10 Lessons from Our Live Class With a First-Time Author

For those who missed our live session with Buffett’s Early Investments author Brett Gardner, here are the biggest takeaways on going from non-writer to published, well-reviewed author. (The full recording is now in the Classroom under "Elite Group Calls"!)

1. Strong research isn’t enough — you need strong storytelling. Brett’s early drafts were fact-rich but read like textbooks. “I would just throw out facts and then summarise… it was boring and dry,” he said. The breakthrough came when he learned to structure chapters as compelling narratives instead of information dumps.

2. Make the whole book hang together. A nonfiction book needs an overarching idea that threads through every chapter. Brett identified four big lessons about Buffett’s evolution and made sure each chapter tied back to at least one of them. “It became an actual book rather than 10 disconnected case studies,” he noted.

3. Open with real drama. In the preface, Brett challenged a popular belief about Buffett. That contrarian spark set the tone and gave the whole book a charge. “I started off by confronting a myth head-on — it gave the reader a reason to keep going.”

4. Lead the reader from one paragraph to the next. He learned to add short “bridge” sentences at the ends of paragraphs to carry readers smoothly into the next point. This small tweak multiplied readability. “Sometimes just one sentence can make a paragraph ten times more readable,” he said.

5. Show, don’t just tell. Brett put readers inside the action — like walking through rival Baltimore department stores — so they could see, hear, and feel the competitive tension. “You’re trying to put somebody in downtown Baltimore inside those stores… that imagery pulls them in,” he explained.

6. Seek tough, trusted feedback. Brett sent drafts to respected industry figures, then worked intensively with a writing coach (hi 👋) to rebuild weak sections. He welcomed direct criticism without ego. “You have to be willing to hear ‘your writing needs work’ and not take it personally.”

7. Revise like a professional. Every session’s notes were rewatched, absorbed, and applied. Some chapters were reworked multiple times until they flowed. “I’d rewatch each lesson, make changes, then rewatch again later in the week — it was a lot of work but worth it.”

8. Be realistic about the money — and the upside. Royalties alone rarely justify the time. But the credibility, speaking invites, and networking doors that opened made the project worth it. “The professional benefits were huge — I had speaking engagements before I’d even received royalties.”

9. Give yourself permission to be engaging. Even in finance writing, a touch of personality, wit, and human detail keeps readers turning pages. “In finance, people think they have to be dry. It’s amazing what happens when you give yourself permission to have fun.”

10. Writing skills are transferable. Brett now applies the same clarity, flow, and narrative awareness to his professional memos — and can spot flat or confusing writing instantly. “It’s frustrating now to read bad business writing — I keep thinking, just add a sentence here and it would work.”

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10 Lessons from Our Live Class With a First-Time Author