This chapter examines several paradoxes, including the Monty Hall Problem, Simpson's paradox, Berkson's paradox and Lord's paradox. The authors show how these paradoxes can be resolved using causal reasoning.

For example, if you are writing a sci-fi fantasy novel that takes place on a fictional planet, you’re probably going to spend more time worldbuilding before writing than someone who is writing a story set in their hometown (or even a fictionalized version of it). In "A More Beautiful Question", author Warren Berger poses the ultimate meta-question: why do we not question? The entire book is an exploration on the art of questioning and its inherent power, which Berger sustains is not only an increasingly pivotal skill in our futures but also the biggest underlying reason why creative people have succeeded. One meta-quality of questions is that they allow you to think about what you don’t know. This is how innovation is driven, asking small incremental questions that lead to ever newer prototypes. Berger condenses the link between questions and actions as follows: Q (question) + A (action) = I (innovation). In observing these innovators he noticed three types of questions: why, what if, how. More on this later. First, why aren’t we asking more questions?Note from Joanna: You can view my free tutorial on why creative routine is so important for authors here.] So Many Questions Why don’t eleven and twelve end in –teen? The rest of our counting system sits in neatly arithmetical sets of ten, so why do these two rulebreakers seem so at odds with the numbers that follow them?

We talk about all of this—and more—in this month’s episode. If you haven’t already, listen above, and then keep reading for everything you need to know before you write your novel. Why Preparing to Write a Novel is so Important

Enter the fascinating topic of books only after the initial sparkle arose. 1. What book had the biggest impact on your life and why? If you can’t answer those questions yet, it’s worth spending a little more time thinking about character development before starting to write; ideally, you should know character motivation and goals before writing the story. In an amazing TED Talk by Ken Robinson (watched 31 million times), he speaks about how schools kill creativity. Schools rate kids on set criteria (sometimes measuring a fish on it’s ability to climb a tree) and frankly prepare them for a world that is long gone. When kids go to school the amount of questions they ask drops radically. Kids are taught to memorize lists, not think critically. If you’re asking, “Should I develop my character before or during writing?” The answer is yes…do both! Character development is such a huge part of writing a strong story, and it’s a process that takes time—you will undoubtedly continue developing your characters and getting to know them on a deeper level with every draft.

How will you take the plot in unexpected directions, yet at the same time hit the marks that readers are hungry for? How will you keep the surprises hidden and yet make the reader feel that they are fair? Some professionals such as litigators, journalists and even doctors, are taught to ask questions as part of their training. But few executives think about questioning as a skill that can be honed. That’s a missed opportunity. The Opportunity A More Beautiful Question is a flashy journey through the power of questioning to spark dialog, to bring people together, to upset the world, and too innovate. Berger synthesizes a lot of experience as journalist to look at the role that questioning plays in creativity, and develops a simple model based around "Why?-->What If?-->How?"It’s possible that you won’t be able to solidly answer this question until after you’ve started writing—many authors uncover the true heart of their story through the writing process. But if you can figure out your point before writing, you’ll be giving yourself a head start. As you think about these major plot points, consider cause and effect. How does each part of the story affect your protagonist, influencing their decisions and behaviors and leading to the next plot point? Make logical next steps.

I also really enjoyed the explorations of the French language and our rules being a French Canadian. I want to know what kind of impact books had on people’s life because it’s so damn fascinating. I realized I could heal my childhood traumas as a direct result of reading a book. How stunning that is! Thank you, Tara Westover, for writing Educated. I’ll forever be grateful. 2. What book would you recommend to a friend?I found myself occasionally interrupting my partner to share things I’d learned in the book. Like, for example, there’s a language in Australia (Guugu Yimithirr) that doesn’t use words for right and left; everything is direction based. So a speaker of that language would say ‘hand me the book that’s west of the lamp,’ instead of saying ‘hand me the book that’s to the right of the lamp.’ This then wires their brain to know where they are relative to north and south for the rest of their lives. Fascinating. This is a book that cultivates both thought and action; a balancing act that propels you forward. And the point of engagement is simply questioning. Warren Berger’s book is a cure for a disease in large enterprises. A More Beautiful Question provides a framework to help leaders ask the most important questions—which is one of the most fundamental characteristics of a great leader—while sharing inspiring stories to show the incredible power of this concept.” Yay! You are embarking on an incredibly fun, exciting, fulfilling journey. But before writing, there are a few important steps you need to take to get yourself—and your story—ready. If your story is set in a real place and time period, how familiar are you with this place/time period? You may want to do some research before writing so you can paint an accurate picture of the location/time period you’re using.