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Every year, 25 million people download Shaan’s podcast. Sure, he’s a brilliant entrepreneur, investor, and writer, but there’s one skill in particular that keeps Shaan’s audience coming back for more: storytelling.
And not the kind of storytelling that feels like an IQ contest. (I know you know what I mean.) Shaan tells stories that burst with aliveness, that make readers laugh out loud with joy or fall silent with understanding. And as a result, he’s built more than just a following; he’s built a fandom.
In this episode, Shaan reveals every framework he knows for telling stories so well they make your reader go, “Wait, how did they do that?”. And I mean, every framework. You won’t find this in the ole’ self-help aisle. Plus, he shows you exactly how to do it. We deconstruct everything from popular movies to business origin stories to viral Twitter threads.
Stories are the #1 way to grab readers’ attention, get them to like you, and ultimately, turn them into fans. And this episode is a masterclass on how to do it.
SPEAKER LINKS:
Website & Newsletter: https://www.shaanpuri.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShaanVP
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaanpuri
WRITE OF PASSAGE:
Enroll in the Write of Passage Bootcamp:
https://writeofpassage.com/enroll
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
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:45 Binge bank
00:04:30 Storytelling
00:06:30 Best storytellers
00:06:40 Aaron Sorkin
00:07:00 Intention & Obstacle
00:12:30 Hasan Minhaj
00:13:00 Writing vs Speaking
00:16:30 Pacing
00:18:30 Hooks vs Frames
00:20:40 Viral tweets
00:24:30 Mr Beast
00:25:35 Storyworthy
00:27:20 5-second moment of change
00:27:45 Rom-Com
00:29:00 Batman
00:29:45 AirBnb
00:32:30 Origin Stories
00:40:10 Tony Robbins
00:41:45 Transformations
00:43:00 Steven Bartlett
00:44:20 Viral videos
00:47:15 Miss Excel
00:51:20 Change your state & focus
00:56:40 Paul Graham
00:59:00 Advice to writers
01:05:00 Writer's voice
01:09:40 Dave Chappelle vs Netflix
01:17:00 Distribution
01:20:00 Twitter / X
01:33:00 Theo Von
01:35:00 Writing with humor
01:43:10 Newsletters
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