Anne Lamott Teaches Unforgettable Writing | How I Write

Anne Lamott Teaches Unforgettable Writing | How I Write

From How I Write by David Perell

April 29, 2026 · 1h 19m

About this episode

Anne Lamott discusses her writing philosophy and offers insights into the creative process.

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 this interview, we discussed the types of people creatives should surround themselves with, why writer's block is a misnomer, and what she considers the very best writing prompt. 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…

People in this episode

Host: David Perell

Guest: Anne Lamott

Topics covered

  • writing
  • creativity
  • writer's block
  • inspiration
  • craft of writing

Keywords

  • writing
  • Anne Lamott
  • Bird by Bird
  • creativity
  • writer's block
  • writing prompts
  • craft

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Bird by Bird, 36 rules for writing

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