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.
Episodes
Mentioned books
16 snips
May 13, 2026 • 58min
Maria Popova: How to Write Something Truly Wise | How I Write
Maria Popova, writer and curator behind Brain Pickings/The Marginalian, digs into reading, archives, and living a reflective life. She discusses the magic of physical archives, the power of diaries and walking to incubate ideas, and how poetry, science, and curiosity reshape perception. Conversation centers on slow learning, curiosity-driven writing, and how books comfort and transform over time.
63 snips
May 6, 2026 • 1h 10min
Yann Martel: Life of Pi Author Reveals His Writing Process | How I Write
Yann Martel, the Canadian novelist behind Life of Pi, talks about why endings matter more than openings. He gets into his envelope-based planning system, leaving room for reader imagination, and using animals to explore big human ideas. The conversation also wanders through punctuation, literary fiction, awe, and why human-made art still matters.
400 snips
Apr 29, 2026 • 1h 18min
Anne Lamott Teaches Unforgettable Writing | How I Write
Anne Lamott, bestselling novelist and memoirist behind Bird by Bird, talks about writing through fog, trusting messy drafts, and why writer’s block gets misunderstood. She gets into strong verbs, lived-in dialogue, childhood memories, ten-minute walks, and the kinds of people creatives should keep close.
50 snips
Apr 22, 2026 • 1h 26min
Tish Rabe: How to Write Children’s Books | How I Write
Tish Rabe, a veteran children’s author behind 200-plus books for Sesame Street, Disney, and Dr. Seuss, shares how she builds stories from the ending backward. She talks rhythm, rhyme, and Seuss-style meter. She explores why animal characters click, how page turns shape momentum, and how facts, feelings, and fun can live in the same book.
136 snips
Apr 15, 2026 • 1h 8min
David Gelb: How to Write Cinematically | How I Write
David Gelb, the filmmaker behind Jiro Dreams of Sushi and Chef’s Table, talks cinematic documentary storytelling. He gets into why character beats subject matter. He explores research, interviews, and finding the real story in the edit. They touch on music, pacing, scene structure, false victories, and the painful gap between taste and ability.
161 snips
Apr 8, 2026 • 1h 6min
Patrick Radden Keefe: How to Write Captivating Stories | How I Write
Patrick Radden Keefe, a New Yorker writer and bestselling nonfiction author, talks about reporting on powerful people who refuse access. He gets into write-around reporting, building mystery, and finding the detail or scene that pulls a story forward. Plus: seductive openings, nonlinear structure, careful risk-taking, and why endings should leave room for ambiguity.
498 snips
Apr 1, 2026 • 1h 4min
Wright Thompson: Learn Storytelling in 63 Minutes | How I Write
Wright Thompson, an ESPN writer and acclaimed nonfiction storyteller, gets into the craft of great narrative. He talks about structure over clever sentences. Finding the right details through deep reporting. Building dimensional profiles through inner conflict. Chasing subjects that become obsessions. And shaping endings that feel complete while leaving mystery alive.
282 snips
Mar 25, 2026 • 1h 20min
Ocean Vuong: NYU Professor Teaches the Art of Writing | How I Write
Ocean Vuong, acclaimed poet, novelist, and NYU professor, explores how metaphor starts with deep observation. He talks about writing as recognition rather than correction. He questions rigid prose rules and the standardization of style. There’s also a fascinating look at estrangement, etymology, playful attention, and why daring syntax can leave a lasting trace.
267 snips
Mar 18, 2026 • 1h 25min
Jon Yaged: How Book Publishing Works | How I Write
John Yaged, CEO of Macmillan and a veteran publishing executive, pulls back the curtain on how books get made and sold. He talks about why publishing consolidated. How advances are priced and why agents matter. Plus the tug-of-war between data and gut instinct, the hidden economics behind a book, self-publishing, AI tools, and why word of mouth still rules.
188 snips
Mar 11, 2026 • 1h 12min
Michael Connelly: How to Write Unforgettable Characters | How I Write
Michael Connelly, crime novelist behind Harry Bosch and The Lincoln Lawyer, whose books have sold over 100 million copies and become TV shows. He talks about using single telling details and observation to bring characters alive. He explains how Los Angeles becomes a living setting, why dialogue and economy of words matter, and how daily rewriting and reporting instincts shape his craft.
