#642: Steven Pressfield on Going from Truck Driver to Bestselling Novelist, Overcoming Self-Sabotage, Building Momentum, Dancing with the Muse, Turning Pro, and Letting Your Underground River Flow

The Tim Ferriss Show

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Steven Pressfield (@SPressfield) was 52 years old before his first novel was published. Since then, he has written the million-sellers Gates of Fire and The War of Art, as well as The Legend of Bagger Vance, A Man at Arms, and many others. His newest book, the memoir Govt Cheese, is about those years before that first publication. It is coming out on December 30th, and you can pre-order signed copies here.

Please enjoy!

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[05:51] Ambition in a halfway house.

[09:30] Evanescent dreams.

[10:37] Helpful self-delusions.

[13:28] What’s in a name?

[19:18] Trimming fiction’s fat beyond the first draft.

[22:06] The Paul Rink method of maintaining Blitzkrieg momentum.

[25:48] Other pearls of Paul Rink perspicacity.

[28:08] A transition from aspiring fiction writer to prolific author.

[32:05] A hint from Hemingway.

[33:15] Positive self-delusion.

[35:26] Writing fiction isn’t self-indulgence. It’s an obligation.

[40:44] How does writing fiction fit into my life? Is it a top priority?

[51:04] Why Steven wrote Govt Cheese.

[53:34] A pivotal slap in the face.

[55:48] Seeking home from the wilderness.

[58:46] Banishing depression by finding profundity in the absurd.

[1:04:12] The novelty of absurdity isn’t necessarily negative.

[1:05:29] Icing on the cake.

[1:06:49] Two years I spent in the wilderness without a compass.

[1:09:33] Richard Rohr’s vessel.

[1:12:49] Handling the voltage.

[1:14:31] What did it feel like for Steven to write this memoir?

[1:16:25] The origin of the title Govt Cheese.

[1:18:55] What you, dear listener, should know about this book.

[1:20:49] Parting thoughts.

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