# Crappy Drafts and Cheap Highlighters – Memory Card #70 👋🏻 Apologies for the radio silence into 2026. I wish I had a more meaty update for you all (and myself), but 2026 started off on a devastatingly wrong foot and I am just now getting back into the creative swing of things. On the essay front, not all is doom and gloom. I do have an outline for my video. My task this week is to write a crappy first draft or, as a friend of Anne Lamott would say, a down draft—I just need to get it down. Yes, I am (finally) reading *Bird By Bird* by Lamott. I can already tell it'll be a cherished favorite and sit right next to *On Writing* by Stephen King. I've also decided to get over my preciousness with books and am *gasp* highlighting it. For a spell, I would take notes on my phone, write down quotes, etc. I have found myself not having my phone when I read though. Also, taking notes like that interrupts my flow tremendously and invites never-ending distraction. This cheapo yellow, Sharpie-branded highlight can't send me an email or text. I like it. I think Craig Mod has a quote somewhere about marking up books, but I could not even begin to imagine where that quote resides. Mark up your books I guess. It'll be a delight for the next person that reads it; a rare form of insight into your mind alongside the author's. I did beat *[[Metroid Prime 4 - Beyond|Metroid Prime 4: Beyond]]* and actually just finished editing the podcast episode this morning. I'm onto *Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies* and it's a comforting time. Creatively, the deck is clear and a crappy draft lies before me. Until next time... > [!email]+ Memory Card Newsletter > This letter is one block from the newsletter **[Memory Card](https://buttondown.com/MaxFrequency)** by [Max Roberts](https://www.maxfrequency.net/about). Thoughts? Send *me* an email at [email protected]. > > Max is the writer and producer behind [Max Frequency](https://www.maxfrequency.net), a place where he cultivates and curates curiosity—both for himself and for others—by delighting in the details and growing greatness from small beginnings. > > He's written a [[Chasing the Stick - The History of Naughty Dog during the PS4 Era|rich history and dive on the making of Naughty Dog's The Last of Us Part II]], celebrated the [[MFP23 - “A Passion for Smash” – Celebrating 15 Years of Super Smash Bros. Brawl with Peter Spezia|15th anniversary of Super Smash Bros. Brawl with the voice behind its hype]], and examined how [Zelda "stole" Fortnite's best mechanic](https://youtu.be/kc2l_9Fdpek). > > **Memory Card** is a real-ish time, raw, drip feed newsletter of his creative process for telling these stories. It’s *how* The Thing™ gets made. You can sign up below. (Look down) > > It's all powered by [Max Frequency](https://www.maxfrequency.net) and [patrons](https://www.patreon.com/maxfrequency). > > Wanna see The Thing™? [Check it out on YouTube](https://youtube.com/MaxRobertsEssays). Read it on [The Blog](https://www.maxfrequency.net). > <iframe scrolling="no" style="width:100%!important;height:220px;border:1px #ccc solid !important" src="https://buttondown.com/MaxFrequency?as_embed=true"></iframe>