ESPN senior writer Wright Thompson’s advice on April 15 was simple: Find what you’re passionate about and treat it like a craft.

Early in his career, Thompson looked at longform stories and couldn’t understand how they came to be. He thought there was some kind of magic involved.

Now that he’s earned a reputation as a master of these types of stories, he knows there’s no secret.

“This is very much the result of 20 years working at a craft,” Thompson said. “The ones who are going to succeed treat it like a craft.”

Thompson gave this advice and more to Media School students and faculty at a public talk Monday in the Franklin Hall commons. He also discussed his new book, “The Cost of These Dreams: Sports Stories and Other Serious Business,” which compiles stories about sports figures including Michael Jordan, the Chicago Cubs, Pat Riley and Lionel Messi, among others.

Read more from Laurel Demkovich at The Media School website.