How I Write
How I Write
David Perell
R.F. Kuang: Meet The Writer Who Sold Millions of Books Before 30 | How I Write
1 hour 6 minutes Posted Sep 2, 2026 at 1:00 pm.
Introduction
How emotions can help you write
Writing from different povs
Sneak peek into an unreleased novel
Why easy writing fails
How to unlock your writing
Building unique voices for each book
What Kuang learned from debates
Why primary sources matter
What AI can never do
First steps of a book
Trust your subconscious
Copy the writers you love
Be goofy on purpose
The driving questions of her books
Read Taipei Story now
What her students must understand
Book and movie recommendations
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Show notes
Learn more about Alpha School at ⁠https://go.alpha.school/howiwrite
R. F. Kuang came on the show to talk about her love for language and what it means to live like a writer. She has written seven books, won the Nebula Award for Best Novel, and trained at some of the world's top universities: Cambridge, Oxford, and Yale.
What stands out is her ability to write in so many different voices: the economical, the poetic, the minimalist, the maximalist. How do you cultivate that dexterity as a writer? It is rare to meet someone who writes so well and can also explain their process with such joy and precision.
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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