How I Write

Learn more about Alpha School at ⁠https://go.alpha.school/howiwrite

Gillian Flynn is the author of one of my favorite books of all time: Gone Girl. Before the episode, I wondered who I'd be meeting. What kind of person could write such a crazy, bloody mystery? She ended up being super fun, light, and down-to-earth. We spent the whole time talking about her passions: books and the craft of writing a great novel.

After Gone Girl became a hit, she decided to turn it into a movie. She wrote the screenplay, teamed up with David Fincher, and the movie was nominated for an Oscar. I asked her to share what she learned from Fincher, why she writes like a method actor, and how she approaches plot, character, and the beginning of a novel.

Here's my awesome conversation with Gillian Flynn.

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.

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Learn more about Alpha School at ⁠https://go.alpha.school/howiwrite

Taylor Tomlinson is on the show today, and she is one of the world's top comedians with multiple Netflix specials and a book called "Actually, Nevermind".

I love having stand-up comedians on the show because their creative process is so pure. No matter your writing style, you can learn from them. Like any writer, they observe the world, look for ideas, and write down good material. The difference is, they immediately perform and get instant feedback.

At the club, if a joke works, they refine and improve it. If it flops, they discard it completely, never mentioning it again. They understand that quantity leads to quality.

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
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Learn more about Alpha School at ⁠https://go.alpha.school/howiwrite

Dean Koontz has written more than a hundred novels and sold over 500 million copies of his books. This is my second time having him on the show. The first time, we discussed writing practices, routines, and rituals: the standard topics we cover on How I Write.

This time was different. We explored the supernatural, mysticism, and how to cultivate a sense of wonder both in life and on the page.

The vibe of this conversation felt like two old friends sitting in a cabin, discussing life, the world, and the craft of writing.

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
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X: https://x.com/david_perell
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Learn more about Alpha School at ⁠https://go.alpha.school/howiwrite

Jodi Picoult is on the show today, and she has published 30 novels and sold more than 50 million copies of her books. For a while, she was writing a book a year!

What I admire so much about her is how much fun she clearly has with her craft. Her research sent her ghost hunting and up to Alaska to visit Eskimos. She also gets so invested in her stories that she literally hears her characters speaking to her.

How does she do it? How did she manage to write a book a year? That's what this conversation is all about.

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
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X: https://x.com/david_perell
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Pre-order Robert Greene's latest book here: https://sites.prh.com/lawofthesublime

Learn more about Alpha School at ⁠https://go.alpha.school/howiwrite

Robert Greene is on the show today, who's famous for books like The 50th Law and The 48 Laws of Power. How does he write books that so many people want to read? How has he written books so compelling that people literally want to steal them? That’s what we discuss in this conversation.

What I admire so much about Robert, and the reason I love spending time with him, is that he has devoted decades to the craft of writing. You can feel it in his presence. He has labored and labored over his work, and now he is out with a new book called Sublime, which he wrote after suffering a stroke that left him paralyzed on the right side of his body.

This book is his magnum opus. It is a departure from the standard Robert Greene fare, moving into something new, transcendent, and supernatural. An attempt to describe the indescribable. This conversation is beautiful and deep, and I think you will like it.

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
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