Tom Segura: How to Tell Jokes | How I Write

More from How I Write All episodes →

1. 

   24 Jun 2026 · 1 hr 1 min

   Andrew Stanton: Meet The Writer Behind Toy Story 5 | 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 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 5. I had to ask him, "What have you done at Pixar to keep that quality bar so high? It's hit after hit, appealing to both kids and adults. How do you achieve this…

2. 

   17 Jun 2026 · 1 hr 14 min

   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 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 embarks on an adventure. He experiences things, talks to people, learns, and then compiles it all into a book. His writing style feels as if he's putting an arm around…

3. 

   10 Jun 2026 · 1 hr

   Andrew Hunter Murray: How to Write Fiction Incredibly Well | 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 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. We talked about what makes a good premise and how to make a character feel alive. This conversation was a lot of fun. About the host Hey! I’m David Perell and I’m a…

4. 

   3 Jun 2026 · 1 hr 27 min

   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 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 for doing that. 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…

5. 

   27 May 2026 · 58 min

   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." 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, which led to her memoir, "Between Two Kingdoms", and her book on creativity, "The Book of Alchemy". What are the driving themes of our conversation? How do you…

6. 

   13 May 2026 · 58 min

   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, 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 to books for wisdom when confused and comfort when suffering. How can we read and learn to improve our lives? That is the driving question behind our discussion.…

7. 

   6 May 2026 · 1 hr 11 min

   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 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 with. If you want to learn about place, plot, people, and prose, you're in the right place. About the host Hey! I’m David Perell and I’m a writer, teacher, and…

8. 

   29 Apr 2026 · 1 hr 19 min

   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 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. Beyond "Bird by Bird", she has written more than 20 books, including novels and memoirs. She recently published a book with her husband, featuring 36 rules for writing. In…

9. 

   22 Apr 2026 · 1 hr 28 min

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

   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 said, "You've been doing this for 40 years now. Can you teach me what you know about writing stories, bringing characters to life, rhythm and rhyme, and that unique flow…

10. 

    15 Apr 2026 · 1 hr 9 min

    David Gelb: How to Write Cinematically | How I Write

    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 should come into it wanting one thing and leave with something else. David spent a lot of time with the world's top chefs, so I had to ask what lessons he learned from them…