Friend of the newsletter and work/life guru, Tom Grundy, recently recommended a book to me by Scott Adams, the brains (and pen) behind Dilbert.

I couldn't find How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big for my trusty Kindle, so I asked for it as a Christmas gift instead.

Dad delivered and I've been happily picking away at the paperback since.

Adams comes across as a polymath and lots of bits have LEAPT off the page already.

One yesterday was where Adams argues that the art of conversation is a key life skill.

A skill that most of us lack. Certainly not a strength of mine. I prefer to hide behind the written word where possible.

Anyway, in this mini section he lists three of the dullest types of conversation.

1.Talking about what you’ve been watching on TV

This only works if the other person has seen it too. If they haven’t, you’re left explaining characters, plot and why it’s sooo good, while they nod along with no real way in.

2. Talking in depth about your health

Not the big stuff. The small, ongoing gripes and grumbles. The sub-par sleep. The perennially sore shoulder. The shoddy hamstring (guilty as charged!) An energy sucker if it goes on too long. This is not as callous as it sounds. Adams makes the point it's that you feel awkward changing the topic as from a 'serious' subject*.

3. ???

I’ll come back to it in a jiffy.

But what made me think, and chuckle, was that I had literally just been brainstorming what I want to write more about in 2026 now the monkeys are off my back...

One thing was delving more into stories I enjoy.

Stories in books, films and yes, those on the tele.

Adams would be cursing me in the name of Tiarra.

And yet, one thing Mr Grundy has talked about on his newsletter is doing things your own way. You can of course learn from others. Read up on best practice. But ultimately there are very few "facts of life" on how to live it just right for you.

Something Claude felt strongly about too.

I had an acronym while writing his character - TYOJ.

Trust your own judgement.

I can see a clear way through the jungle of daily life to consuming and writing more about stories in my spare time while very much enjoying the process.

But not in the “here’s what happened in episode five” spoilers kind of way. Or a GCSE deep dive into Shakespeare's iambic pentameter.

More the why I think it works, what is curious, and why certain stories linger in the memory while others don’t.

The last of which is a real writer superpower in my eyes.

Genuine passion can also be (fingers crossed) contagious.

My challenge will be making that enticing for you—the reader.

Tips & topics welcome!

Let's see how we go 🎬

Hang Comfy,
Jim

P.S. As promised... 3. Someone telling you about their dream. Anything beyond a one line summary and you have to force yourself to stay engaged.
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P.P.S. As I edited this, I realised there was a 4th type of ryvita dry conversation in the book - can you guess it?
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​*Note - I don't necessarily agree with any of the conversation killers... Adams was also referring to the art of the spoken word specifically, so the beauty of reading an email is that you’re free to skim, scowl and have no pressure to reply or nod along 🦥