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Years ago, Atul Gawande wrote a book called "Being Mortal" that grappled with death as beautifully as anything I've ever read. A few weeks ago, I finally got the chance to interview him. When I think about doctors who write well, he's the first person who comes to mind.... His work's been shaped by the thousands of hours he's spent in operating rooms and the conversations he's had with people who are breathing their last breaths. He's written four books and countless articles for The New Yorker, and this conversation is all about how he's managed to write so well and contemplate life's deepest questions. Timestamps: 01:49 Say “yes” before you’re 40 06:11 Why should a surgeon write? 10:10 How to write with a full-time job 13:18 The New Yorker 17:07 How to write a great opening 25:54 What makes writing timeless? 28:08 Writing to improve your thinking 44:45 Writing a book is just like math 53:28 Atul’s secret to great writing 59:15 AI in medicine + writing I've shared the full conversation with Atul Gawande below. If you'd rather watch on YouTube, or listen on Apple / Spotify, check out the reply tweets.show more

David Perell

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135,405 görüntüleme • 10 ay önce •via X (Twitter)

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Lee Child is the man behind the Jack Reacher series. He's sold more than 200 million books, and two of his books were adapted into movies starring Tom Cruise. How popular are his books? In the UK, his series has sold more copies than J.K Rowling did with Harry Potter on Amazon. So at this point, you basically can't talk about contemporary crime and thriller books without talking about Lee Child. This interview is all about how he wrote that Jack Reacher series. To the best of my knowledge, it's the deepest interview he's ever done about his writing process. Timestamps: 0:30 Writing stories in America 7:26 You don't need an outline 12:50 Writing one book per year 17:57 Why the 60s were so creative 18:56 The business of writing 23:05 The key to page-turner books 38:25 How to write good dialogue 43:15 Where to start / end a book 52:18 Writing a violent scene 56:56 Using clothes to reveal character 1:00:43 Why the UK has so many good writers I've shared the full conversation below. If you'd rather watch on YouTube, or listen on Apple / Spotify, check out the links in the first reply tweet. Enjoy!

Lee Child is the man behind the Jack Reacher series. He's sold more than 200 million books, and two of his books were adapted into movies starring Tom Cruise. How popular are his books? In the UK, his series has sold more copies than J.K Rowling did with Harry Potter on Amazon. So at this point, you basically can't talk about contemporary crime and thriller books without talking about Lee Child. This interview is all about how he wrote that Jack Reacher series. To the best of my knowledge, it's the deepest interview he's ever done about his writing process. Timestamps: 0:30 Writing stories in America 7:26 You don't need an outline 12:50 Writing one book per year 17:57 Why the 60s were so creative 18:56 The business of writing 23:05 The key to page-turner books 38:25 How to write good dialogue 43:15 Where to start / end a book 52:18 Writing a violent scene 56:56 Using clothes to reveal character 1:00:43 Why the UK has so many good writers I've shared the full conversation below. If you'd rather watch on YouTube, or listen on Apple / Spotify, check out the links in the first reply tweet. Enjoy!

David Perell

441,707 görüntüleme • 7 ay önce

Bill Browder has the craziest life story of anybody I've interviewed so far. He wrote a book called Red Notice, which was literally everywhere a decade ago. His story begins in the mid-90s, when he saw an opportunity to invest in Russia after the fall of communism. He raised $25 million, and in the next 18 months, he'd turned that initial pool of capital into more than $1 billion. Fast forward ten years. He's just landed in Moscow on a flight from London. It's his 261st time making the trip, and he gets detained in the airport. Why? He doesn't know. But he's scared, so he liquidates his assets in Russia and scrambles to get his people out of the country. Then he hires an investigator to look into it, who digs and digs until he's eventually captured, imprisoned, and ultimately killed. In response, Bill stops being an investor and shifts his attention to avenging this wrong. That's the backstory for Red Notice, and this conversation is all about how he wrote the book. Timestamps: 2:49 How to write a page turner 8:43 Bill's writing outlines 23:01 Why write books? 28:45 Bringing a place to life 34:15 Finding the truth 41:02 Writing a cliffhanger 46:22 What makes for a good ending? I've shared the full conversation below. If you'd rather watch on YouTube, or listen on Apple / Spotify, check out the reply links.

Bill Browder has the craziest life story of anybody I've interviewed so far. He wrote a book called Red Notice, which was literally everywhere a decade ago. His story begins in the mid-90s, when he saw an opportunity to invest in Russia after the fall of communism. He raised $25 million, and in the next 18 months, he'd turned that initial pool of capital into more than $1 billion. Fast forward ten years. He's just landed in Moscow on a flight from London. It's his 261st time making the trip, and he gets detained in the airport. Why? He doesn't know. But he's scared, so he liquidates his assets in Russia and scrambles to get his people out of the country. Then he hires an investigator to look into it, who digs and digs until he's eventually captured, imprisoned, and ultimately killed. In response, Bill stops being an investor and shifts his attention to avenging this wrong. That's the backstory for Red Notice, and this conversation is all about how he wrote the book. Timestamps: 2:49 How to write a page turner 8:43 Bill's writing outlines 23:01 Why write books? 28:45 Bringing a place to life 34:15 Finding the truth 41:02 Writing a cliffhanger 46:22 What makes for a good ending? I've shared the full conversation below. If you'd rather watch on YouTube, or listen on Apple / Spotify, check out the reply links.

David Perell

54,837 görüntüleme • 7 ay önce

Henry Shukman is a poet who's been meditating for 35 years. T.S. Eliot said that the present moment is shot with rays of infinity, and Henry's spent his life learning how to see those rays. First through poetry. Then through novels. Then through meditation. Then through a memoir. Timestamps: 0:33 Writing makes you more alive 8:17 Writing = Painting with words 15:42 Expanding your sense of wonder 28:56 Is poetry like Scripture? 34:30 Lessons from 35 years of meditating 40:27 The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis 54:54 How to write fiction 58:04 How to write a memoir 1:04:48 How to write poetry 1:05:51 Zen koans 1:18:27 Living from the heart I've shared the full conversation below. If you'd rather watch on YouTube, or listen on Spotify / Apple, check out the reply tweets. Henry Shukman

Henry Shukman is a poet who's been meditating for 35 years. T.S. Eliot said that the present moment is shot with rays of infinity, and Henry's spent his life learning how to see those rays. First through poetry. Then through novels. Then through meditation. Then through a memoir. Timestamps: 0:33 Writing makes you more alive 8:17 Writing = Painting with words 15:42 Expanding your sense of wonder 28:56 Is poetry like Scripture? 34:30 Lessons from 35 years of meditating 40:27 The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis 54:54 How to write fiction 58:04 How to write a memoir 1:04:48 How to write poetry 1:05:51 Zen koans 1:18:27 Living from the heart I've shared the full conversation below. If you'd rather watch on YouTube, or listen on Spotify / Apple, check out the reply tweets. Henry Shukman

David Perell

65,242 görüntüleme • 9 ay önce

David Sedaris is one of the funniest writers alive. He's sold more than 16 million books, and he's been a writer at The New Yorker for 30+ years. What makes him different is how he finds material. Like how he worked as an elf at Macy's or picked up trash for eight hours per day in rural England. And his writing has been shaped by live reading tours, where he's learned to tell stories and make people laugh. The audience teaches him to write, and they pay to do it. Timestamps: 0:34 Wait to publish your writing 3:07 Finding a good premise 7:57 Reading out loud to crowds 11:40 Sedaris' writing method 16:10 Become a better observer 24:35 Good people vs. good characters 30:09 Don't give your editor the 1st draft 32:56 What makes a good ending? 37:38 Rhythm, rhythm, rhythm 42:03 Finding specific details 46:46 Fiction vs. non-fiction 52:14 Stop trying so hard 53:54 Stretch the story a little 56:47 Noticing little details 1:01:34 Funny words 1:06:37 How to become a better writer? 1:10:42 Inspirations I've shared the full conversation with David Sedaris below. If you'd rather watch the full thing on YouTube, or listen on Apple / Spotify, check out the reply tweets.

David Sedaris is one of the funniest writers alive. He's sold more than 16 million books, and he's been a writer at The New Yorker for 30+ years. What makes him different is how he finds material. Like how he worked as an elf at Macy's or picked up trash for eight hours per day in rural England. And his writing has been shaped by live reading tours, where he's learned to tell stories and make people laugh. The audience teaches him to write, and they pay to do it. Timestamps: 0:34 Wait to publish your writing 3:07 Finding a good premise 7:57 Reading out loud to crowds 11:40 Sedaris' writing method 16:10 Become a better observer 24:35 Good people vs. good characters 30:09 Don't give your editor the 1st draft 32:56 What makes a good ending? 37:38 Rhythm, rhythm, rhythm 42:03 Finding specific details 46:46 Fiction vs. non-fiction 52:14 Stop trying so hard 53:54 Stretch the story a little 56:47 Noticing little details 1:01:34 Funny words 1:06:37 How to become a better writer? 1:10:42 Inspirations I've shared the full conversation with David Sedaris below. If you'd rather watch the full thing on YouTube, or listen on Apple / Spotify, check out the reply tweets.

David Perell

30,696 görüntüleme • 2 ay önce

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-level seminar in the craft of writing, which builds upon the thousands of articles Fareed's written over his career. It's a guidepost for anybody who wants to write non-fiction. How do you develop expertise? How should you structure your days? What kinds of deadlines should you set? We also talked about how The Great Gatsby shaped his perspective on America, when to rely on anecdotes vs. data, and the skills that'll remain scarce as AI breaks through the Turing Test and becomes a hyper-competent writer. The through-line of Fareed's work is a philosophy of purposeful practice: watching all his TV performances to see how he can improve, reading great writing to absorb what excellence looks like, and using the deadlines of TV and newspaper columns to write consistently. Timestamps: 2:50 Building a writing routine 6:57 Does Fareed use AI? 11:07 The skill AI can't replicate 12:23 What makes for a good take? 14:10 Writing for TV vs. newspapers 22:18 Fareed's writing routine 31:34 Lessons from reading fiction 39:30 Building a unique point of view 59:33 Rapid fire: books, articles + TV 1:05:26 Fareed's best writing lessons I've shared the full conversation with Fareed Zakaria below. If you'd rather watch the full episode on YouTube or listen to the episode on Apple / Spotify, check out the reply tweets. Enjoy!

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-level seminar in the craft of writing, which builds upon the thousands of articles Fareed's written over his career. It's a guidepost for anybody who wants to write non-fiction. How do you develop expertise? How should you structure your days? What kinds of deadlines should you set? We also talked about how The Great Gatsby shaped his perspective on America, when to rely on anecdotes vs. data, and the skills that'll remain scarce as AI breaks through the Turing Test and becomes a hyper-competent writer. The through-line of Fareed's work is a philosophy of purposeful practice: watching all his TV performances to see how he can improve, reading great writing to absorb what excellence looks like, and using the deadlines of TV and newspaper columns to write consistently. Timestamps: 2:50 Building a writing routine 6:57 Does Fareed use AI? 11:07 The skill AI can't replicate 12:23 What makes for a good take? 14:10 Writing for TV vs. newspapers 22:18 Fareed's writing routine 31:34 Lessons from reading fiction 39:30 Building a unique point of view 59:33 Rapid fire: books, articles + TV 1:05:26 Fareed's best writing lessons I've shared the full conversation with Fareed Zakaria below. If you'd rather watch the full episode on YouTube or listen to the episode on Apple / Spotify, check out the reply tweets. Enjoy!

David Perell

191,503 görüntüleme • 8 ay önce

Ocean Vuong is a poet, novelist, and professor at NYU. This is the anti writing with AI conversation. It's about breaking free from technology and convention in order to see the world fresh again, and then make beautiful art about what you see. Some highlights: 1) "We're out here to write sentences the species has never encountered, and it's possible in this lifetime." 2) "Eighty percent of writing is looking and thinking. The last part is syntax." 3) "When you have a sentence, what you really have is consciousness filtered through syntax. For every single person, it's different." And below are all the things we talked about, in the form of timestamps: 1:40 Writing metaphors 4:52 The problem with writing workshops 13:02 How AI changed writing 23:32 Why did writing get so rigid? 28:04 Rescue the cliche! 32:06 Seeing vs. recognizing 34:37 80% of writing isn't writing 41:31 What makes sentences memorable 50:31 Poetry as a testing ground for writers 1:02:30 Synchronic vs diachronic reading 1:09:03 Daringness and disobedience 1:14:27 The limits of language I've shared the full interview with Ocean below. If you'd rather watch on YouTube, or listen on Apple / Spotify, check out the reply tweets.

Ocean Vuong is a poet, novelist, and professor at NYU. This is the anti writing with AI conversation. It's about breaking free from technology and convention in order to see the world fresh again, and then make beautiful art about what you see. Some highlights: 1) "We're out here to write sentences the species has never encountered, and it's possible in this lifetime." 2) "Eighty percent of writing is looking and thinking. The last part is syntax." 3) "When you have a sentence, what you really have is consciousness filtered through syntax. For every single person, it's different." And below are all the things we talked about, in the form of timestamps: 1:40 Writing metaphors 4:52 The problem with writing workshops 13:02 How AI changed writing 23:32 Why did writing get so rigid? 28:04 Rescue the cliche! 32:06 Seeing vs. recognizing 34:37 80% of writing isn't writing 41:31 What makes sentences memorable 50:31 Poetry as a testing ground for writers 1:02:30 Synchronic vs diachronic reading 1:09:03 Daringness and disobedience 1:14:27 The limits of language I've shared the full interview with Ocean below. If you'd rather watch on YouTube, or listen on Apple / Spotify, check out the reply tweets.

David Perell

328,712 görüntüleme • 6 ay önce

David Baldacci's books are everywhere. He's written 53 novels and sold more than 200 million copies. And he's been so successful not just because he can write, but because he understands the business of books as well as anybody. Timestamps: 0:40 Starting with 'The Big Pop' 3:39 Should you outline your book? 6:03 Give characters baggage 9:44 Twists aren't enough 13:49 Long dialogue is lazy 21:36 Make the stakes personal 26:23 A scene needs two purposes 30:31 Where ideas come from 36:28 Writing 53 novels 41:19 Go where the readers are 43:24 Baldacci's money rule 47:54 How book deals really work 53:34 Finding a good premise 59:22 Why lawyers become writers 1:05:58 Finding the right details 1:10:07 Lessons from screenplays 1:13:18 Character > plot 1:17:29 Write what excites you 1:20:49 Slow down the big moments 1:22:54 Children's books 1:27:05 Skip the self-help books I've shared the full conversation with David below. If you'd rather watch it on YouTube, or listen on Apple / Spotify, check out the reply tweets.

David Baldacci's books are everywhere. He's written 53 novels and sold more than 200 million copies. And he's been so successful not just because he can write, but because he understands the business of books as well as anybody. Timestamps: 0:40 Starting with 'The Big Pop' 3:39 Should you outline your book? 6:03 Give characters baggage 9:44 Twists aren't enough 13:49 Long dialogue is lazy 21:36 Make the stakes personal 26:23 A scene needs two purposes 30:31 Where ideas come from 36:28 Writing 53 novels 41:19 Go where the readers are 43:24 Baldacci's money rule 47:54 How book deals really work 53:34 Finding a good premise 59:22 Why lawyers become writers 1:05:58 Finding the right details 1:10:07 Lessons from screenplays 1:13:18 Character > plot 1:17:29 Write what excites you 1:20:49 Slow down the big moments 1:22:54 Children's books 1:27:05 Skip the self-help books I've shared the full conversation with David below. If you'd rather watch it on YouTube, or listen on Apple / Spotify, check out the reply tweets.

David Perell

38,747 görüntüleme • 2 ay önce

Michael Connelly has written 40+ novels, sold ~100 million books, and is the man behind TV series like Bosch and The Lincoln Lawyer. That makes him one of the most popular crime fiction writers in the world. He says: "Every murder tells the story of a city." In this interview, he explains why one telling detail beats five ordinary ones, why Los Angeles is a character in every book he writes, and the piece of Kurt Vonnegut advice that shapes every page he writes. Timestamps: 1:51 The Telling Details trick 4:45 How Michael edits his writing 9:54 Michael's writing routing 11:02 How to build great characters 12:46 Los Angeles 16:10 Michael's top writing inspiration 24:06 Advice for writers 29:16 Every murder tells a city's story 34:28 The origin of Harry Bosch 41:01 How to write dialogue 47:13 Heroes vs. villains 52:14 How to hook readers 1:00:43 Inside a Hollywood writer's room I've shared the full conversation with Michael below. If you'd rather watch the full video on YouTube or listen on Apple / Spotify, check out the links in the first reply tweet.

Michael Connelly has written 40+ novels, sold ~100 million books, and is the man behind TV series like Bosch and The Lincoln Lawyer. That makes him one of the most popular crime fiction writers in the world. He says: "Every murder tells the story of a city." In this interview, he explains why one telling detail beats five ordinary ones, why Los Angeles is a character in every book he writes, and the piece of Kurt Vonnegut advice that shapes every page he writes. Timestamps: 1:51 The Telling Details trick 4:45 How Michael edits his writing 9:54 Michael's writing routing 11:02 How to build great characters 12:46 Los Angeles 16:10 Michael's top writing inspiration 24:06 Advice for writers 29:16 Every murder tells a city's story 34:28 The origin of Harry Bosch 41:01 How to write dialogue 47:13 Heroes vs. villains 52:14 How to hook readers 1:00:43 Inside a Hollywood writer's room I've shared the full conversation with Michael below. If you'd rather watch the full video on YouTube or listen on Apple / Spotify, check out the links in the first reply tweet.

David Perell

39,689 görüntüleme • 6 ay önce

Adrian Tchaikovsky is one of the best fantasy & science fiction writers alive today. What's crazy is that he's kept quality so high while writing ~5 books per year, and this interview is about how he does it. One guy on Reddit said: “Probably the best Sci-Fi/Fantasy author interview I’ve ever seen. Gives great insight into how Adrian Tchaikovsky approaches his novels." Timestamps: 0:35 How to plan a novel 2:27 The two types of outlining 7:07 What makes for a good idea? 8:09 Dragons 14:07 Building good characters 20:02 World building 25:09 A guide to science fiction 33:46 Fantasy vs. science fiction 36:38 How magic works in Sci-Fi 42:04 Writing good fight scenes 50:15 Avoiding writing ruts 59:07 How to improve your writing 1:03:07 Writing a good ending I've shared the full conversation with Adrian Tchaikovsky below. If you'd rather watch it on YouTube, or listen on Apple / Spotify, check out the reply tweets.

Adrian Tchaikovsky is one of the best fantasy & science fiction writers alive today. What's crazy is that he's kept quality so high while writing ~5 books per year, and this interview is about how he does it. One guy on Reddit said: “Probably the best Sci-Fi/Fantasy author interview I’ve ever seen. Gives great insight into how Adrian Tchaikovsky approaches his novels." Timestamps: 0:35 How to plan a novel 2:27 The two types of outlining 7:07 What makes for a good idea? 8:09 Dragons 14:07 Building good characters 20:02 World building 25:09 A guide to science fiction 33:46 Fantasy vs. science fiction 36:38 How magic works in Sci-Fi 42:04 Writing good fight scenes 50:15 Avoiding writing ruts 59:07 How to improve your writing 1:03:07 Writing a good ending I've shared the full conversation with Adrian Tchaikovsky below. If you'd rather watch it on YouTube, or listen on Apple / Spotify, check out the reply tweets.

David Perell

152,865 görüntüleme • 8 ay önce

Anne Lamott is the queen of writing teachers. Ask 100 writers for their favorite book about the craft, and her book, Bird by Bird, will top the list. Everybody who's tried to make a work of art knows how loud the inner critic can be. When struggle comes, most people try harder. But Anne says: "The point is not to try harder; it's to resist life less." Improving as a writer is about becoming more aware and paying closer attention to what's already around you, and this conversation is about how to do that. It centers around her famous writing advice: “Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.” Timestamps: 0:39 Bird by Bird 2:17 Why writer's block isn't real 3:36 The problem with trying harder 9:06 Every book has three drafts 14:24 Learning to observe the world 15:58 Facing your inner critic 27:59 "Help, thanks, wow" 31:16 You get three pages 35:51 Revenge = fuel 38:26 Anne's #1 writing prompt 48:53 Finding writing ideas 54:57 Writing lessons from movies 1:02:08 The ABDCE storytelling formula 1:05:37 What makes for a good ending? 1:10:57 Dealing with criticism 1:16:28 Writing to be fully alive I've shared the full conversation with Anne Lamott below. If you'd prefer to watch it, I've published it on YouTube, and you also can listen to it on Apple / Spotify. I've shared those links in the reply tweets. This is one of those bucket list interviews I've wanted to do ever since I started How I Write, and I hope you enjoy our conversation.

Anne Lamott is the queen of writing teachers. Ask 100 writers for their favorite book about the craft, and her book, Bird by Bird, will top the list. Everybody who's tried to make a work of art knows how loud the inner critic can be. When struggle comes, most people try harder. But Anne says: "The point is not to try harder; it's to resist life less." Improving as a writer is about becoming more aware and paying closer attention to what's already around you, and this conversation is about how to do that. It centers around her famous writing advice: “Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.” Timestamps: 0:39 Bird by Bird 2:17 Why writer's block isn't real 3:36 The problem with trying harder 9:06 Every book has three drafts 14:24 Learning to observe the world 15:58 Facing your inner critic 27:59 "Help, thanks, wow" 31:16 You get three pages 35:51 Revenge = fuel 38:26 Anne's #1 writing prompt 48:53 Finding writing ideas 54:57 Writing lessons from movies 1:02:08 The ABDCE storytelling formula 1:05:37 What makes for a good ending? 1:10:57 Dealing with criticism 1:16:28 Writing to be fully alive I've shared the full conversation with Anne Lamott below. If you'd prefer to watch it, I've published it on YouTube, and you also can listen to it on Apple / Spotify. I've shared those links in the reply tweets. This is one of those bucket list interviews I've wanted to do ever since I started How I Write, and I hope you enjoy our conversation.

David Perell

160,964 görüntüleme • 4 ay önce

Dan Wang is one of the world’s top China analysts. He built his name by writing annual letters about China that are as well-written as they are insightful. What’s unique about his writing is the way he goes beyond cliches, especially in the way he thinks about the relationship between China and America. How does he do it? For Dan, good writing is the byproduct of lots of eating, lots of travel, and lots of talking to people, and he broke it all down in this episode. Timestamps: 1:04 Why Dan writes Annual Letters 15:01 Dan’s way of writing 26:02 Why most travel writing stinks 30:44 How to travel through China 33:05 The regions of China, explained 44:47 Trade books vs. academic books 53:46 The problem with history books 01:01:42 Did Dan write his book with AI? 01:10:50 Dan’s least favorite part about China 1:15:42 A critique of American elites 1:33:08 Why Dan’s site got blocked in China 1:39:52 What China mocks about America 1:54:49 A simple way to improve your writing Dan and I also want to dedicate this episode to Tyler Cowen as a thank you for his friendship and mentorship over the years. I’ve shared the full episode with Dan Wang on Twitter below. If you’d like to watch it elsewhere, you can watch it on YouTube or listen on Apple / Spotify, and I’ve linked to all those things below.

Dan Wang is one of the world’s top China analysts. He built his name by writing annual letters about China that are as well-written as they are insightful. What’s unique about his writing is the way he goes beyond cliches, especially in the way he thinks about the relationship between China and America. How does he do it? For Dan, good writing is the byproduct of lots of eating, lots of travel, and lots of talking to people, and he broke it all down in this episode. Timestamps: 1:04 Why Dan writes Annual Letters 15:01 Dan’s way of writing 26:02 Why most travel writing stinks 30:44 How to travel through China 33:05 The regions of China, explained 44:47 Trade books vs. academic books 53:46 The problem with history books 01:01:42 Did Dan write his book with AI? 01:10:50 Dan’s least favorite part about China 1:15:42 A critique of American elites 1:33:08 Why Dan’s site got blocked in China 1:39:52 What China mocks about America 1:54:49 A simple way to improve your writing Dan and I also want to dedicate this episode to Tyler Cowen as a thank you for his friendship and mentorship over the years. I’ve shared the full episode with Dan Wang on Twitter below. If you’d like to watch it elsewhere, you can watch it on YouTube or listen on Apple / Spotify, and I’ve linked to all those things below.

David Perell

153,537 görüntüleme • 1 yıl önce

Watch this game-changing dissertation on "expert writing." Expert writers write to "think" about the world. 99% of experts write and think at the same time. They use the writing process to help themselves think. This is how they do their best thinking. Write to think about the world. Do this because you care, because you want to be part of progress, because you want to make a dent in the universe. Write to inspire and influence. And when you are finished writing, and you click publish, think about your work this way... the intent of your text is to cause readers to change the way they think about the world. Engagement metrics don't really matter in comparison. Whether or not your text is valuable, depends on whether or not your readers perceive that you have valuably changed what they think, or what they do, or how they decide. One of the reasons it's so hard for smart people to write well is because they don't write to change the way people think about the world. They write to complete a project, to earn a grade, to be assessed. Or they write to publish *their* thoughts without going through a mental and soulful exercise of writing to think about the world, without writing to change how people think about the world. Write to think about the world. Change how people think about the world. In an era of #GenerativeAI, content isn't the end game. Your goal isn't just to get someone's attention, generate reactions, or show up in search. Your mission is to change how people think about the world. Change How People Think About the World. Thank you, Larry McEnerney (now-retired former Director of the University of Chicago's Writing Program).

Watch this game-changing dissertation on "expert writing." Expert writers write to "think" about the world. 99% of experts write and think at the same time. They use the writing process to help themselves think. This is how they do their best thinking. Write to think about the world. Do this because you care, because you want to be part of progress, because you want to make a dent in the universe. Write to inspire and influence. And when you are finished writing, and you click publish, think about your work this way... the intent of your text is to cause readers to change the way they think about the world. Engagement metrics don't really matter in comparison. Whether or not your text is valuable, depends on whether or not your readers perceive that you have valuably changed what they think, or what they do, or how they decide. One of the reasons it's so hard for smart people to write well is because they don't write to change the way people think about the world. They write to complete a project, to earn a grade, to be assessed. Or they write to publish their thoughts without going through a mental and soulful exercise of writing to think about the world, without writing to change how people think about the world. Write to think about the world. Change how people think about the world. In an era of #GenerativeAI, content isn't the end game. Your goal isn't just to get someone's attention, generate reactions, or show up in search. Your mission is to change how people think about the world. Change How People Think About the World. Thank you, Larry McEnerney (now-retired former Director of the University of Chicago's Writing Program).

Brian Solis

113,721 görüntüleme • 3 yıl önce

Matt Haig is famous for writing "The Midnight Library" which sold more than 10 million copies and has more than 2.5 million reviews on Goodreads. He unapologetically writes for a big audience. That's a taboo thing to say in the writing world even though basically every writer wants more readers. So the question is: Are you betraying the craft if you explicitly try to reach as many people as possible? We also talked about how to tell better stories, how AI will change writing, and what to think about whenever you write a first draft. Timestamps: 0:29 How Matt writes his books 6:14 What AI can never copy 8:21 How books will change with AI 13:32 Short words hit harder 15:24 Why first drafts matter 19:52 What a story is really for 26:36 What to do when your books don't sell 36:22 Lessons from writing kids' books 45:31 There's always another level 50:37 Matt's relationship with publishers 53:13 Trust your own taste I've shared the full conversation with Matt Haig below. You can also watch the full thing on YouTube or listen on Apple / Spotify, and I've shared those links in the replies. Enjoy!

Matt Haig is famous for writing "The Midnight Library" which sold more than 10 million copies and has more than 2.5 million reviews on Goodreads. He unapologetically writes for a big audience. That's a taboo thing to say in the writing world even though basically every writer wants more readers. So the question is: Are you betraying the craft if you explicitly try to reach as many people as possible? We also talked about how to tell better stories, how AI will change writing, and what to think about whenever you write a first draft. Timestamps: 0:29 How Matt writes his books 6:14 What AI can never copy 8:21 How books will change with AI 13:32 Short words hit harder 15:24 Why first drafts matter 19:52 What a story is really for 26:36 What to do when your books don't sell 36:22 Lessons from writing kids' books 45:31 There's always another level 50:37 Matt's relationship with publishers 53:13 Trust your own taste I've shared the full conversation with Matt Haig below. You can also watch the full thing on YouTube or listen on Apple / Spotify, and I've shared those links in the replies. Enjoy!

David Perell

20,957 görüntüleme • 26 gün önce

David Grann is one of the few nonfiction writers whose books are routinely adapted into Hollywood movies, such as "Killers of the Flower Moon" with Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese. He's such an obsessive researcher that he's cracked multiple murders that even the American government hasn't been able to solve. Then there's his book, The Wager. I can't think of a single book that more people I know said they read in one sitting. This interview is about how he finds stories, researches them, and turns them into page-turners. Timestamps: 1:53 Linking cases to murderers 5:48 David's insane research method 8:20 How to choose books to write 12:30 The three tests for a good story 18:20 Researching "The Wager" 31:18 How to describe a character 34:41 Bringing characters to life 39:28 Making scenes visual 45:20 How to end a chapter 52:20 How to open a book 1:01:52 Working with Martin Scorsese 1:07:01 Storytelling in books vs. movies 1:13:22 Small stories vs. big stories I've shared the full conversation with David Grann below. If you'd rather watch on YouTube, or listen on Apple or Spotify, check out the reply links. Enjoy!

David Grann is one of the few nonfiction writers whose books are routinely adapted into Hollywood movies, such as "Killers of the Flower Moon" with Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese. He's such an obsessive researcher that he's cracked multiple murders that even the American government hasn't been able to solve. Then there's his book, The Wager. I can't think of a single book that more people I know said they read in one sitting. This interview is about how he finds stories, researches them, and turns them into page-turners. Timestamps: 1:53 Linking cases to murderers 5:48 David's insane research method 8:20 How to choose books to write 12:30 The three tests for a good story 18:20 Researching "The Wager" 31:18 How to describe a character 34:41 Bringing characters to life 39:28 Making scenes visual 45:20 How to end a chapter 52:20 How to open a book 1:01:52 Working with Martin Scorsese 1:07:01 Storytelling in books vs. movies 1:13:22 Small stories vs. big stories I've shared the full conversation with David Grann below. If you'd rather watch on YouTube, or listen on Apple or Spotify, check out the reply links. Enjoy!

David Perell

46,445 görüntüleme • 10 ay önce

"One great detail will do the work of 50 crappy sentences." Wright Thompson is one of the last great magazine writers in America. He's long been a writer at ESPN, and if you love sports, you've almost definitely read his work. Maybe his profile of Tiger Woods. Or maybe the one about Michael Jordan. Some highlights: - "When somebody says something is overwritten, it really just means that the story is underreported." - Profiles are about figuring out what is a central complication of somebody's life and how, on a daily basis, they go about solving it. - "All of these stories, the few good ones I've written... I think these stories are like a prayer for empathy, to try to understand each other, to understand another human being a little bit at a time. Then slowly, thread by thread, you understand yourself." - On writing well: "One of the things that's missing is that nobody wants to hear what I have to say, which is just reps. Zen is a butt in a seat. There's no mystery. It's just reps." - "I wish someone had told me years ago that if you're going to be a professional writer for decades, writing is not going to be about words, but it's going to be about architecture. Only when you really understand how things fit together and move can you then actually be thinking about the words." - "All writing is trying to say something new that is true and is both specific and universal and that helps the reader understand something they didn't understand before, preferably about themselves." And here are the timestamps: 1:50 Writer's vomit vs. writer's block 8:33 The architecture of writing 11:30 What makes for a good story? 15:57 Bringing characters to life 21:11 "The hammer" 26:26 Writing a vivid scene 33:41 How to bring places to life 39:57 Dialogue vs. quotes 45:49 The role of secondary characters 51:44 The problem with "brainstorming" 1:02:13 What makes for a great ending? I've shared the full conversation with Wright Thompson below. If you'd rather watch on YouTube, or listen to the full thing on Apple / Spotify, check out the reply tweets.

David Perell

553,019 görüntüleme • 5 ay önce

What do writers talk about when they get together? I was curious, so I arranged a conversation between two of the best writers I know: Elif Shafak and Robert Macfarlane. There's something mystical about both of their work. It's like they've found a way to transcend the limits of reason and tap into something deeper and more imaginative. Elif is the president of the Royal Society of Literature and has written 21 books, while Robert is a professor at Cambridge who writes about the wonders of the natural world: rivers, mountains, trees, and birds. Timestamps: 0:44 Turning feelings into words 4:58 Linear vs. non-linear writing 9:05 Listen well to write well 20:25 Why write about nature? 24:21 Language, rhythm and cadence 29:07 Do writers need to be bored? 35:43 Bad writing advice 43:23 The limits of reason 47:56 Give readers a new way to see 50:25 Find the big in the small 57:54 How to become a better writer I've shared the full conversation with Elif Shafak and Robert Macfarlane below. If you'd rather watch it on YouTube, or listen on Apple / Spotify, check out the reply tweets.

What do writers talk about when they get together? I was curious, so I arranged a conversation between two of the best writers I know: Elif Shafak and Robert Macfarlane. There's something mystical about both of their work. It's like they've found a way to transcend the limits of reason and tap into something deeper and more imaginative. Elif is the president of the Royal Society of Literature and has written 21 books, while Robert is a professor at Cambridge who writes about the wonders of the natural world: rivers, mountains, trees, and birds. Timestamps: 0:44 Turning feelings into words 4:58 Linear vs. non-linear writing 9:05 Listen well to write well 20:25 Why write about nature? 24:21 Language, rhythm and cadence 29:07 Do writers need to be bored? 35:43 Bad writing advice 43:23 The limits of reason 47:56 Give readers a new way to see 50:25 Find the big in the small 57:54 How to become a better writer I've shared the full conversation with Elif Shafak and Robert Macfarlane below. If you'd rather watch it on YouTube, or listen on Apple / Spotify, check out the reply tweets.

David Perell

24,618 görüntüleme • 1 ay önce

Susan Orlean writes non-fiction books that read like novels. She's the author of nine books and writes for The New Yorker, and in this interview, she breaks down exactly how she does it. Timestamps: 0:27 How to structure stories 4:06 Susan's index card method 7:20 How to hook readers 11:01 What do good stories look like? 23:11 How Susan got her 1st book deal 29:54 Editing your own writing 37:30 Susan's worst writing habits 42:45 Depth vs. width in book topics 55:04 Does structure kill creativity? 1:02:27 Why libraries matter I've shared the full interview with Susan Orlean below. If you'd rather watch on YouTube or listen on Apple / Spotify, check out the reply tweets.

Susan Orlean writes non-fiction books that read like novels. She's the author of nine books and writes for The New Yorker, and in this interview, she breaks down exactly how she does it. Timestamps: 0:27 How to structure stories 4:06 Susan's index card method 7:20 How to hook readers 11:01 What do good stories look like? 23:11 How Susan got her 1st book deal 29:54 Editing your own writing 37:30 Susan's worst writing habits 42:45 Depth vs. width in book topics 55:04 Does structure kill creativity? 1:02:27 Why libraries matter I've shared the full interview with Susan Orlean below. If you'd rather watch on YouTube or listen on Apple / Spotify, check out the reply tweets.

David Perell

40,758 görüntüleme • 10 ay önce

Elif Shafak has written 21 books and writes with a level of beauty that will make the birds around you sing louder. She's my favorite kind of guest. Just by being around somebody like Elif, you unlock your imagination and open your eyes to the mysteries of our world. And what's hilarious about her is that she writes so beautifully while listening to head-smashing heavy metal. Timestamps: 2:02 Making the world enchanted 4:39 Writing with wonder 7:22 Elif's writing routine 11:11 Why Elif writes to heavy metal 17:07 What makes for a good character? 34:12 The two kinds of writing 43:27 Writing poetically 48:30 The limits of English 51:46 Writing like you're drunk 55:04 Writers need freedom 1:06:44 The poetry of Rumi 1:10:22 Spirituality vs. Religion 1:17:11 James Baldwin I've shared the full conversation below. If you'd rather watch on YouTube, or listen on Apple or Spotify, check out the first reply tweet. I've also shared clips in the replies. Enjoy!

Elif Shafak has written 21 books and writes with a level of beauty that will make the birds around you sing louder. She's my favorite kind of guest. Just by being around somebody like Elif, you unlock your imagination and open your eyes to the mysteries of our world. And what's hilarious about her is that she writes so beautifully while listening to head-smashing heavy metal. Timestamps: 2:02 Making the world enchanted 4:39 Writing with wonder 7:22 Elif's writing routine 11:11 Why Elif writes to heavy metal 17:07 What makes for a good character? 34:12 The two kinds of writing 43:27 Writing poetically 48:30 The limits of English 51:46 Writing like you're drunk 55:04 Writers need freedom 1:06:44 The poetry of Rumi 1:10:22 Spirituality vs. Religion 1:17:11 James Baldwin I've shared the full conversation below. If you'd rather watch on YouTube, or listen on Apple or Spotify, check out the first reply tweet. I've also shared clips in the replies. Enjoy!

David Perell

609,050 görüntüleme • 8 ay önce