> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.andrewliptak.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Chasing views - URL: https://www.andrewliptak.com/roundup-writing-content-passion/ - Published: 2024-06-30T14:14:34.000Z - Updated: 2024-06-30T14:14:34.000Z - Description: Some thoughts on writing content and being content with writing - Author: Andrew Liptak - Tags: Roundup, Writing I recently came across an [intriguing article](https://www.theverge.com/24181763/game-of-thrones-journalism-media-recaps?ref=andrewliptak.com) by a former colleague, Kevin Nguyen, about the impact that *Game of Thrones* had on the journalism industry while I was working full/part time as a journalist for places like *io9* and *The Verge*. It’s hard to understate just how good the series was at driving traffic towards the pantheon of nerd-adjacent news sites, something that’s revealed in the sheer number of places that dutifully wrote out episode recaps over the show’s run. It’s had me thinking a lot about the work that I did over the years, and how it’s evolved over time. I’ve written my fair share of recaps for a bunch of shows — *The Expanse*, *Dark Matter*, *Killjoys*, [*Foundation*](https://www.andrewliptak.com/tag/foundation/), and a bunch of others — and looking back, I’m marveling at just how empty some of that effort and coverage feels now. I shared the article with another former colleague and we spoke a bit about that moment in journalism looks like in retrospect: a lot of throwing stuff at the wall to see what worked well with readers, but how very little had any real, lasting impact. Most of it was just reacting to stuff. There’s one piece that sticks out in my mind as a good example of this: a senior editor demanded late in the day, long after my shift had ended, that I write about how Patriots coach Bill Belichick threw a Microsoft Surface after a play, and how we quibbled over whether or not he was “angry” when he did so. I’m still not entirely sure what the purpose was for writing that. Over my time writing for those places, my approach toward writing these sorts of culture stories was always to try and add context. If I was hitting a story about a new adaptation, I’d write about the background of the book or the author, taking a prompt I’d picked up from a professor at my grad school by asking “why”: why is it important that readers know about this or that? My rule of thumb was that I should be able to add at least 2-3 grafs of that supplemental material, otherwise, why was I bothering? But it still feels now a bit empty: either written because there was a traffic incentive, or because I needed to write 3-4 articles a day to earn a decent enough paycheck to keep a roof over my head. Nowadays, I’ve settled into less of a news pattern, preferring to drop links into this newsletter’s Slack channel to discuss the various adaptations or news of the day, while still writing out the stories about things that I’m genuinely interested in, and of which I think TO readers will also want to know about. Thinking back to some of those more consequential stories that I wrote for my various sites, I think back to a piece I wrote [about Vermont’s Front Porch Forum](https://www.theverge.com/2019/1/24/18129437/front-porch-forum-vermont-social-network-listserv-local-online-community?ref=andrewliptak.com), or a look at the cranberry industry and [how it’s farmers were were utilizing new technologies to keep in business](https://www.theverge.com/2016/11/23/12640282/farming-technology-cranberry-industry-dji-phantom-drone-data?ref=andrewliptak.com). Those pieces were pretty few and far between, whenever I could find time between writing and editing those shorter pieces. It’s taken me a long time to unlearn some of those habits, where I’d aggressively chase after stories to be the first to get it up on to the site before our competitors. I’m realizing how destructive it was on my mental health: an endless rush that left me burned out and exhausted for years afterwards. I still sometimes miss that work: I like putting those sorts of stories together and being the first to tell it, but I don’t miss the stress. I much prefer writing this newsletter, where I can ignore press deadlines and take the time to really let a story take shape and breathe, where I can find the right angle and approach and tell it properly. I have a couple of those in the works, and the time that I’ve taken to think the stories through will help them, I think. Still, I get a twinge of irritation when I see a competing story beat me to it. I still have some things to unlearn. I don’t regret that work in any real sense; that flood of work helped me learn how to write with discipline, how to tease out a story and figure out what’s working in the background (and what the bigger story is), all of which I’ve found to be really useful. But the stories that I think back about and which stand out for me? They’re fewer and farther between, especially when I look at what I’ve written for this newsletter. I think it’s a good lesson and reminder that it’s important to not forget passion and interest and curiosity when it comes to putting pen to paper. --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2c/d7/2cd7d323-e6ed-4666-8092-07e380dbdf2a/content/images/2024/06/IMG_8143.jpeg) Image: Andrew Liptak ### Currently reading For once, I don’t think I brought enough books with me on a trip. I finished Fonda Lee’s *Untethered Sky*, an intriguing novella about a woman who is part of a royal military using giant birds to hunt manticores, and then moved on to start Robin Sloan’s sublime *Moonbound*. I’m reading and listening to it now, and I’m really loving it, but I’m going to finish it soon. It’s been a little while since I’ve done a roundup, and I’ve finished a handful of books in the weeks since. I read Martha Wells’s *System Collapse*, Jeffrey Toobin’s *Homegrown: Timothy McVeigh and the Rise of Right-Wing Extremism* (A happy read, if ever there was one), Michael Crichton’s posthumous novel *Eruption* (finished by James Patterson), Austin Grossman’s *Soon I Will Be Invincible* and *Fight Me (*stay tuned for more about those soon), *Veronica Roth’s When Among Crows*, Katherine Arden’s *The Warm Hands of Ghosts*, and Lev Grossman’s *The Bright Sword* (also excellent, and stay tuned for more about that.) On the to-read list? In addition to *Moonbound*, I brought *Challengers* by Adam Higgenbotham with me, which I’m excited to continue. It’s excellent so far. I’ve also got *Nuclear War* by Annie Jacobsen, *Blood, Sweat and Chrome* by Kyle Buchanan, *Stories are Weapons* by Annalee Newitz, *Those Beyond the Wall* by Micaiah Johnson, *The Icarus Plot* by Timothy Zahn, and *The Spear Cuts Through Water* by Simon Jimenez that I’ve started. Paul Tremblay’s *Horror Movie* is also on the short list to start. I’m also planning on starting Paolo Bacicalupi’s upcoming book *Navola*, which I’m very excited to read. --- ### Further reading It's been a little while since I've done a roundup, so here are some things that I've written: **Adaptations**. Here's a long-brewing piece that I've been picking away at about the nature of adaptations and why I don't think strict fidelity to the original story is necessarily the best thing. [What makes for an adaptation good?Fidelity to the source material isn’t always a sure sign of a quality adaptation![](https://www.andrewliptak.com/favicon.ico)Transfer OrbitAndrew Liptak![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2c/d7/2cd7d323-e6ed-4666-8092-07e380dbdf2a/content/images/size/w1200/2023/01/Untitled-design.jpg)](https://www.andrewliptak.com/adaptations-sci-fi-halo-3-body-movies-books/) **A new *Harry Potter* adaptation**. Pottermore and Audible have announced a new audiobook adaptation of the *Harry Potter* novels. It looks like a big production: all seven novels will get a full-cast adaptation, sometime in 2025\. [Harry Potter is getting a new audiobook adaptationAll seven books will get a full-cast dramatization![](https://www.andrewliptak.com/favicon.ico)Transfer OrbitAndrew Liptak![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2c/d7/2cd7d323-e6ed-4666-8092-07e380dbdf2a/content/images/size/w1200/2024/04/IMG_7349.jpg)](https://www.andrewliptak.com/harry-potter-audible-audio-drama/) **Afrofuturist anthology**. This looks like it'll be an excellent read. [Library of America is publishing an Afrofuturist anthologyIt’ll be released February 4th, 2025![](https://www.andrewliptak.com/favicon.ico)Transfer OrbitAndrew Liptak![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2c/d7/2cd7d323-e6ed-4666-8092-07e380dbdf2a/content/images/2024/06/81KmEtsZPHL._SL1500_.jpg)](https://www.andrewliptak.com/library-of-america-afrofuturist-black-fantastic-andre-carrington/) **Awards**! Here are the finalists for this year's [Arthur C. Clarke Awards](https://www.andrewliptak.com/here-are-the-finalists-for-the-2024-arthur-c-clarke-award/), [Locus Awards](https://www.andrewliptak.com/locus-award-finalists-science-fiction-fantasy-horror-books/) [Shirley Jackson](https://www.andrewliptak.com/shirley-jackson-awards-2023-horror-books-fiction/), and the winners of the 2024 [Bram Stoker](https://www.andrewliptak.com/2023-bram-stoker-award-horror-books/), [Nebula](https://www.andrewliptak.com/nebula-award-sfwa-science-fiction-fantasy/) and [Locus Awards](https://www.andrewliptak.com/locus-award-winners-2024-martha-wells-kingfisher-chandrasekera/). **Dune: Prophecy**. *Dune: Part 2* hit theaters earlier this year, but we'll be returning to the world this fall with a prequel series, Dune: Prophecy. Here's the teaser trailer: [Here’s a first look at Dune: ProphecyThe six-episode prequel to Dune will arrive on Max later this fall![](https://www.andrewliptak.com/favicon.ico)Transfer OrbitAndrew Liptak![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2c/d7/2cd7d323-e6ed-4666-8092-07e380dbdf2a/content/images/size/w1200/2024/05/Dune-Prophecy-1.jpeg)](https://www.andrewliptak.com/dune-prophecy-frank-herbert-max-streaming-teaser-watch/) **Emily St. John Mandel talk**. Super brief post, because I couldn't find my notes and the video for the event has been taken down, but I saw Emily St. John Mandel a couple of months ago and she had some neat things to say about writing. [Emily St. John Mandel talkThe Station Eleven author on genre and community![](https://www.andrewliptak.com/favicon.ico)Transfer OrbitAndrew Liptak![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2c/d7/2cd7d323-e6ed-4666-8092-07e380dbdf2a/content/images/size/w1200/2024/02/IMG_5868.jpeg)](https://www.andrewliptak.com/emily-st-john-mandel-middlebury-talk/) **Fake books**. Paul Tremblay discovered on the eve of his latest book's release that someone was selling fake versions of it. [Fakes and blanksPaul Tremblay discovered that someone was selling fake copies of his new novel, Horror Movie. It’s a window into a much bigger problem with scams on Amazon.![](https://www.andrewliptak.com/favicon.ico)Transfer OrbitAndrew Liptak![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2c/d7/2cd7d323-e6ed-4666-8092-07e380dbdf2a/content/images/size/w1200/2024/06/IMG_7899.jpeg)](https://www.andrewliptak.com/paul-tremblay-horror-movie-amazon-fake-books-scams/) **Find your friends**. This was a super cool thing to see: Apple released an ad for the iPhone 15 that featured Mandalorian cosplayers. [Find your friendsAnother example of cosplay’s growing mainstream appeal![](https://www.andrewliptak.com/favicon.ico)Transfer OrbitAndrew Liptak![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2c/d7/2cd7d323-e6ed-4666-8092-07e380dbdf2a/content/images/2024/05/3D3F22E2-83BC-4895-9D33-198268D9F410.jpeg)](https://www.andrewliptak.com/apple-star-wars-commercial-cosplay-fandom/) **Green Wing returns**! This was a favorite comedy of mine when I studied abroad in London: it's returned as an audio drama, which was a delightful surprise. [Code BlueThe hilarious Channel 4 sitcom Green Wing just got an audio drama reunion![](https://www.andrewliptak.com/favicon.ico)Transfer OrbitAndrew Liptak![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2c/d7/2cd7d323-e6ed-4666-8092-07e380dbdf2a/content/images/size/w1200/2024/05/IMG_7515.jpeg)](https://www.andrewliptak.com/green-wing-resuscitated-audio-drama/) **Lady Astronaut: the Collection!** Mary Robinette Kowal is Kickstarting a new collection of stories from her Lady Astronaut series. [New tales from the Lady AstronautMary Robinette Kowal is Kickstarting a short collection of stories set in her Lady Astronaut universe![](https://www.andrewliptak.com/favicon.ico)Transfer OrbitAndrew Liptak![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2c/d7/2cd7d323-e6ed-4666-8092-07e380dbdf2a/content/images/size/w1200/2024/06/Copy-of-Copy-of-Copy-of-White-Black-Minimalist-Bottle-Label.png)](https://www.andrewliptak.com/mary-robinette-kowal-lady-astronaut-silent-spaces-kickstarter/) **More Middle-earth is on the way**. In the [form of a couple of new films](https://www.andrewliptak.com/gollum-gollum/), to be produced by Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens, with the first tentatively titled *The Hunt for Gollum*. It'll star and be directed by Andy Serkis. There's also a new season of Amazon's *Rings of Power* debuting later this fall: [here's the teaser trailer](https://www.andrewliptak.com/lord-of-the-rings-of-power-tolkien-season-two-trailer-watch/). **Netflix has renewed *3 Body Problem***. For an indeterminate number of seasons to finish out the story, which is a good bit of news for fans of the show. [Netflix has renewed 3 Body Problem to finish the storyFor an indeterminate number of episodes and seasons![](https://www.andrewliptak.com/favicon.ico)Transfer OrbitAndrew Liptak![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2c/d7/2cd7d323-e6ed-4666-8092-07e380dbdf2a/content/images/2024/05/AAAAQUv07qr91qxFhxXiDc_RDATkRYpXjhmQEUNg97zbVJ7UaYfOI-bxFD0U0-8lO-vlw2RU-n3wnhPjnC6KTITEWKD1OXOaLI1Mohp_kXFtCRA4GcmuD5XsETCf4BJ549AGekqNIV-KqQmKm2AVP3XUTcaxHKc.jpg)](https://www.andrewliptak.com/netflix-3-body-problem-renewed/) **New Books**. Lots of books hit bookstores in May and June. Here are my lists: [May 1](https://www.andrewliptak.com/may-2024-science-fiction-fantasy-horror-book-list/), [May 2](https://www.andrewliptak.com/may-2024-science-fiction-fantasy-new-books/), [June 1](https://www.andrewliptak.com/june-2024-scifi-fantasy-horror-book-list/), and [June 2](https://www.andrewliptak.com/june-2024-sci-fi-fantasy-horror-book-list/). [Here’s the May 2024 book list!19 new SF/F books to check out this month![](https://www.andrewliptak.com/favicon.ico)Transfer OrbitAndrew Liptak![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2c/d7/2cd7d323-e6ed-4666-8092-07e380dbdf2a/content/images/size/w1200/2024/05/IMG_7377.jpeg)](https://www.andrewliptak.com/may-2024-science-fiction-fantasy-horror-book-list/) ### New short story! I wrote a short story! The first one that I've published in a decade, and you can read it here: [Read my new short story, EmbersPart of Horizon 2045’s digital anthology, Far Futures![](https://www.andrewliptak.com/favicon.ico)Transfer OrbitAndrew Liptak![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2c/d7/2cd7d323-e6ed-4666-8092-07e380dbdf2a/content/images/size/w1200/2024/05/image-1.png)](https://www.andrewliptak.com/short-science-fiction-horizon-2045-far-futures/) **Own part of SF History**. One of the very first Hugo Awards recently came up for sale. [Want to own a piece of SF history?One of the first-ever Hugo Awards is up for auction. It comes with a complicated legacy.![](https://www.andrewliptak.com/favicon.ico)Transfer OrbitAndrew Liptak![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2c/d7/2cd7d323-e6ed-4666-8092-07e380dbdf2a/content/images/2024/06/Copy-of-Copy-of-Winter-histories-card.png)](https://www.andrewliptak.com/hugo-award-forrest-ackerman-philcon-2-science-fiction-fandom/) **Review**: **Katherine Arden's *The Warm Hands of Ghosts***. This is an excellent read. [The memories that haunt the battlefieldsKatherine Arden’s novel The Warm Hands of Ghosts is a gripping and heart-wrenching tale of wartime trauma and memories, and of finding hope in darkness![](https://www.andrewliptak.com/favicon.ico)Transfer OrbitAndrew Liptak![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2c/d7/2cd7d323-e6ed-4666-8092-07e380dbdf2a/content/images/size/w1200/2024/06/IMG_7838.jpeg)](https://www.andrewliptak.com/warm-hands-of-ghosts-katherine-arden-fantasy-book-review/) **TED Talk**. Here's a TED Talk by Annalee Newitz about how fantasy and speculative fiction can inspire people in the real world. [Watch Annalee Newitz’s TED Talk about the power of fantasyHarnessing the power of fandom for good![](https://www.andrewliptak.com/favicon.ico)Transfer OrbitAndrew Liptak![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2c/d7/2cd7d323-e6ed-4666-8092-07e380dbdf2a/content/images/size/w1200/2024/05/3542706810_e896bc04ef_3k.jpg)](https://www.andrewliptak.com/annalee-newitz-ted-talk-fiction-watch/)