From Online Blogger to 3-Time #1 New York Times Bestselling Author | Mark Manson | How I Write

Mark Manson’s success as a writer stems from one central idea: “What feels like play?”

After his dating blog took off in 2012, Mark started writing about all the things that excited him: psychology, personal development, and “self-help for people who hate self-help.” His breakout book, “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck,” was the #1 most read nonfiction book worldwide in 2017 (and I swear I saw it on the front table of every airport I went to).

Mark was once described as “the local drunk who spends too much time in the philosophy section of the bookstore.” What was meant to be a diss became a core part of his Personal Monopoly. Mark is bullish on sounding like himself. The man writes zingers, and that’s why his work resonates.

In this episode, we dive deep into how Mark stays true to his own voice. You’ll learn how he 3X’d his audience in just a few months; how he wrote Will Smith’s memoir; and how he combines quality ideas, catchy titles, and whip-smart marketing.

We cover the evolution of ideas, how to structure them, the “awkward teenage phase” of writing, and how to write in a way that spreads on the Internet.

Website: https://markmanson.net/
Books: https://markmanson.net/books
Twitter: https://twitter.com/IAmMarkManson

WRITE OF PASSAGE:
Want to learn more about the next class Write of Passage?
Click here: https://take.writeofpassage.school/writing-sprints

PODCAST LINKS:
Website: https://writeofpassage.school/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 Intro
00:00:42 Early Days of Blogging
00:02:35 Implementation vs Theory
00:05:00 Philosophy
00:06:30 Reading
00:09:00 Education
00:13:45 Blogger to Writer
00:17:00 Brand
00:20:05 Fame
00:22:55 The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck
00:24:50 Audiobooks
00:29:15 Different Mediums like YouTube
00:30:15 Writing a book
00:37:00 Copywriting
00:40:10 What is Mark really good at?
00:44:30 Mark’s Career
00:49:00 Cultivating Style & Taste
00:51:00 Reading
00:58:00 Mark’s writing advice
01:01:30 Mark’s writing style
01:04:55 Mark’s writing process
01:09:00 Introductions
01:11:00 Will Smith
01:26:25 Writer’s block

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.

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