How I Write

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

Elif Shafak & Robert Macfarlane: Two Novelists Have an Epic Conversation | How I Write

August 19, 2026 • 63 mins

Learn more about Alpha School at ⁠https://go.alpha.school/howiwrite 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. I’ve had both of them...

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Andrew Sean Greer: Pulitzer Winner Teaches Writing | How I Write

August 12, 2026 • 72 mins

Learn more about Alpha School at ⁠https://go.alpha.school/howiwrite 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, such as the idea that when you're ...

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Mark Forsyth: 13 Techniques to Improve Your Writing | How I Write

August 5, 2026 • 73 mins

Learn more about Alpha School at ⁠https://go.alpha.school/howiwrite 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 down for me one by one: What is the ...

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Jack Carr: Bestselling Author Shares His Entire Writing Process | How I Write

July 29, 2026 • 69 mins

Learn more about Alpha School at ⁠https://go.alpha.school/howiwrite 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. How do you actually do that?" An...

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Scott Dikkers: 11 Ways to Make Your Writing More Funny | How I Write

July 22, 2026 • 65 mins

Learn more about Alpha School at ⁠https://go.alpha.school/howiwrite 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 able to take me by the h...

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What the Experts Really Think About AI | How I Write Compilation

July 20, 2026 • 55 mins

Learn more about Alpha School at ⁠https://go.alpha.school/howiwrite 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 edge are saying about how AI will imp...

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David Baldacci: How to Write Books That Actually Sell | How I Write

July 15, 2026 • 93 mins

Learn more about Alpha School at ⁠https://go.alpha.school/howiwrite 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 approach the business of publishi...

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David Shelley: How to Get Your Book Published | How I Write

July 8, 2026 • 85 mins

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 Learn more about Alpha School at go.alpha.school/howiwrite 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. First, how should writers na...

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David Sedaris: Bestselling Author Gives His Best Writing Advice | How I Write

July 1, 2026 • 80 mins

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 bit strange about the w...

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Andrew Stanton: Meet The Writer Behind Toy Story 5 | How I Write

June 24, 2026 • 60 mins

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, and he's the director of Toy Story ...

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Michael Pollan's Best Writing Advice | How I Write

June 17, 2026 • 73 mins

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 something he's interested in and emba...

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Andrew Hunter Murray: How to Write Fiction Incredibly Well | How I Write

June 10, 2026 • 60 mins

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 like Edith Wharton and Jane Austen. ...

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Noah Hawley: How He Wrote Fargo | How I Write

June 3, 2026 • 86 mins

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 screen, this interview is a roadmap f...

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Suleika Jaouad: NYT Bestselling Author Teaches Writing | How I Write

May 27, 2026 • 58 mins

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 started writing for The New York Times...

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Tom Segura: How to Tell Jokes | How I Write

May 20, 2026 • 73 mins

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 out a hilarious detail, making you ...

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Maria Popova: How to Write Something Truly Wise | How I Write

May 13, 2026 • 57 mins

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 live and how to see, and how to turn...

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Yann Martel: Life of Pi Author Reveals His Writing Process | How I Write

May 6, 2026 • 71 mins

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 stories that he truly falls in love ...

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Anne Lamott Teaches Unforgettable Writing | How I Write

April 29, 2026 • 79 mins

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 countless writers over the years. Be...

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Tish Rabe: How to Write Children’s Books | How I Write

April 22, 2026 • 88 mins

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 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 his distinct style. So I sa...

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David Gelb: How to Write Cinematically | How I Write

April 15, 2026 • 69 mins

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 what this conversation is all about: the art of making documentaries, telling stories, and bringing people to life. He says that whenever you're writing a scene, a character sh...

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How I Write

Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Elif Shafak & Robert Macfarlane: Two Novelists Have an Epic Conversation | How I Write

.css-r6mb8g{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:1;overflow:hidden;}Andrew Sean Greer: Pulitzer Winner Teaches Writing | How I Write

Mark Forsyth: 13 Techniques to Improve Your Writing | How I Write

Jack Carr: Bestselling Author Shares His Entire Writing Process | How I Write

Scott Dikkers: 11 Ways to Make Your Writing More Funny | How I Write

What the Experts Really Think About AI | How I Write Compilation

David Baldacci: How to Write Books That Actually Sell | How I Write

David Shelley: How to Get Your Book Published | How I Write

David Sedaris: Bestselling Author Gives His Best Writing Advice | How I Write

Andrew Stanton: Meet The Writer Behind Toy Story 5 | How I Write

Michael Pollan's Best Writing Advice | How I Write

Andrew Hunter Murray: How to Write Fiction Incredibly Well | How I Write

Noah Hawley: How He Wrote Fargo | How I Write

Suleika Jaouad: NYT Bestselling Author Teaches Writing | How I Write

Tom Segura: How to Tell Jokes | How I Write

Maria Popova: How to Write Something Truly Wise | How I Write

Yann Martel: Life of Pi Author Reveals His Writing Process | How I Write

Anne Lamott Teaches Unforgettable Writing | How I Write

Tish Rabe: How to Write Children’s Books | How I Write

David Gelb: How to Write Cinematically | How I Write

Popular Podcasts

Elif Shafak & Robert Macfarlane: Two Novelists Have an Epic Conversation | How I Write

Andrew Sean Greer: Pulitzer Winner Teaches Writing | How I Write