Writing Advice Every Writer Should Hear (Anne Lamott Interview)

Buy Anne’s latest book, Good Writing, below: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/bo... 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. 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:39 What it means to go bird by bird 00:02:17 Why writer's block isn't real 00:03:36 Don't write harder 00:09:06 The 3 drafts of every book 00:14:24 Observing people around you 00:15:58 How to face your inner critic 00:27:59 How wow restores awe 00:31:16 The "first 3 pages" test 00:35:51 Why revenge is fuel 00:38:26 The best writing prompt ever 00:43:02 Two hacks to get started 00:48:53 A fun way to find writing ideas 00:52:45 Squint to form an idea 00:54:57 What movies inspire Anne 01:02:08 The ABDCE storytelling formula 01:05:37 What makes a good ending 01:10:57 How to deal with criticism 01:16:28 Be willing to be fully alive 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... YouTube:    / @davidperellchannel   Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2DjMSbo... X: https://x.com/david_perell