How I Write26 Nov 2025

Jonathan Franzen: How to Write Truly Great Characters | How I Write

Check out Sublime at https://sublime.app/?ref=perell Jonathan Franzen is one of the most influential novelists alive today. He sees fiction as the most fundamental human art, and in this conversation he explains how he actually makes it: the discipline, the daily grind, and the psychological spelunking required to write characters who feel startlingly alive. Franzen has always had an outsider’s eye. He questioned the hype of the Internet long before it was fashionable, and he’s been ruthless in diagnosing the spiritual emptiness of modern consumer life. Practically, more than anything else, this episode is about how he develops rich characters. For Franzen, the people are the story. When they’re real and true, fiction has a way of getting to the core of the human experience in a way that gives people a visceral experience, as if they’ve lived the story firsthand. About the host 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. Follow me Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-write/id1700171470 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DavidPerellChannel Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2DjMSboniFAeGA8v9NpoPv X: https://x.com/david_perell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Episoder(125)

Michael Pollan's Best Writing Advice | How I Write

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 M...

17 Jun 1h 12min

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

10 Jun 1h

Noah Hawley: How He Wrote Fargo | How I Write

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 flue...

3 Jun 1h 26min

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

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." S...

27 Mai 58min

Tom Segura: How to Tell Jokes | How I Write

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 Colbe...

20 Mai 1h 13min

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

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, a...

13 Mai 57min

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

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 de...

6 Mai 1h 11min

Anne Lamott Teaches Unforgettable Writing | How I Write

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 ...

29 Apr 1h 19min