Author Malcolm Gladwell didn’t set out to be a journalist.
During a Reddit AMA session today, he revealed his professional experience and gave advice for aspiring writers. “I got into journalism by accident. I couldn’t get a job in advertising! My advice to anyone starting out is figure out what you WANT to write about first. What really interests you? All the best writing comes from passion.”
During the online conversation, he also revealed that he does a ton of interviews but he doesn’t always use them all. “I would say that probably half of the interviews I do end up on the cutting room floor–or, at least, are used in later articles,” he wrote. “The purpose of reserach is to cast as wide a net as possible. I tend to start researching something with only the vaguest idea in mind of where I want to end up. It’s a mistake to make up your mind too soon.”