Podcast Summary: How I Write with Mitch Albom – "Storytelling Master Shares His Secrets"

Host: David Perell
Guest: Mitch Albom (Author of "Tuesdays with Morrie," "The Five People You Meet in Heaven," and more)
Date: October 8, 2025

Episode Overview

David Perell sits down with bestselling author Mitch Albom to explore the nuts and bolts of writing—covering Albom's approach to storytelling, building characters, choosing themes, maintaining rhythm, and the emotional craft behind his landmark books. Albom opens up about his process, career lessons from journalism and music, and deep dives into his newest novel, "Twice." The conversation is personal, funny, and full of practical wisdom for new and experienced writers alike.

Key Themes & Discussion Points

1. Serving the Story: The North Star of Writing

• Albom’s Core Principle: Stay tethered to the central theme or idea, regardless of media (novel, nonfiction, journalism).
  Quote: “As long as they're tethered to the cord, it doesn't matter that they're going at a gazillion miles an hour. But the minute they let go of that cord, they're never getting back.” (01:27)

• In novels, Albom likes to know the ending before starting, using it as a guiding light through the process.
  “I kind of want to know what my North Star is that I'm sailing towards. So there are different ways that you do it, but I find that... readers appreciate it.” (02:37)

2. Learning Storytelling: From the Dinner Table to the Orphanage

• Albom traces his storytelling roots to family dinner tables and listening to his uncles and aunts tell stories—with his uncles teaching him to skip unnecessary details.

  Quote: “The way that I learned that was at the dinner table... I would notice there was a distinct difference between my aunts and my uncles... the uncles would tell the war stories...” (03:14)

• Working with children honed his instincts for pacing (“holding a child's attention is a great exercise for being a writer”) (05:21)

3. Pacing and Editing: "Tell the Slow Parts Fast..."

• Perell references the advice: “Tell the slow parts fast and the fast part slow.” (05:56)

• Albom’s mother’s criticism helped him learn brevity, leading to his concise, “pint-sized” books (06:06) and a style that’s “very terse.” (07:28)

4. Theme First, Story Second

• Albom begins every book with a theme rather than character or plot.

  Quote: “All my books. I start with a theme, and then I create the story around the theme, not the other way around.” (08:13)

• Example: For "The Five People You Meet in Heaven," the theme was “everybody matters,” not heaven or the afterlife per se. (08:55)

• Newest book "Twice": The theme is “the grass is always greener, particularly when it comes to love,” explored through a magical premise—a man who can live everything in his life twice, with consequences. (10:19)

5. Lasting Impact over Artistic Flourish

• For Albom, success means a reader is moved to reflect on their own life, not just admire the prose:
  Quote: “What I want people to say is I couldn't stop thinking about that after I finished it. It made me think about my own life, not necessarily my characters.... Then you've done something with your literature.” (13:11)

• Example: "Tuesdays with Morrie" resonated deeply not through flowery writing, but “bare to the bone” storytelling. (15:17–19:16)

6. Editing & Process

• Albom is a heavy self-editor before showing work to editors, aiming to “come in skinny.” (21:41)
• “I self edit all the time... By the time I'm done with my book... I can probably recite it.” (20:37)
• Deadlines are ingrained from decades as a journalist, giving him discipline rare among novelists. (24:03)

7. Treating Writing Like a Job

• Regular writing hours (3 hours early each morning, no distractions), learned from journalism and observing other successful authors (Rock Bottom Remainders band, including Stephen King, Amy Tan). (27:19–29:19)
• Leaves off mid-sentence to look forward to next day’s work:
  Quote: “Try to leave the room while you're in the middle of a good sentence or a good paragraph.” (29:50)

8. Telling Stories Differently: Going Off the Beaten Path

• Great writing comes from unique perspectives—like Jimmy Breslin’s famous column after JFK’s assassination, profiling the gravedigger instead of the obvious angles. (30:39–32:16)
• Albom shares the Olympic story of Derek Redmond: finding the universal human theme (father helping son) instead of the headline race winner. (51:51–54:48)

9. Writing for the Reader, Not the Writer

• “98% writing for readers.” Albom writes to engage readers, not indulge his own personal fascinations. (42:45)
• Collects ideas via “book idea” emails for future books—a thick file always at the ready. (45:32–47:58)

10. The Heartbeat of a Story: Rhythm and Pacing

• Writing is about rhythm and flow, a sensibility Albom connects to his background in music.

• Good writing should be “pre-intellectual”—readers feel it internally before they know why.
  “When I read your column, I start and I'm at the end already... I know what it is. It's rhythm.” (63:16)

• Reading aloud and “self-rocking” help Albom maintain this musicality. (61:17–64:30)

11. Transformation: Character Arcs

• The main character must undergo real change.
• Quote: "My main character has to go through some kind of transformation or it's not interesting." (38:03)
• Shares approaches from "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" and "Twice," both built around visible arcs. (38:28)

12. Love, Regret, and Loss

• "Twice" is about love—the grass-is-greener syndrome, regret, and the unique pain of lost love versus lost life.
• Explores the nuance of nurturing love: “Everybody wants to talk about the combustible part of love... but nobody talks about the down the road part...” (85:14)
• Real-life stories (elderly couple at Chick-Fil-A, friend coping with divorce) illustrate the lived experiences behind Albom's themes. (93:22–95:00)
• The loss of love is portrayed as a persistent, haunting absence when the other is still present but out of emotional reach. (95:00)

13. Theme of Faith and Humility in Writing

• Writing about faith requires humility and marvel in the face of something bigger—the power of the Psalms, the mystery of Marilynne Robinson’s "Gilead."
• Quote: "If you're doing it correctly, that humility opens up your ability to look at things in a marveling way..." (71:00–73:16)
• Moving story about his rabbi’s “God” file and posthumous tape at the funeral: “What is God if not a series of questions?” (74:07)

14. Songwriting & Rhythm

• Great songs need rhythm, hooks, and simple but memorable lyrics—“the critics and the fans may not agree, but the ones that stick are the ones people can sing and remember.” (80:22–82:22)
• Parallels between poetry, song, and prose are explored ("I liked the beat"—66:40, Paul Simon as example)

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• “I always try to remember what I'm serving in whatever piece I write.” (01:35)
• “You can call it story, you can call it theme... but I always try to remember what I'm serving in whatever piece I write.” (01:38)
• On storytelling roots: “I really did learn my storytelling at the dinner table.” (03:14)
• “My main character has to go through some kind of transformation or it's not interesting.” (38:03)
• “I wanted to write a book about people who don't think they matter and that everybody matters.” (08:56)
• On reader impact: “If each one of my books can make you think about one theme... then I've done something and that's what I'm after.” (13:52)
• “When you write about faith in particular... there has to be a certain humility in your writing because you should be humble in the face of God and in the face of creation... And when you are humble, I find, for me, anyhow, I think that's when your writing becomes most beautiful.” (69:32)
• “If you let it get to a point where it extinguishes, it doesn't come back... And that's really hard to replace.” (90:42)

Key Timestamps

| Time | Segment / Topic | |-----------|----------------------------------------------------| | 00:42-02:37 | Serving the story and knowing your “cord” | | 03:14-06:00 | Storytelling roots, dinner table lessons | | 06:06-07:49 | Pacing, brevity, and early criticism | | 08:00-13:11 | Theme-first writing process | | 14:55-19:16 | Stripping emotion, simplicity in "Tuesdays with Morrie" | | 19:49-21:41 | Editing and self-discipline | | 22:31-26:37 | Journalism, deadlines, and the discipline of process | | 27:17-29:50 | Routine: three hours a day, music and rhythm | | 30:39-32:16 | Journalism: unique perspectives | | 38:03-42:40 | Building characters and transformation arcs | | 42:45-45:32 | Writing for readers, not for self | | 51:51-54:48 | Story of Derek Redmond: Finding human themes | | 54:57-64:30 | Rhythm, structure, & the musicality of prose | | 66:56-69:23 | The magic of poetry, prose, and why things “just work” | | 69:32-74:03 | Faith, humility, and writing about the infinite | | 80:22-82:22 | Songwriting, hooks, and critic vs. fan | | 85:14-95:00 | Loss, regret, aging love, and new perspectives |

Tone and Style

• Honest, warm, and open; Albom is self-deprecating, straightforward, and generous with advice.
• Conversation is at once practical (writing tips, process) and deeply human (love, loss, faith).

For Listeners

• Expect a treasure trove of actionable tips on writing process and storytelling craft.
• Gain insight into Albom’s approach to literary themes, character arc, pacing, editing, and writing with humility.
• Through stories, analogies, and anecdotes—especially from journalism and music—you’ll find lessons on authenticity, discipline, and perseverance as a writer and creator.

End of summary.