How I Write

Latest Episodes:

Lulu Cheng Meservey: Meet Silicon Valley’s Top PR Master | How I Write Apr 02, 2025

Show notes

The old communications playbook is dead: Political and company narratives used to be controlled by publicists and journalists. But now, founders can Go Direct. The question is… how? How do you spread a message in this new world? Lulu Cheng Meservey has worked with companies like Substack, Anduril, and Activision Blizzard, and this is her tell-all about how to build your own platform, build your own audience, and shape your own narrative.

00:00:00 Intro

00:00:32 Go direct

00:05:01 Beware of "perfect" writing

00:10:06 Ship-to-Yap ratio

00:15:20 Shaping a comms strategy

00:17:51 How to craft your message

00:22:57 Should you write with AI?

00:27:01 You don't need new ideas

00:32:13 Say what no one else will

00:35:20 The writing AI can't do

00:41:23 The power of the right messenger

00:47:31 Borrowing tactics from elections

00:55:12 Apple vs. crypto cults

01:02:38 How to launch your product

01:07:06 Stop making narcissistic announcements

01:09:55 What slogans work?

01:14:29 How to write an apology

Hey! I’m David Perell and I’m a writer, teacher, and podcaster. I believe writing online is one of the biggest opportunities in the world today. For the first time in human history, everybody can freely share their ideas with a global audience. I seek to help as many people publish their writing online as possible.

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The Ultimate Guide to Writing with AI | How I Write Mar 26, 2025

Show notes

Get my free PDF on using LLM's for writer's + my in-depth prompts: https://perell.com/ai

AI has triggered an existential crisis for me. In this episode, I share my thoughts on standing out as a writer with AI and how I use it everyday. This is one of the most in-depth looks at what it means to be a writer in 2025.

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Johnny Harris: Master Storytelling on YouTube | How I Write Mar 12, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, I sit down with YouTube storytelling master Johnny Harris to discover how he creates his videos. Johnny Harris has proven he can make pretty much anything go viral, from breakfast and lottery tickets to bread-making and extra virgin olive oil. We look at his entire creative process, breaking down exactly what makes his storytelling so addicting to watch. We cover the complete workflow: writing, drafting, editing, visual composition, and sound design. By the end of this video, you'll walk away with practical tools to become a better visual storyteller yourself. Enjoy!

Get 60 days free Readwise Reader at https://readwise.io/davidperell/

00:00:00 Intro

00:00:35 The Video Process

00:09:18 How to Research for a Documentary

00:10:10 The Marketing for a Video

00:13:15 Scripted vs Unscripted Content

00:15:18 The only app I use to read articles [Readwise Reader]

00:16:44 Full Breakdown of Johnny Harris' 4M View Mormon Video

00:45:34 Balancing Personal Passion vs Views

00:50:27 Every Story is a Promise

00:51:47 Highlighting Paradoxes in Human Stories

00:58:56 The "There's More Going On" Approach

01:03:20 Vox vs Independent YouTube

01:04:26 Pillars of YouTube Writing

01:05:27 Dealing with the Details in Complex Stories

01:07:19 The Art of Surprising Viewers

01:11:33 Learning from The Economist

01:18:11 Human Stories

01:21:05 Craftsmanship in the AI Age

01:24:02 How Would Johnny Harris Teach a University Class

Johnny Harris

https://www.youtube.com/@johnnyharris

https://www.patreon.com/johnnyharris

https://www.instagram.com/johnny.harris/

I also made a website that helps you learn from the best writing of all-time: https://writingexamples.com/

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Tyler Cowen: The Most Practical Conversation on AI Writing | How I Write Mar 05, 2025

Show notes

Tyler Cowen, an economist and writer, talks with me about how AI is changing writing and research. He explains a practical approach to using AI tools while maintaining your own voice. He explains the ways he incorporates LLMs into his daily work. We talk about how people will be writing fewer books in the future and how he believes truly human writing will stand out among AI-generated content. Enjoy!

Redeem your free week of Lex at https://lex.page/perell

0:00 Intro

1:00 How Tyler Cowen uses AI everyday

6:06 Hallucinations are rapidly declining now

9:28 Writing authentically with AI

11:34 AI for critiquing your work

17:29 Future of decentralized AI networks

20:34 How and why DeepSeek

22:21 How AI changes writing

24:04 Why there will be less books in an AI era

26:34 Video content will rise

28:17 Start Writing with AI [LEX AD]

29:18 AI Writing a personal biography

30:46 How you can tactically learning about AI

37:12 How AI can help you visualize information

38:31 Creating the perfect AI prompt

42:10 AI's impact in the classroom

46:56 Studying The Bible with AI

49:11 Secrets

50:10 Why social networks are more important now

51:48 Mastering AI prompting

53:58 Mentoring young people

54:49 Would you invest 4 years in a PhD

59:59 Perplexity replaces Google

01:01:09 The different AI tools, explained

01:05:43 The potential of large context windows

01:08:11 AI usage inside companies

I also made a website that helps you learn from the best writing of all-time: https://writingexamples.com/

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Dana Gioia: Why Poetry Matters | How I Write Feb 26, 2025

Show notes

Dana Gioia is a poet, former Chairman of the NEA, and one of America's most insightful writers on the craft of poetry and prose. This is the deepest conversation I've ever had about writing. Dana breaks down the writing process from his first drafts to revision, and shares practical wisdom about finding your voice and creating work that lasts. His straightforward approach makes writing less intimidating and more accessible to anyone who loves language. Enjoy!

Get 60 days free Readwise Reader at https://readwise.io/davidperell/

0:00 First Drafts

7:52 The Power of Saying No

11:48 Objectivity in Writing

18:05 Learning from Writers

21:29 Daily Writing Routine

28:30 Poetry Analysis: Catullus

29:05 Production vs Consumption

36:07 Opera as Poetic Drama

43:47 Finding Your Voice

46:09 Personal vs Universal Writing

52:17 Breaking into Publishing

57:01 Writing Through Grief

1:05:21 Emotional Directness

1:10:16 Teaching Poetry

1:14:30 Poetry in Education

1:20:48 Unifying Literary Works

1:23:15 Patience in Writing

1:26:17 Improving Your Poetry

1:30:48 The Art of Description

1:34:34 Reading to Write Better

1:38:08 Creating a Masterpiece

1:45:08 Book Writing Process

1:47:45 The Art of Revision

1:48:45 Peer Feedback

1:55:47 The only app I use to read articles [Readwise Reader]

1:57:11 Anatomy of a Poem

2:02:29 Writing with Gratitude

2:08:00 Corporate World Lessons

2:16:40 Writing in Digital Culture

2:24:30 Poetry and Magic

2:28:55 Being a Catholic Writer

2:36:17 Catholic Literary Culture

2:37:40 Biblical Language in Poetry

2:39:51 Commonplace Books

2:45:24 Literary Influences

2:51:38 Cheever on Death

2:53:11 Tarantino vs. Tolkien

2:54:54 Tolstoy vs. Dostoevsky

2:55:47 The Modern Novel

3:01:18 Characters in Opera

3:09:06 Understanding Your Genre

Dana Gioia

https://danagioia.com

I also made a website that helps you learn from the best writing of all-time: https://writingexamples.com/

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Ward Farnsworth: How To Say Things That Last Forever | How I Write Feb 12, 2025

Show notes

Ward Farnsworth is 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. He’s a genius at making complex ideas simple and useful for everyday life. Enjoy!

Get 60 days free Readwise Reader at https://readwise.io/davidperell/

TIMESTAMPS

00:00:00 Intro

00:04:53 Example 1 (King James Bible)

00:07:09 Example 2 (Winston Churchill)

00:11:45 Example 3 (Winston Churchill)

00:15:19 Example 4 (King James Bible)

00:18:18 Example 5 (Abraham Lincoln)

00:22:57 Example 6 (Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.)

00:26:40 Classical English Rhetoric

00:27:40 Example 7 (Abraham Lincoln)

00:29:59 Example 8 (Abraham Lincoln)

00:31:48 The only app I use to read articles [Readwise Reader]

00:33:15 Example 9 (Winston Churchill)

00:35:53 Example 10 (Lloyd Bentsen)

00:38:34 Example 11 (JFK)

00:42:00 Example 12 (Abraham Lincoln)

00:43:40 Example 13 (Henry Fielding - Tom Jones)

00:45:32 Example 14 (King James Bible)

00:47:42 The 3 Techniques, explained

00:52:24 Practical advice for everyone

00:56:08 The ideal writing curriculum

WARD FARNSWORTH

http://wardfarnsworth.com/

I also made a website that helps you learn from the best writing of all-time: https://writingexamples.com/

FOLLOW ME

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DavidPerellChannel

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-write/id1700171470

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2DjMSboniFAeGA8v9NpoPv

X: https://x.com/david_perell

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Alex Hormozi: Copywriting Masterclass | How I Write Feb 05, 2025

Show notes

Alex Hormozi has written two killer business books that have sold more than 1M copies. His writing has gotten him to 9M followers across social media. This is the first interview where he breaks down his writing system.

Get 60 days free Readwise Reader at https://readwise.io/davidperell/

I also made a website that helps you learn from the best writing of all-time: https://writingexamples.com/

TIMESTAMPS

00:00:00 Intro

00:00:20 Hormozi’s cave

00:05:35 Discovery process

00:12:32 Fix problems using MECE

00:13:43 Marketing “$100M Leads”

00:20:55 Writing for YouTube vs Books

00:27:13 The pain is the pitch

00:31:37 Break down the world into frameworks

00:34:09 10x more effort = 1000x results

00:38:24 Understanding the table of contents

00:49:27 The only app I use to read articles [Readwise Reader]

00:50:53 How to think about your audience

00:54:22 The #1 creator mistake

00:57:58 The business of Hormozi’s books

01:02:04 The love for writing as a kid

01:04:34 Hormozi’s ideal university writing class

ALEX HORMOZI

https://www.youtube.com/@AlexHormozi

https://www.instagram.com/hormozi/

https://x.com/alexhormozi/

https://acquisition.com

FOLLOW ME

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171 Years of Writing Advice in 90 Minutes | How I Write Jan 10, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, I share my very favorite clips from world-class experts I interviewed last year. Their combined 171 years of writing experience is tightly packed into this 90-minute video. Enjoy!

I also made a website that helps you learn from the best writing of all-time: https://writingexamples.com/

Follow me

Website: https://writeofpassage.com/how-i-write

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Tucker Max: The King of Memoir Writing | How I Write Oct 16, 2024

Show notes

How do you know the difference between a banger journal entry and the foundation of a memoir?

If you’ve ever asked yourself this question, then this conversation is for you.Tucker is a memoir guru, having sold 5 million copies of his own memoir (“I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell”) and millions more of ghostwritten memoirs (for names like Tiffany Haddish and David Goggins).

All of Tucker’s expertise can be dwindled down to three words: tell the truth. But it’s not as easy as it sounds.In this episode, you’ll learn everything it takes to write a bestselling memoir: how to tell a great story, how to infuse your work with humor, how to turn your suffering into art, and how to make sure you’re ready to write a memoir in the first place.

Most importantly, you’ll learn how to tell the unencumbered truth — the right way.

Website: https://www.tuckermax.com/

Twitter: @TuckerMax

Website: https://writeofpassage.com/how-i-write

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DavidPerellChannel/videos

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-write/id1700171470

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Richard Powers: Pulitzer Prize-Winning Stanford Professor | How I Write Oct 09, 2024

Show notes

Richard is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Overstory, one of the most praised novels of the decade. His writing absolutely explodes with life. But perhaps Richard’s most impressive skill is his character development. And we’re not talking about the stodgy character arc you learned in English class. Richard shares 40+ years and 14 novels worth of insight on how to write characters that readers can’t get out of their head.

This episode is a deep dive into the psychoanalytical complexities of character: drama and tension, thinking and feeling, motivation and suspense. Plus, we dive into the three different types of character-driven drama: People against People, People against Themselves, and People against the Environment.

In a nutshell, this episode is a novel-writing masterclass that you don’t want to miss.

SPEAKER LINKS:

Website: https://www.richardpowers.net/

Books: https://www.richardpowers.net/category/novel/

New Novel “Playground”: https://a.co/d/g9nzmbO

WRITE OF PASSAGE:

Want to learn more about the final class for Write of Passage?

Click here: https://writeofpassage.com/

PODCAST LINKS:

Website: https://writeofpassage.com/how-i-write

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DavidPerellChannel/videos

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-write/id1700171470