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What Michael Lewis thinks about writing

@michael-lewis · 16 positions · 0 changes of mind

American author of Liar's Poker, Moneyball, The Big Short and The Undoing Project, and host of the podcast Against the Rules.

Michael Lewis did not write this page.

We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.

6 dated positions, 2025, in their own words. Our reading of what Michael Lewis has said — not written or endorsed by them.

  1. Our readingThe job of a writer is to get the reader into a state of mind where they will follow you anywhere, including into subjects they never knew they wanted.

    Their wordsyou grab the listener like I try to grab a reader and get them to the state of mind where they'll let you take them anywhere uh and teach them about stuff that they don't even know they want to learn about.

    ↗10 Years of Acquired (with Michael Lewis)youtube.com 1st of 16 in this recording

  3. Our readingThe best sign that a subject is worth writing about is that you are interested in it and nobody else is.

    Their wordsAnd I've learned just to not even talk about it cuz it kills my interest to watch it kill their interest. But I know why I'm interested and why it's important and I'm not I'm not relying on the world telling me it's important.

    ↗10 Years of Acquired (with Michael Lewis)youtube.com 6th of 16 in this recording

  5. Our readingThe aim of a story is to be so complete that once it has been told there is nothing left to say.

    Their wordsI want to give something that's good and pure and true and is like is like the thing that will once it's said there's nothing else to say. It's like done.

    ↗10 Years of Acquired (with Michael Lewis)youtube.com 9th of 16 in this recording

  7. Our readingTaking notes by hand is a filter, and recording an interview removes the one filter that decides what is worth keeping.

    Their wordsSo this is a filter. Like if I'm talking to you, it takes effort to put it down on the page. I don't record anything that I've filtered it. It's interesting enough to me that it belongs on the page.

    ↗10 Years of Acquired (with Michael Lewis)youtube.com 10th of 16 in this recording

  9. Our readingUntil you know how a story ends you cannot know how it begins, and that is why a book with material but no shape cannot be written.

    Their wordsI just don't know where this is going. I don't know what the end is. When I don't know what the end is, I don't know what the beginning is. And it's that simple.

    ↗10 Years of Acquired (with Michael Lewis)youtube.com 11th of 16 in this recording

  11. Our readingYou should only start a book you believe is going to be great, whatever it turns out to be.

    Their wordsAnd only do it if it's great. If you only do it, it's it's a long-term strategy. I mean, it's not that I think all my books are great. I don't write them, though, unless I think they're going to be great.

    ↗10 Years of Acquired (with Michael Lewis)youtube.com 15th of 16 in this recording