What do Katy Perry, Charles Dickens, and the Bible all have in common? They’re responsible for some of the most famous lines in history. And in this episode, you’ll find out why.
Mark, an author and mad scientist of language, reveals the secret sauce to memorable writing: rhetorical devices. Chiasmus. Anaphora. Antithesis. Synecdoche.
Writing today (i.e. texting and Tweeting) is concise and hyper-minimal — which is fine, if you’re writing the instruction manual for a new dishwasher. But the most memorable works of writing lean into the beauty of words. It’s not about using overly purple prose. It’s about using rhetorical formulas to create unforgettable lines, to shape ideas that stick in your reader’s brain.
If you want to write something that sticks in your reader’s brain — a book, a poem, a speech — then this episode is for you.
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TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:00 The progressio of Katy Perry, Charles Dickens, The Bible
00:05:00 The signal for readers to pay attention
00:05:55 Mark's bestselling book "The Elements of Eloquence"
00:07:25 How we lost the appreciation for rheotoric writing
00:10:30 Martin Luther King Jr's speech "I Have A Dream"
00:11:10 What tactics are "Bond, James Bond" and "To be or not to be"
00:12:45 The memorable (and missing) lines from "Wizard of Oz"
00:14:10 Writing tactic used by John F. Kennedy and Coolio
00:17:45 Mark's cheatsheet and writing process
00:22:55 Rhetorical devices used by Yoda and The Beatles
00:28:50 Inventing words, old slang, and dictionaries
00:32:00 How, smart phones, texting, and Twitter has changed writing
00:37:35 Writing tactic used by Winston Churchill
00:38:30 Most quoted lines in poetry like Alexander Pope, Tennyson,
00:40:15 How readers should read your words
00:45:00 How Shakespeare was a wonderful thief
00:47:10 Mark's writing process for his book "The Elements of Eloquence"
00:54:25 Writing Example (Jerry Seinfeld)
PODCAST LINKS:
Website: https://writeofpassage.com/how-i-write
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-write/id1700171470
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2DjMSboniFAeGA8v9NpoPv
ABOUT THE HOST:
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.
How I Write is a podcast by Write of Passage // Production by Adam Soccolich