I love that term. Due credit goes to Michael Ruhlman, who coins it in his post advising aspiring food writers. “Teaching yourself to write is simply a matter of practice, generating words and words and words until you figure out how they really fit together. I don’t believe the ability to write is a gift,” he says.”I believe that anyone can write if they are willing to put in the work, and I believe those who have tried to write but have failed have failed only in their ability to sit down long enough and produce enough apprentice words.”

Ezra Klein is a former Prospect writer and current editor-in-chief at Vox. His work has appeared in the LA Times, The Guardian, The Washington Monthly, The New Republic, Slate, and The Columbia Journalism Review. He’s been a commentator on MSNBC, CNN, NPR, and more.