Richard Powers won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. He's one of the best novelists alive today. This interview is a detailed look at his writing process, inspired by the class he used to teach at Stanford - and he's never done an interview quite like this. Here are 17 lessons: 1. When you're sure what you're looking at, look harder. 2. There are ultimately only three kinds of novels: (1) Person vs. person, (2) person vs. society, and (3) person vs. environment. 3. Person vs. Person: This is the psychological novel. 4. Person vs. Society: This is the sociological novel. 5. Person vs. Environment: This type of novel has gone out of style, and Richard is bringing it back. 6. Clear out the clutter in your life so you can focus on your writing. The fewer complications you have, the more rich and textured your creative process can become. 7. The best writing advice he's ever received? “Keep your petri dishes open.” Don't tie down your plans or outlines too tightly. 8. There are two kinds of writers: Top-Down and Bottom Up. 9. Top-Down writers: Start with the theme and the formal shape that'll drive the story. 10. Bottom-Up writers: Start with people, faces, voices, and local events… then gravitate toward the design of the book. 11. How do you create compelling characters? Push them to the wall. Make them choose between their top two core values. 12. English speakers are innately bilingual because they can use Latin-inspired words and Anglo-Saxon ones. 13. Editing is the art of excavating what your subconscious mind already knows. 14. When writing dialogue, read it out loud to yourself. That's how readers will read it, too. They'll subvocalize. 15. For years, Richard wrote and wrote and wouldn't leave the computer until he had 1,000 words on the page. 16. “If you would learn the secrets of nature, you must practice more humanity.” 17. “The best arguments in the world won’t change a single person’s mind. The only thing that can do that is a good story.” And finally, what's his goal as a writer? Here it is: “We have this sense that structure is inimical to emotion or that systems are inimical to individuals, that a book can either be a heart book or a head book. And my desire is to write something that's like us, namely an all-in-one.”
I had never heard of this author until a few hours ago thanks to your video. I rushed to a bookstore and purchased Overstory 30 minutes before they closed. I will start reading it tomorrow.
The writing is so incredibly beautiful. Here are two of the quotes I referenced in the episode: 1) “The farm was where Nick first started sketching. The penciled dreams of boys-rockets, outlandish cars, massed armies, imaginary cities, more baroque with detail each year. Then wilder textures, directly observed-the forest of hairs on a caterpillar’s back and the stormy weather maps in the grain of floorboards.” 2) “Each child’s tree has its own excellence: the ash’s diamond-shaped bark, the walnut’s long compound leaves, the maple’s shower of helicopters, the vase-like spread of the elm, the ironwood’s fluted muscle.”
One must admire the guest for suffering the host's plasticky worldview with such grace. A masterful demonstration of empathy in action, I am awed. Thank you 🙏
One of the best literary podcasts I’ve seen in awhile. Thank you for such a great discussion. I’ve had his book “Overstory” sitting on the desk ready to begin…
Yeah, he really knows how to instruct on the technical nuances of the how-to of the thing. Thanks for this one. Honestly, congrats on landing the interview with the man.
The Overstory really impacted me - I didn’t really notice it happening while reading it, but by the time I finished, and and now a few years later, I just have a deeper connection and love for trees and nature. Great book.
"First there was nothing. Then there was everything." And here Iam bawling my eyes out with those few but powerful words. Amazing interview, for sure one of the most enlightining author podcast I head in a long time. Congratulations and please keep up the marvelous work.
I listened to this twice this weekend already. It’s a really incredible interview. I paid a lot of money for a weekend online workshop from another well known author recently, and I learned so much more about writing from this podcast. Thank you for giving him this forum.
I admit i was a bit skeptical before getting into this podcast because my library of books ive read -though very limited- does not include The Overstory but you can bet on my life that I am going to give his book a read. His words are so articulate and his insight is absolute treasure for us aspiring writers. i LOVE diving into the "psychoanalytical" aspect of writing and mr Richard here made me fall in love with it even more! So thankyou to both of you for sharing this gem of a podcast!
Outstanding interview. It blew my mind so many times. So many beautiful insights, tips, and quotes. Thank you for asking beautiful questions and creating the conditions for inspiring answers. Well done. 🙌
Thank you for this wonderful masterclass. So many craft concepts, so simply and masterfully explained. Loved his humanity and humility - marks of a true genius. Looking forward to reading the book.
He’s on point. You go back to an earlier work, you want to make changes. Rewrites are never finished but one commits to publication because it’s necessary.
This might be the most useful writing advice I've ever heard. And I'm already loving Overstory. Thank you for sharing! Definitely gonna revisit this one.
A brilliant fantasy series published in 2001, The Bitterbynde, is set in a world swept by weather and storms and natural elements. An amazing series nominated for Locus Award.
❤"We have to know the world the way a Scientist knows the world and we have to know the world the way an Animist or Pantheist Child knows the world"❤ 🤯
Richard Power's protagonists are familiar and surprising...akin to reading a diary of my life, written by another. ❤ Dozens of R. Powers quotes on neon sticky notes 😅
Wonderful interview! What is the name of the poet he quotes on her death bed "First there was nothing, then there was everything." ? Beautiful moment. I think he says her name: Brendon? But I can't hear it fully. Thank you!
It not only about literature but the is also a philosophy beautifully interwoven into this conversation . Thank you for letting me enjoy this interview , Dorota .
These passages read like a non-fiction book to me. It doesn't sound like literary fiction at all. I don't see how that can bring tears to anybody's eyes... And I thought I knew what moves people.
There was a story of icons in conflict about Alfred North Whitehead. A friend of Gertrude Stein who co-authored Mathematica Principia with Bertrand Russell, sitting across from Ramanujan at Trinity. Who was ANW's math student at Harvard 1923-24? J. Robert Oppenheimer. Who was ANW's chief critic? Henry Nelson Wieman. What was the subject of MLK Jr's PhD? Henry Nelson Wieman's Creative Interchange. So, here are icons of intelligence vs. wisdom, love and power. Was Wieman a good man? Nope. A horrible father, possessed by his work. A tragic figure.
I swear I just saw a quote from Ursula Le Guin that it is a stunted and revealing paradigm that people assume that “plot=conflict.” So unfortunately, I didn’t make it past the intro to this interview.
At some point ..you just gotta stop trying to have conversations about GOD without saying the word GOD and just...go there. Talk about GOD directly. If not, you just end up confusing people.
Richard Powers won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
He's one of the best novelists alive today. This interview is a detailed look at his writing process, inspired by the class he used to teach at Stanford - and he's never done an interview quite like this.
Here are 17 lessons:
1. When you're sure what you're looking at, look harder.
2. There are ultimately only three kinds of novels: (1) Person vs. person, (2) person vs. society, and (3) person vs. environment.
3. Person vs. Person: This is the psychological novel.
4. Person vs. Society: This is the sociological novel.
5. Person vs. Environment: This type of novel has gone out of style, and Richard is bringing it back.
6. Clear out the clutter in your life so you can focus on your writing. The fewer complications you have, the more rich and textured your creative process can become.
7. The best writing advice he's ever received? “Keep your petri dishes open.” Don't tie down your plans or outlines too tightly.
8. There are two kinds of writers: Top-Down and Bottom Up.
9. Top-Down writers: Start with the theme and the formal shape that'll drive the story.
10. Bottom-Up writers: Start with people, faces, voices, and local events… then gravitate toward the design of the book.
11. How do you create compelling characters? Push them to the wall. Make them choose between their top two core values.
12. English speakers are innately bilingual because they can use Latin-inspired words and Anglo-Saxon ones.
13. Editing is the art of excavating what your subconscious mind already knows.
14. When writing dialogue, read it out loud to yourself. That's how readers will read it, too. They'll subvocalize.
15. For years, Richard wrote and wrote and wouldn't leave the computer until he had 1,000 words on the page.
16. “If you would learn the secrets of nature, you must practice more humanity.”
17. “The best arguments in the world won’t change a single person’s mind. The only thing that can do that is a good story.”
And finally, what's his goal as a writer? Here it is: “We have this sense that structure is inimical to emotion or that systems are inimical to individuals, that a book can either be a heart book or a head book. And my desire is to write something that's like us, namely an all-in-one.”
Once he said "white and privileged" I stopped watching.
Thank you 🙏
@@Btainseems about white
0😊0⁰😊
I had never heard of this author until a few hours ago thanks to your video. I rushed to a bookstore and purchased Overstory 30 minutes before they closed. I will start reading it tomorrow.
The writing is so incredibly beautiful. Here are two of the quotes I referenced in the episode:
1) “The farm was where Nick first started sketching. The penciled dreams of boys-rockets, outlandish cars, massed armies, imaginary cities, more baroque with detail each year. Then wilder textures, directly observed-the forest of hairs on a caterpillar’s back and the stormy weather maps in the grain of floorboards.”
2) “Each child’s tree has its own excellence: the ash’s diamond-shaped bark, the walnut’s long compound leaves, the maple’s shower of helicopters, the vase-like spread of the elm, the ironwood’s fluted muscle.”
One must admire the guest for suffering the host's plasticky worldview with such grace. A masterful demonstration of empathy in action, I am awed. Thank you 🙏
Yes. I thought I was the only one who noticed. I wish the way the host sat was less irreverent too, but that’s just me.
Me too. I was gonna say, "i hate looking at it" @@ronricooandasan9612
One of the best literary podcasts I’ve seen in awhile. Thank you for such a great discussion. I’ve had his book “Overstory” sitting on the desk ready to begin…
He's really, really articulate
Yeah, he really knows how to instruct on the technical nuances of the how-to of the thing.
Thanks for this one. Honestly, congrats on landing the interview with the man.
@@billyalarie929seriously, what an honor
It’s the sort of instruction you spend countless hours on TH-cam looking for.
I totally agree ! And I listen to so many!
The Overstory really impacted me - I didn’t really notice it happening while reading it, but by the time I finished, and and now a few years later, I just have a deeper connection and love for trees and nature. Great book.
Yep, yep... his writing has a way of bringing nature to life
What an absolutely brilliant man. He's a joy to listen to and he's incredibly articulate; which is obviously not surprising at all.
"First there was nothing. Then there was everything."
And here Iam bawling my eyes out with those few but powerful words. Amazing interview, for sure one of the most enlightining author podcast I head in a long time. Congratulations and please keep up the marvelous work.
I listened to this twice this weekend already. It’s a really incredible interview. I paid a lot of money for a weekend online workshop from another well known author recently, and I learned so much more about writing from this podcast. Thank you for giving him this forum.
What a wondeful conversation. Thank you for hosting it
Great interview ! And as a voice over script writer I kept saying his voice is soooo perfect for VOICE OVER 😅 ... HE MUST CONSIDER THIIIIIS!!!
I admit i was a bit skeptical before getting into this podcast because my library of books ive read -though very limited- does not include The Overstory but you can bet on my life that I am going to give his book a read. His words are so articulate and his insight is absolute treasure for us aspiring writers. i LOVE diving into the "psychoanalytical" aspect of writing and mr Richard here made me fall in love with it even more! So thankyou to both of you for sharing this gem of a podcast!
Thanks! Glad you liked it
He is a great tracher and the interviewer does a great job - its sincere and flows organically
The best talk I’ve heard on writ I’m in a long long time! Thank you both, the facilitator and the guest.
Niiiiiiice, stoked to listen to this one. Overstory forever changed the way I look at trees...
I know this isn't relevant, but he looks fucking great for 67.
Neither do I
Great interview! Really glad the algorithm overlords recommend this. Can’t wait to read The Overstory now!
Me too. I was legitimately worried this one wouldn't do well
Might be the best deep dive into the process I’ve ever seen.
Love to hear that! Thanks for listening
my favorite part of this podcast is David's thoughtful questions which are a result of his active listening of the guest
Thanks! Appreciate that
Outstanding interview. It blew my mind so many times. So many beautiful insights, tips, and quotes. Thank you for asking beautiful questions and creating the conditions for inspiring answers. Well done. 🙌
Amazing masterclass. I am most certainly going to apply many of these principles and reshape some of my perceptions of writing due to this podcast.
Good stuff 👍
The best literary talk on TH-cam that I have listened to! I have learned so much from this. Thank you!
This is a gem. Thank you for this insightful conversation!
What a pleasurable watch. Thanks.
This interview is very enjoyable to watch.
I like his expression of splitting the predication as it lends suspense or tension to the thought on the page.
Thank you for this wonderful masterclass. So many craft concepts, so simply and masterfully explained. Loved his humanity and humility - marks of a true genius. Looking forward to reading the book.
This was such a great episode. And i heard it on audio first 👌🏼
Thank you!
This was beautiful, informative, eloquent. Thank you both
exceptional interview! Thank you!
Thanks!
Best interview thus far. Thank you!
Nice, glad you liked it… will try to do more like this one
He’s on point. You go back to an earlier work, you want to make changes. Rewrites are never finished but one commits to publication because it’s necessary.
Thank you for this interview ❤
Such an eye opener. I’ll have to put this one on repeat.
This podcast was great! Love the storytelling frameworks and he’s really great speaker.
His teaching experience shined through in this one
This might be the most useful writing advice I've ever heard. And I'm already loving Overstory. Thank you for sharing! Definitely gonna revisit this one.
Love to hear it!
A brilliant fantasy series published in 2001, The Bitterbynde, is set in a world swept by weather and storms and natural elements. An amazing series nominated for Locus Award.
❤"We have to know the world the way a Scientist knows the world and we have to know the world the way an Animist or Pantheist Child knows the world"❤ 🤯
Excellent - thank you.
Excelente clase. Gracias por compartir ✌🏾
🙌
Sensational interview
mexican gothic is the only modern novel i can think of with strong human vs human vs nature it had all three.... Excellent interview
Thanks for the interview. He sems like a great, sensible writer.
The man's got talent!
Such a joy whenever I saw an email or TH-cam notification from you. Great work.
Appreciate that, thank you
Amazing interview.
Thanks!
this episode is a treasure. Thank you!
Thanks for listening
So good. Thank you so much
Richard Power's protagonists are familiar and surprising...akin to reading a diary of my life, written by another.
❤
Dozens of R. Powers quotes on neon sticky notes 😅
Second half of the podcast was great 🔥👌
I still want to be a poet when I will grow up.😅 Could you believe he said that
too good to have listened just once
This guy is the truth.
"One of the great sadnesses of a novelist ...it becomes this fixed thing."
Man against nature... my first thought when to The Old Man and the Sea. Ernest Hemingway wrote that in 1951 and it was met with popular acclaim.
But it was also man vs self.
Wonderful interview! What is the name of the poet he quotes on her death bed "First there was nothing, then there was everything." ? Beautiful moment. I think he says her name: Brendon? But I can't hear it fully. Thank you!
Is it just me or can anybody else picture Richard powers reading you a bedtime story😌😌
Thank you
What a diamond! 😮❤
Super awesome.
ty!
It not only about literature but the is also a philosophy beautifully interwoven into this conversation . Thank you for letting me enjoy this interview , Dorota .
These passages read like a non-fiction book to me. It doesn't sound like literary fiction at all. I don't see how that can bring tears to anybody's eyes... And I thought I knew what moves people.
he looks like professor Bishop (Fringe tv series) of course he's a genius
Really Amazing and I'm only 24 mins in.
Nice, let me know if anything sticks out from the rest of the episode
he definitely had really good name
Awesome 👍
Thanks for watching
Richard Powers sounds like a movie narrator somewhere.
There was a story of icons in conflict about Alfred North Whitehead. A friend of Gertrude Stein who co-authored Mathematica Principia with Bertrand Russell, sitting across from Ramanujan at Trinity. Who was ANW's math student at Harvard 1923-24? J. Robert Oppenheimer. Who was ANW's chief critic? Henry Nelson Wieman. What was the subject of MLK Jr's PhD? Henry Nelson Wieman's Creative Interchange. So, here are icons of intelligence vs. wisdom, love and power.
Was Wieman a good man? Nope. A horrible father, possessed by his work. A tragic figure.
❤
Is anyone interested in joining the virtual community to have like-minded readers from around mother earth?
Just when I thought I was out, David pulls me back in
Hahahahaha... that's my job
Video would be slightly better if the host didn’t say “hmm” after every sentence the guest says
can one commit identity theft in playwrighting ?
Hemingway
1:00:21
My story
I am still unclear about why Jack London is not literary. His stories rarely assume men won over nature.
Why does he look like Stephen King
😂Thought I was the only one
Professor’s got an almost identical voice as Ethan Hawke
I thought that was Stephen king.
21 thumbnail changes...geeeeez lol
Gotta test ‘em
I swear I just saw a quote from Ursula Le Guin that it is a stunted and revealing paradigm that people assume that “plot=conflict.” So unfortunately, I didn’t make it past the intro to this interview.
👀👀👀
Enjoy!
One thing about writers that always turns me off is their lack of humility or struggle with their craft. This is too preachy and feels heavy handed.
🤍
Nice socks 🥰
Very difficult to follow for an award winning story teller.
Sorry to say this, but that Nemo example was completely useless lool no offense
The sitting arrangement is not suitable for guest and host that actually distrubing the flow of assimilation of thoughts.
Jesus is this what passes for literature these days?
gud
I’d hate to see what’s on that guys computer tho lmao
Bro, the way you put your feet with shoes on the sofa is so irritating.
His net worth is not that much. Awards can be deceiving in any industry.
Net worth doesn't always equal the value of their knowledge
@@danco9738 that's correct. But these days with A.I. knowdledge is a dime a dozen
At some point ..you just gotta stop trying to have conversations about GOD without saying the word GOD and just...go there. Talk about GOD directly. If not, you just end up confusing people.
Not everyone wants to talk fairy tales.
Learned more on this podcast than any college lit class 🥹 thank u for this