Rosanne Cash: Writing Masterclass from 4x Grammy Winner | How I Write
I interviewed Rosanne Cash, a 4-time Grammy winner who's been writing songs for over 40 years. She's mastered something most writers struggle with: turning raw emotion into beautiful, lasting songs. She writes songs like a painter, starting with visual images, and brings the same rhythmic approach to both music and prose. We talked about how to turn pain into art, why anger and grief are powerful creative forces, how to deconstruct great songs to learn from masters like Bob Dylan, and how to develop your authentic voice through decades of deliberate practice. If you want to write with more emotional depth and turn life's difficulties into meaningful art, this conversation will show you how. Enjoy!
00:00:00 Why Great Writers Love Language Early
00:07:47 When to Ask for Feedback on Songs
00:14:46 How to Deconstruct Songs Like Bob Dylan
00:21:25 How to Study Different Songwriting Traditions
00:25:19 Why Truth Should Drive Your Creative Work
00:31:11 Why You Must Master Rhyme Schemes First
00:35:13 How to Use Anger as Creative Fuel
00:42:15 Why Emotions Are Invitations for Discovery
00:50:56 How Your Voice Changes Over Your Career
00:56:06 How Songs Start as Visual Images
01:01:25 Why Music Survives When Everything Else Dies
01:05:48 The Dream That Changed Everything About Art
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
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David Whyte: Inside the Mind of A Master Poet | How I Write
I interviewed David Whyte, a poet who has mastered the art of turning life's deepest experiences into beautiful writing. We talked about how to write from the place where your inner world meets the outer world, why difficult emotions like grief and anger are actually forms of care, how memorizing poetry changes how you experience reality, and practical techniques for developing deeper attention. If you want to write more authentically, develop a stronger presence, or learn to find beauty in ordinary moments, this conversation will give you specific tools to do that.
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
X: https://x.com/david_perell
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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.