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David Perell
"The Writing Guy" | I write about writing, learning and business | Founder & CEO, Write of Passage
David Perell is a writer, teacher, and podcaster, best known as the founder of Write of Passage, an online writing course that has gained popularity for its focus on helping individuals publish their writing online. He emphasizes the importance of writing as a means to share ideas and create opportunities in today's digital landscape.
Background and Education
Perell graduated from Elon University and initially struggled with writing, even receiving criticism from his first boss. However, he transformed his approach to writing by engaging with the online community and refining his skills, ultimately building a substantial audience of over 430,000 followers. His experiences and insights led him to create Write of Passage in January 2019, which has since attracted over 500 students from more than 40 countries, including participants from major companies like Intel and Google.23
Write of Passage
Write of Passage is a five-week course that teaches students a structured method for writing and sharing their ideas. The course includes live sessions where Perell interacts with students, providing feedback and guidance based on his extensive knowledge and experience in writing and audience building. He draws from interviews with over 100 successful creators on his podcast, North Star Podcast, to enrich the course content.123
Perell's philosophy centers around the belief that writing online is one of the greatest opportunities available today, enabling individuals to communicate effectively and connect with a global audience. He encourages aspiring writers to embrace their unique voices and share their ideas publicly, which can lead to unexpected opportunities and personal growth.24
Conclusion
In summary, David Perell is a prominent figure in the online writing community, leveraging his experiences to empower others through his course, Write of Passage. His journey from a struggling writer to a successful educator exemplifies the transformative power of writing and the importance of sharing one's ideas in the digital age.
Highlights
Spent the past week cruising through Patagonia and the rumors are true: It's as beautiful as they say. https://t.co/m7vK6CUqWi
"It was at this point that Bilbo stopped. Going on from there was the bravest thing he ever did. The tremendous things that happened afterwards were as nothing compared to it. He fought the real battle in the tunnel alone, before he ever saw the vast danger that lay in wait." — The Hobbit, J. R. R. Tolkien
Here's why: Tolkien knew how to create heroes, and he did so by focusing on psychological battles as much as physical ones.
That’s counter-intuitive. Usually, when we think of heroism, we think of grand acts: powerful enemies and mighty conquests. But heroism begins in the mind. A hero can only conquer an external enemy once they’ve won the psychological war of their own shadow.
In the quote above, Bilbo’s personal crucible is the tunnel, a dark corridor with only two ways out:
- Return to the comfort of where you came from.
- Press forward, into the unknown.
For Tolkien, the “real battle” has to be fought alone. It’s in this silent reckoning, where the option to retreat is still available, that Bilbo must summon the courage of true bravery.
The tunnel represents an archetypal human struggle. The internal battle comes before the external one. Some people spend their whole lives paralyzed in the claustrophobia of their own tunnel, steeped in the fear of a battle they never find the determination to fight.
This psychological battle foreshadows the challenges yet to come, and provides an emotional scaffolding for them. Connecting readers with your hero in a solitary trial before they face off against their ultimate adversary, lays the foundation for us to see ourselves in them at the climax of the story.
