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How I Write

David Perell

How I Write

David Perell

Before book sales and PR buzz, your favorite writers began with two things: the blank page and an idea. Each week on How I Write, we go behind-the-scenes with today’s top writers to uncover the meta-mechanics of writing and the lifestyle behind it. You’ll be the first to hear writers deconstruct their creative process: from banging their head on the keyboard to marking the last period of their final draft. Victory. Come discover how great writing is made. And who knows? Maybe you’ll be next. New episodes of the How I Write show go live every week on Apple, Spotify and YouTube.com/DavidPerellChannel.

Apr 15

David Gelb: How to Write Cinematically | How I Write

This episode is presented by Mercury, the banking platform that makes this show possible. I can’t imagine trying to run my business without them. Learn more at https://mercury.com David Gelb directed 'Jiro Dreams of Sushi' and 'Chef's Table', which is wha...

Apr 08

Patrick Radden Keefe: How to Write Captivating Stories | How I Write

This episode is presented by Mercury, the banking platform that makes this show possible. I can’t imagine trying to run my business without them. Learn more at https://mercury.com Patrick Radden Keefe is going to teach us how to write narrative nonfiction....

Apr 01

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 ab...

Mar 25

Ocean Vuong: NYU Professor Teaches the Art of Writing | How I Write

This episode is presented by Mercury, the banking platform that makes this show possible. I can’t imagine trying to run my business without them. Learn more at https://mercury.com Ocean Vuong is a poet, a novelist, and a professor at NYU. He's just really...

Mar 18

Jon Yaged: How Book Publishing Works | How I Write

This episode is presented by Mercury, the banking platform that makes this show possible. I can’t imagine trying to run my business without them. Learn more at https://mercury.com Do you ever wonder how the book publishing industry works? How does the CEO...

Mar 11

Michael Connelly: How to Write Unforgettable Characters | How I Write

This episode is presented by Mercury, the banking platform that makes this show possible. I can’t imagine trying to run my business without them. Learn more at https://mercury.com Michael Connelly is a crime novelist famous for series like 'Harry Bosch' an...

Mar 04

Steven Pressfield: 21 Proven Methods for Writing Great Stories | How I Write

This episode is presented by Mercury, the banking platform that makes this show possible. I can’t imagine trying to run my business without them. Learn more at https://mercury.com Steven Pressfield is a master in the art of storytelling. He spent decades ...

Feb 26

Robert Mac: Master Comedian Breaks Down 13 Jokes | How I Write

This episode is presented by Mercury, the banking platform that makes this show possible. I can’t imagine trying to run my business without them. Learn more at https://mercury.com Robert Mac is on the show today to teach us what he's learned from great co...

Feb 18

Bill Browder: How to Write a Book People Can’t Put Down | How I Write

This episode is presented by Mercury, the banking platform that makes this show possible. I can’t imagine trying to run my business without them. Learn more at https://mercury.com Bill Browder has written two books, Freezing Order and Red Notice, which wa...

Feb 12

Diarmaid MacCulloch: Oxford Professor Breaks Down His Writing Process | How I Write

This episode is brought to you by Basecamp, the world’s simplest, most effective project management platform. Check them out at https://basecamp.com and tell them David Perell sent you. Diarmaid MacCulloch is an author, a professor at Oxford, and he's obs...

Feb 04

Lee Child: How to Write Strikingly Well | How I Write

This episode is brought to you by Basecamp, the world’s simplest, most effective project management platform. Check them out at https://basecamp.com and tell them David Perell sent you. Lee Child, the man behind the "Jack Reacher" series, has sold more tha...

Lee Child: How to Write Strikingly Well | How I Write

Jan 28

Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar: How Train Dreams Became a Film | How I Write

This episode is brought to you by Basecamp, the world’s simplest, most effective project management platform. Check them out at https://basecamp.com and tell them David Perell sent you. Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar are the two brilliant minds behind Train...

Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar: How Train Dreams Became a Film | How I Write

Jan 21

Fareed Zakaria: How to Write Consistently Well | How I Write

This episode is brought to you by Basecamp, the world’s simplest, most effective project management platform. Check them out at https://basecamp.com and tell them David Perell sent you. Fareed Zakaria is one of the world’s leading journalists. Maybe you’v...

Jan 14

Daniel Pink: How to Write Something Truly Useful | How I Write

Check out Sublime at https://sublime.app/?ref=perell 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 ...

Jan 07

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...

2025/12/31

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 b...

2025/12/26

Elif Shafak: How to Write a Novel | How I Write

Check out Sublime at https://sublime.app/?ref=perell 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 won...

Elif Shafak: How to Write a Novel | How I Write

2025/12/17

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 c...

Henry Shukman: How to Tell Stories Through Poetry | How I Write

2025/12/10

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,...

2025/12/03

My Top 10 Writing Lessons from 2025

Check out Sublime at https://sublime.app/?ref=perell 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 t...

My Top 10 Writing Lessons from 2025