Another great read, Walter. I, for one, love your work.

Here’s an interesting hypothetical: A witty, educated writer creates a small masterpiece of cultural analysis every time he writes. But nobody reads those pieces. So, he simply starts to write as he talks, putting in less research and more of his “unique voice” and, to his amazement, quickly grows in popularity and income.

Because he’s experiencing increased engagement and increased revenue, he is incentivized to abandon the detailed writing otherwise fit for widespread publication at major, respected outlets, and he writes for the crowd that pays.

Populist writing, if you will…

But somewhere deep inside, a small piece of him withers and dies. Because our writer has sacrificed the euphoria that comes with discovering the perfect word or constructing the perfect sentence on the alter of income and followers.

Still, he knows that he should be happy. After all, not every writer can bring in hard cash for their work. Perhaps he should stop writing hypotheticals in the comments of his favorite writers and get back to work…

This is the way.