Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
This episode is brought to you by Basecamp, the world’s simplest, most effective project management platform. Check them out at basecamp.com and tell them David Perell sent you.
Lee Child, the man behind the "Jack Reacher" series, has sold more than 200 million books. It is the best-selling series of all time on Amazon in the UK. More than Harry Potter, which is crazy! A new book is sold on average every nine seconds.
So how does he do it? How does he write it? How does he come up with the ideas? That's what we're going to find out.
00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:30 Writing stories in America
00:07:26 You don't need an outline
00:12:50 Writing one book per year
00:17:57 Why the 60s were so creative
00:18:56 The business of writing
00:25:03 The key to page-turner books
00:32:57 "You have to believe two things"
00:38:25 How to write good dialogue
00:43:15 Where to start and end a book
00:52:18 Writing a violent scene
00:56:56 Using clothes to reveal character
01:00:43 Why the UK has so many good writers
*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: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-write/id1700171470
YouTube: youtube.com/@DavidPerellChannel
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/2DjMSboniFAeGA8v9NpoPv
X: https://x.com/david_perell
This episode is brought to you by Basecamp, the world’s simplest, most effective project management platform. Check them out at basecamp.com and tell them David Perell sent you.
Lee Child, the man behind the "Jack Reacher" series, has sold more than 200 million books. It is the best-selling series of all time on Amazon in the UK. More than Harry Potter, which is crazy! A new book is sold on average every nine seconds.
So how does he do it? How does he write it? How does he come up with the ideas? That's what we're going to find out.
00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:30 Writing stories in America
00:07:26 You don't need an outline
00:12:50 Writing one book per year
00:17:57 Why the 60s were so creative
00:18:56 The business of writing
00:25:03 The key to page-turner books
00:32:57 "You have to believe two things"
00:38:25 How to write good dialogue
00:43:15 Where to start and end a book
00:52:18 Writing a violent scene
00:56:56 Using clothes to reveal character
01:00:43 Why the UK has so many good writers
*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: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-write/id1700171470
YouTube: youtube.com/@DavidPerellChannel
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/2DjMSboniFAeGA8v9NpoPv
X: https://x.com/david_perell
