben Blatt
Ben Blatt’s website bblatt.com
The One Way Bestsellers Have Changed That You Probably Haven t Noticed – Ben Blatt
‘Nabokov’s Favorite Word Is Mauve’ Crunches The (Literary) Numbers – NPR
One Writer Used Statistics to Reveal the Secrets of What Makes Great Writing – Smithsonian
The Heretical Things Statistics Tell Us About Fiction – New Yorker
Ben Blatt on Twitter
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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How Data Journalist & Author of ‘Nabokov’s Favorite Word is Mauve’ Ben Blatt Writes: Part Two | The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience podcast - Listen or read transcript on Metacast
