How I Write
How I Write is a podcast that explores the creative process of successful writers. Each week, host David Perell interviews top authors to uncover the mechanics of writing and the lifestyle behind it. The show delves into the journey from initial idea to final draft, offering insights into how great writing is made. New episodes are released weekly on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.
Episodes
Jodi Picoult: The Writing Habits Behind 50 Million Books Sold | How I Write
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Jodi Picoult is on the show today, and she has published 30 novels and sold more than 50 million copies of her books. For a while, she was writing a book a year!
What I admire so much about her is how much fun she clearly has with her craft. Her research sent her ghost hunting and up to Alaska to visit Eskimos. She also gets so
Robert Greene: The Unwritten Laws of Great Writing | How I Write
Pre-order Robert Greene's latest book here: https://sites.prh.com/lawofthesublime
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Robert Greene is on the show today, who's famous for books like The 50th Law and The 48 Laws of Power. How does he write books that so many people want to read? How has he written books so compelling that people literally want to steal them? That’s
Andy Weir: Project Hail Mary Author Teaches Writing | How I Write
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Andy Weir is on the show today, and he's famous for books like Project Hail Mary and The Martian, both of which turned into movies.
In this conversation, we discuss science fiction as much as writing. How does he come up with new ideas? What makes for a good plot? How does he think through the science itself, bending reality in
Mark Normand: How to Make Your Writing More Funny | How I Write
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Mark Normand is on the show today to teach us how to write good comedy. He moved to New York in 2006 when he was a nobody, barely knew how to tell jokes. This interview tells the story of how he worked his way up from admiring Seinfeld from afar to actually opening for him on tour in various cities.
About the host
Hey! I’m David
Michael Arndt: Oscar-Winning Writer Teaches Storytelling | How I Write
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Michael Arndt, the Academy Award-winning screenwriter, is on the show today to teach us how to write great stories.
We started the conversation by discussing his time at Pixar. I asked Michael, "You worked on movies like Toy Story 3. What is it about Pixar's DNA that has made them so successful for so long?"
We also discussed L
Francine Prose: This Is What a Harvard Writing Masterclass Feels Like | How I Write
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Francine Prose has written more than 30 books and taught at both Harvard and Bard College. If you ask her how to become a better writer, she'll tell you to start by reading like a writer. Look at words and sentences, characters and details. Study them, dissect them. Then find books that you love, ones that have stood the test of
Harlan Coben: Tough Love Advice for Every Writer | How I Write
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Harlan Coben has written 38 books. If you want to write thrilling and suspenseful stories, he's the guy to learn from. His vibe is like a tough-love basketball coach who tells you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. And while it might feel a little challenging at times, I promise you'll leave this conversation motiv
R.F. Kuang: Meet The Writer Who Sold Millions of Books Before 30 | How I Write
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R. F. Kuang came on the show to talk about her love for language and what it means to live like a writer. She has written seven books, won the Nebula Award for Best Novel, and trained at some of the world's top universities: Cambridge, Oxford, and Yale.
What stands out is her ability to write in so many different voices: the eco
Matt Haig: How to Write a Book Millions of People Read | How I Write
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Matt Haig sold more than 10 million copies of his book, The Midnight Library. I just checked on Amazon, and it has over 288,000 reviews. This book was a total hit, a smashing success.
I invited Matt on the show to ask him about his process: how he writes and how he tells great stories. Given his success, I also had to ask if it'
Elif Shafak & Robert Macfarlane: Two Novelists Have an Epic Conversation | How I Write
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Elif Shafak and Robert Macfarlane are two of the most dreamy and articulate writers I know.
Elif has written 21 books, 13 of which are novels, and she’s the president of the Royal Society of Literature.
Robert writes about the natural world, and he does so in such a poetic and enchanted way. His writing is infused with wonder.
Andrew Sean Greer: Pulitzer Winner Teaches Writing | How I Write
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Andrew Sean Greer won the Pulitzer Prize for his 2018 novel "Less". I had to ask him what it's like to win a Pulitzer Prize. His story about that is my favorite part of the interview.
We also talked about his writing process: how he tells great stories, develops great characters, and writes good sentences. He shared his mantras,
Mark Forsyth: 13 Techniques to Improve Your Writing | How I Write
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Mark Forsyth has spent years studying how great writers piece words together. People like Shakespeare and Oscar Wilde, but also musicians like the Beatles and Taylor Swift. For him, it all comes down to figures of rhetoric: timeless tools you can use to make your writing more memorable and enjoyable.
I asked Mark to break them d
Jack Carr: Bestselling Author Shares His Entire Writing Process | How I Write
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Jack Carr is a master at writing thrillers. He's a former Navy SEAL turned author who loves books and storytelling.
When he walked in, I told him, "I want you to teach me how you write so visually. You're so good at visually taking the minutiae of combat and violence, writing about weapons in a way that comes to life on the page
Scott Dikkers: 11 Ways to Make Your Writing More Funny | How I Write
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Scott Dikkers is the former editor-in-chief of The Onion, the site that brought news satire to the internet.
Before the episode, I went up to Scott and said, “I have one goal for this: I want to start writing funny. You know how to do it. Can you teach me everything you've learned?"
He’s been doing this for decades, so he was a
What the Experts Really Think About AI | How I Write Compilation
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AI and creativity. I've asked dozens of writers for their take; some think it's a godsend, while others believe it's the literal scum of the earth.
Here are 12 of the best responses from literary award winners like Robert Macfarlane, builders like Sam Altman, and journalists like Ezra Klein. This is what people at the cutting ed
David Baldacci: How to Write Books That Actually Sell | How I Write
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David Baldacci, one of the most prolific writers in the world, joins us on the show today. He has written 53 novels and seven children’s books, publishes two novels every year, and has sold more than 200 million copies worldwide.
How does he craft great stories, develop compelling characters, and build tension? How does he appr
David Shelley: How to Get Your Book Published | How I Write
This episode is presented by Wispr Flow, a tool that turns voice notes into clear writing. I use it every day and recommend it to every writer I know. Try it for free at ref.wisprflow.ai/howiwrite
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David Shelley is on the show today and he’s the CEO of Hachette, one of the Big Five publishers. In this conversation, I focused on two things.
David Sedaris: Bestselling Author Gives His Best Writing Advice | How I Write
This episode is presented by Wispr Flow, a tool that turns voice notes into clear writing. I use it every day and recommend it to every writer I know. Try it for free at ref.wisprflow.ai/howiwrite
David Sedaris has long been one of the funniest writers in the game, and he’s got a method for how he does it. It starts with observation, always looking for what’s surprising, ridiculous, or a little
Andrew Stanton: Meet The Writer Behind Toy Story 5 | How I Write
This episode is presented by Wispr Flow, a tool that turns voice notes into clear writing. I use it every day and recommend it to every writer I know. Try it for free at ref.wisprflow.ai/howiwrite
Andrew Stanton was the second animator at Pixar, and he has been working there for 30 years. If you want to know how Pixar runs, this is your guy. He has directed movies like Finding Nemo and WALL-E,
Michael Pollan's Best Writing Advice | How I Write
This episode is presented by Wispr Flow, a tool that turns voice notes into clear writing. I use it every day and recommend it to every writer I know. Try it for free at ref.wisprflow.ai/howiwrite
Michael Pollan is one of my all-time favorite nonfiction writers. He has been writing about food, nature, and consciousness for decades. For him, the writing process begins with a question. He finds so
Andrew Hunter Murray: How to Write Fiction Incredibly Well | How I Write
This episode is presented by Wispr Flow, a tool that turns voice notes into clear writing. I use it every day and recommend it to every writer I know. Try it for free at ref.wisprflow.ai/howiwrite
Andrew Hunter Murray is a writer, a journalist, and a comedian. What stood out from this conversation is his love for literature, which shows up both in his three novels and in how he's studied people l
Noah Hawley: How He Wrote Fargo | How I Write
Noah Hawley has written books, movies, and TV shows like Alien Earth and Fargo. He's been successful not just because he's a talented writer, but also because he's a consummate professional. He's fluent not just in the world of stories and characters, but he also knows how to work inside the industry and how to get things done.
If you want to make it as a writer, whether on the page or the big sc
Suleika Jaouad: NYT Bestselling Author Teaches Writing | How I Write
Suleika Jaouad says: "If you want to write a good book, write what you don't want others to know about you. But if you want to write a great book, write what you don't want to know about yourself."
She's had a lifelong love for words, ever since she was a little kid. She began writing for public consumption in her twenties, after being diagnosed with serious cancer. From her hospital bed, she sta
Tom Segura: How to Tell Jokes | How I Write
Tom Segura, a comedian known for specials like "Completely Normal" and "Sledgehammer", is also the creator of the TV show "Bad Thoughts". He's appeared on "Conan" and "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert". Today, he's here to teach us how to write comedy.
What makes Tom's humor so distinct is its observational and story-based nature. He can look at something you've seen a thousand times and point
Maria Popova: How to Write Something Truly Wise | How I Write
Maria Popova writes one of the internet's best personal blogs. Originally called "Brain Pickings", it is now known as "The Marginalian". She has published more than 6 million pages of writing there, and it has become such a treasure that the Library of Congress recognized its value and made it part of their permanent archive.
This conversation, however, explores much more. It delves into how to l
Yann Martel: Life of Pi Author Reveals His Writing Process | How I Write
Yann Martel is famous for writing "Life of Pi", which wasn't just a standout book but also an Academy Award-winning movie. What stood out to me about him is that he's strikingly well-read, and he's developed a unique approach to storytelling.
Many writers say it's all about character, but Yann says other things are more important. Where other writers obsess over beginnings, it's the endings of s
Anne Lamott Teaches Unforgettable Writing | How I Write
Buy Anne’s latest book, GOOD WRITING, below:
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/786813/good-writing-by-neal-allen-and-anne-lamott/
Anne Lamott is famous for writing "Bird by Bird", one of the best books ever written about the craft of writing. In it, she states that "perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people." Sentences like that have made her a muse for countles
Tish Rabe: How to Write Children’s Books | How I Write
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Tish Rabe has written more than 200 children's books. She's written for Disney and Sesame Street, and also after Dr. Seuss died in the early 90s, she started writing Dr. Seuss books. When she did, she really leaned into
David Gelb: How to Write Cinematically | How I Write
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David Gelb directed 'Jiro Dreams of Sushi' and 'Chef's Table', which is what this conversation is all about: the art of making documentaries, telling stories, and bringing people to life. He says that whenever you're wr
Patrick Radden Keefe: How to Write Captivating Stories | How I Write
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Patrick Radden Keefe is going to teach us how to write narrative nonfiction. It's something he's been doing for 20 years as a staff writer at the New Yorker. He's also written six full-length nonfiction books.
Patrick i
Wright Thompson: Learn Storytelling in 63 Minutes | How I Write
Wright Thompson is one of the best nonfiction storytellers in the world right now. He showed up to my place, and I immediately liked his vibe. We started talking, and it turns out we both love Guinness Zero. So we cracked open a beer, and we just talked about the writing process.
How do you tell a great story? How do you nail an ending? How do you use details to bring a character to life? That's
Ocean Vuong: NYU Professor Teaches the Art of Writing | How I Write
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Ocean Vuong is a poet, a novelist, and a professor at NYU. He's just really good at writing in this fresh, enchanted, and imaginative way. He has this way of seeing and experiencing the world that's alive and filled wit
Jon Yaged: How Book Publishing Works | How I Write
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Do you ever wonder how the book publishing industry works? How does the CEO of a top-five publishing house even think? That's what this episode is all about.
My guest is John Yaged. He runs Macmillan, which is one of
Michael Connelly: How to Write Unforgettable Characters | How I Write
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Michael Connelly is a crime novelist famous for series like 'Harry Bosch' and 'The Lincoln Lawyer'. Combined, his series have sold more than 100 million books, and they've become TV shows on Netflix, MGM, and Amazon Prim
Steven Pressfield: 21 Proven Methods for Writing Great Stories | How I Write
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Steven Pressfield is a master in the art of storytelling. He spent decades studying what great stories have in common. So that's what we're going to talk about: the principles of storytelling and character building.
I
Robert Mac: Master Comedian Breaks Down 13 Jokes | How I Write
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Robert Mac is on the show today to teach us what he's learned from great comics like Jerry Seinfeld and Mitch Hedberg. Robert has been doing stand up for more than a decade, and I wanted to know what he's learned about
Bill Browder: How to Write a Book People Can’t Put Down | How I Write
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Bill Browder has written two books, Freezing Order and Red Notice, which was everywhere when it came out in 2015. It’s a page-turner. I had to ask him how he thought about building character, bringing people into the st
Diarmaid MacCulloch: Oxford Professor Breaks Down His Writing Process | How I Write
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Diarmaid MacCulloch is an author, a professor at Oxford, and he's obsessed with history. A real expert who's been studying it for decades.
In this episode, we talked about how to do history, the role of a histori
Lee Child: How to Write Strikingly Well | How I Write
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Lee Child, the man behind the "Jack Reacher" series, has sold more than 200 million books. It is the best-selling series of all time on Amazon in the UK. More than Harry Potter, which is crazy! A new book is sold o
Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar: How Train Dreams Became a Film | How I Write
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Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar are the two brilliant minds behind Train Dreams, the Oscar-nominated adaptation of Denis Johnson’s novella. Their film is emotionally devastating in ways that stay with you long after
Fareed Zakaria: Learn to Write Persuasively in 70 Minutes | How I Write
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Fareed Zakaria is one of the world’s leading journalists. Maybe you’ve seen him on CNN. Maybe you’ve read his books. Or maybe you’ve read his articles in the Washington Post.
This conversation is a university-lev
Daniel Pink: How to Write Something Truly Useful | How I Write
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Daniel Pink is one of the most successful nonfiction writers of the past 30 years. You've probably seen his books: "Drive," "The Power of Regret," or "To Sell Is Human." Maybe you've even seen his viral TED Talk about the science of motivation.
In this conversation, we started by talking about his writing process, which he's been doing consiste
Tom Junod: How to Write Unapologetically Well | How I Write
Tom Junod is famous for writing essays that have defined both people and events. He wrote a piece called "The Falling Man" for Esquire, which is the canonical piece about 9/11. Later on, he wrote the iconic "Can You Say...Hero?" about Fred Rogers, also for Esquire.
What's unique about this conversation is that it's both practical and deep, but it all comes to a head at the end. In this climax, we
Adrian Tchaikovsky: How to Write Absurdly Well | How I Write
Adrian Tchaikovsky came on the show to talk about how he writes fantasy and science fiction. He won the Arthur C. Clarke Award for his book, Children of Time, and has written more than 60 books and novellas.
He spends his life thinking about how to make believable worlds and how to build characters that have weight to them. My favorite thing is how he writes a fight scene, how he thinks through t
Elif Shafak: How to Write a Novel | How I Write
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Elif Shafak has a way of writing that's lush and enchanted. She writes about real things in the world: water, houseboats, ordinary things that we stopped seeing. And she infuses them with life and wonder so that we can see the world fresh again.
Elif has written more than 21 books, and she's the president of the Royal Society of Literature,
Henry Shukman: How to Tell Stories Through Poetry | How I Write
Henry Shukman is a poet, author, mindfulness teacher and Zen master. He has studied meditation for 35 years, principally in the Sanbo Zen lineage. His most recent books are Original Love (HarperOne) and the Zen memoir, One Blade of Grass.
He is also the co-founder of the acclaimed single-path meditation app, The Way. He has taught at Google, the New York Times, Harvard Business School, and the In
Ward Farnsworth: 14 Ways To Make Your Writing Memorable | How I Write Classic Episode
Every so often, I'll re-publish some of my favorite How I Write interviews. This classic episode is with Ward Farnsworth, a law professor and former dean at the University of Texas School of Law who has written popular books about clear thinking, language, and philosophy. His books include Classical English Style and works on rhetoric and legal writing.
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My Top 10 Writing Lessons from 2025
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This episode brings together the moments from How I Write in 2025 that have stayed with me the longest. These are the clips I revisit when I need to be reminded why writing matters.
Robert Macfarlane talks about wonder as something you have to actively protect. Jayne Anne Phillips explains why the memories we keep from childhood reveal who we
Jonathan Franzen: How to Write Truly Great Characters | How I Write
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Jonathan Franzen is one of the most influential novelists alive today. He sees fiction as the most fundamental human art, and in this conversation he explains how he actually makes it: the discipline, the daily grind, and the psychological spelunking required to write characters who feel startlingly alive.
Franzen has always had an outsider’s
Atul Gawande: How to Use Writing to Improve Your Thinking | How I Write
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Atul Gawande has written four books and countless articles for The New Yorker. When you think about doctors who write well, he's going to be the first person who comes to mind.
What's unique about him is that this isn't something that came naturally. The work of research, writing, editing, shaping sentences, telling stories: those are all things
Brandon Stanton: Meet The Creator of “Humans of New York” | How I Write
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Brandon Stanton, the creator of Humans of New York, came on the show to talk about how he wrote his way to five published books and 13 million Instagram followers. Along the way, the man basically invented his own genre of biography. There are short stories, there are long stories.
What he would do every single day is he'd walk out onto the st
David Grann: How to Write Non-Fiction That Reads Like Fiction | How I Write
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David Grann: one of the best storytellers alive today and an absolute master at narrative nonfiction. You might know him from "Killers of the Flower Moon", which Martin Scorsese turned into a film. And then there's "The Wager"; I can't think of a single book that more people I know have said that they just read the entire thing, from start to
Susan Orlean: Award-Winning Writer Explains Her Entire Process | How I Write
Susan Orlean writes nonfiction books that read like fiction, sort of working in the style of Joan Didion or Tom Wolfe. But what makes her different is how intentional she is about her writing process.
She's very intentional about the research, the writing, the editing phases, all of it. And if you're thinking about your own process, how can you structure your life in order to lead to good writing
Stefan Sagmeister: Why Are Things Less Beautiful Today? | How I Write
Stefan Sagmeister is the author of six books and one of the most influential designers in the world. He's won multiple Grammy Awards for his designs, and he's designed album covers for people like Jay-Z and David Byrne, the Rolling Stones.
But he's a writer. What does he write about? Well, design, beauty, how to find good ideas.
You'll notice when you pick up one of his books that the form, the
Morgan Housel: How to Master Writing | How I Write
Morgan Housel is one of the top non-fiction writers in the world. He is most famous for his book “The Psychology of Money”, which has now sold more than 8 million copies.
Before he wrote the book, he wrote more than 4,000 blog posts for publications like The Wall Street Journal and The Motley Fool, and that’s how he honed his craft. This is my second time having Morgan on the show. The first time
Mitch Albom: Storytelling Master Shares His Secrets | How I Write
You can’t walk through an airport without seeing a Mitch Albom book on one of the shelves. He’s most famous for writing Tuesdays with Morrie, which may very well be the best-selling memoir of all time. He’s now written 14 books, which combined have sold more than 40 million copies.
In 45 years of hitting the keyboard, this is the deepest conversation he’s ever had about the craft of writing. I as
Dan Wang: How He Became America’s Favorite China Expert | How I Write
I interviewed Dan Wang, a writer and analyst whose annual letters from China have become a first draft of modern Chinese history. We talked about how he blends personal observation with deep analysis, how to skip the cliches and write with texture instead, and how classical music and literature have shaped his writing style.
What’s unique about Dan is that he built a name for himself by writing o
Ada Limón & Joy Harjo: Everything I Learned From The World's Greatest Poets | How I Write
I interviewed Ada Limón and Joy Harjo, two of America’s most celebrated poets and former U.S. Poet Laureates. We talked about the art of deep listening, how to translate the music of the world into language, and why silence is never empty but always alive. We explored how poetry resists “clock time,” why metaphor is essential to truth, how culture lives through song and dance, and what it means to
AJR: The Writing Secrets Behind TikTok's Viral Sounds | How I Write
I interviewed Jack and Ryan from AJR, the band that has built one of the most original voices in modern music. We talked about how they use humor and vulnerability to write songs that connect on a deeper level, why embarrassment is often the best creative compass, how Broadway and magic inspire their live shows, and what they’ve learned about navigating TikTok, streaming, and the new economics of
Steven Pressfield: The Brutal Truth About Creative Success | How I Write Classic Episode
Every so often, I’ll re-publish one of my favorite How I Write episodes. This classic episode is with Steven Pressfield, the author of more than 25 books who speaks as beautifully about the creative process as he writes. He waded through 27 years of Resistance so you don’t have to. Come learn his best practices for doing your best work.
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00 Intro
00:00:40 Your career in writing
Jimmy Soni: Kobe Bryant’s Secret Obsession with Writing | How I Write
I interviewed Jimmy Soni, who is currently writing a book about Kobe Bryant. He spent six years on his previous book about the origin story of PayPal and has mastered the art of investigative biography. We talked about his 4am writing routine, how he blends research and writing to battle writers block, why he finds the best stories by talking to people on the periphery, his thoughts on using AI as
John Lennox: AI, God & Writing | How I Write
I interviewed John Lennox, the Oxford mathematician who's spent decades bridging science and faith. We talked about why John 1:1 reveals we live in a word-based universe, how to recognize God-breathed scripture, why scientific explanations don't exclude God, and his fascinating take on AI as humanity's attempt to "make God." He also shared practical writing advice about self-criticism and why youn
Henrik Karlsson: One of the world’s most under-rated writers | How I Write
I interviewed Henrik Karlsson, a writer who's developed a five-step method for writing that starts with exploring without pressure and ends with crafting the opening last, after everything else is done. We talked about why looking away from the page improves your writing, how to suck reality into your descriptions, why protecting young ideas from early critique matters, and how to access pre-lingu
Jayne Anne Phillips: Learn Storytelling from a Pulitzer Winner | How I Write
I interviewed Jayne Anne Phillips, who won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction for her novel Night Watch. We dug into passages from her writing that will show you how she thinks about voice, character, and the poetry of great writing. As you listen, I want you to notice something: pay attention to how many times Jane describes writing as a full-bodied experience. She sees the creative process almost li
Rosanne Cash: Writing Masterclass from 4x Grammy Winner | How I Write
I interviewed Rosanne Cash, a 4-time Grammy winner who's been writing songs for over 40 years. She's mastered something most writers struggle with: turning raw emotion into beautiful, lasting songs. She writes songs like a painter, starting with visual images, and brings the same rhythmic approach to both music and prose. We talked about how to turn pain into art, why anger and grief are powerful
David Whyte: Inside the Mind of A Master Poet | How I Write
I interviewed David Whyte, a poet who has mastered the art of turning life's deepest experiences into beautiful writing. We talked about how to write from the place where your inner world meets the outer world, why difficult emotions like grief and anger are actually forms of care, how memorizing poetry changes how you experience reality, and practical techniques for developing deeper attention. I
Alain de Botton: Writing Is Revenge | How I Write
I interviewed Alain de Botton, a philosopher and writer who has turned personal pain into universal wisdom. He's written dozens of books and built The School of Life into a YouTube channel with nearly 10 million subscribers, but the thing that makes him unique is that he approaches writing as a form of emotional archaeology. We talked about why good writing requires suffering, why loneliness is es
Steven Levitan: How Modern Family Rewrote The Rules of Sitcom | How I Write
I interviewed Steven Levitan, the co-creator and showrunner of Modern Family, one of the most successful sitcoms of the past two decades. What makes him fascinating isn't just that he wrote hundreds of TV episodes, but how he thinks about the craft of comedy writing itself. We talked about why story breaking is the hardest part of TV writing, how he juggles multiple storylines in 21 minutes, the d
David Zucker: Hollywood Director Explains The 15 Rules of Comedy | How I Write
I interviewed David Zucker, the director behind Airplane!, Naked Gun, and some of the funniest movies ever made. What makes this conversation fascinating isn't just the behind the scenes stories, but how he breaks down comedy writing like a science. We talked about his specific rules for making people laugh, his "flywheel theory" of pacing that keeps audiences laughing non-stop, and why they test-
Bible Project: How Two Guys Changed Bible Education on YouTube | How I Write
This is not a normal episode. There's two guests, not one. Tim Mackie and Jon Collins, and they're the founders of the Bible project, a YouTube channel with more than half a billion views. It is entirely devoted to teaching people how to read just one book. I think that book happens to be the most influential book in the history of western civilization. The beginning of this interview is about how
Robert Macfarlane: The Most Beautiful Conversation About Language | How I Write
I interviewed Robert Macfarlane, a writer who has mastered the art of nature writing. What makes him fascinating isn’t just that he writes beautifully about landscapes, but how he thinks about language itself. We talked about why he rewrites first sentences hundreds of times, what happens when entire languages die forever, why AI makes all writing sound the same, and how to build a stronger feel f
Paul Harding: A New Way To Think About Writing | How I Write
I interviewed Paul Harding, who won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his very first novel Tinkers. Unlike most novelists, he’s not really interested in plots, and only halfway interested in characters. So what is he interested in? He’s focused on describing the wonders and mysteries of life, teaching us how to see, hear, and feel more vividly, and how to translate those sensations onto the page.
Steven Pinker: Harvard Professor Explains The Rules of Writing | How I Write
I’m here at Harvard in the office of Steven Pinker. He’s written nine books and spent his life studying language, cognition, and writing. In this interview, we started with the practical: the rules of writing. But what makes him unique is that he’s been thinking about AI since the 1980s. So if you’re interested in doing great non-fiction writing in the age of LLMs, this interview is for you.
He
Ezra Klein: The Case Against Writing With AI | How I Write
Ezra Klein is one of the internet’s most influential journalists. He co-founded Vox in 2014, and it was there he really pioneered this new era of online journalism. Remember those Vox explainer videos that were so popular? As I’ve recorded this, he’s got the #1 book on the New York Times bestseller list. We talked about the state of media, why pieces need to be longer not shorter, how he reads to
Eric Roth: The Screenwriter Behind Forrest Gump and Dune | How I Write
Dune. Forrest Gump. Benjamin Button. Eric Roth wrote all of them. He’s been nominated for seven Oscars and won Best Adapted Screenplay for Forrest Gump. I got the chance to ask him about how you find a deeper theme in a story, what a writer can do to really move people, and what it’s actually like working with people like David Fincher, Steven Spielberg, and Martin Scorsese. Eric Roth is one of th
Michael Jamin: The Hollywood Sitcom Writer | How I Write
Michael Jamin has been writing Hollywood sitcoms for 28 years on shows like King of the Hill and Beavis and Butt-Head. Unlike most comedy writers, he’s not focused on punchlines, he’s more focused on building rich characters, developing deep storylines, and layering the comedy on top.
But how do you do that? That’s what this episode is all about. Enjoy!
Hey! I’m David Perell and I’m a writer, tea
Dean Koontz: 120 novels published. 500 million copies sold. | How I Write
Dean Koontz has written over 100 books and sold more than 500 million copies, making him one of the best-selling authors of all time. I visited Dean at his home and personal library to understand what truly sets him apart. Unlike most mass-market writers, Dean is obsessed with the craft. He doesn’t just write stories, he truly lives for the beauty of the English language. We talked about why he st
Johann Hari: The Obsessive Research Method | How I Write
The world isn’t made of atoms, it’s made of stories. I’ve never heard anyone speak so deeply about interviewing. Johann Hari has written four books, and for each one he travels the globe to record hundreds of conversations. In this episode, he’ll explain exactly how he does it, sharing stories of getting up close and personal with homeless people in Vegas and a crack dealer in New York. In the end
Will Storr: The Science of Storytelling | How I Write
Will Storr has written 7 books and he’s basically a scientist for storytelling. Now you might be thinking: Do we really need another storytelling guy? But Will is different.
That's because he doesn’t just talk about plot or the hero’s journey, he focuses on character.
Great stories don’t start with plot… they start with people.
The best part? By the time you’re done with the episode, you’ll
Michael Dean: The 27 Patterns To Fix Bad Writing | How I Write
Architect Michael Dean breaks down the hidden patterns behind the great essays of our time. In this video, we go over his 27-point framework that makes up every world class piece of writing and how he uses the same system to analyze the Guggenheim and Apple Store. We also talk about what skills will still matter as AI continues to improve and why learning to write might be more important than ever
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