A New Way to Teach Writing — Meet Michael Dean

Video Description

Architect Michael Dean breaks down the hidden patterns behind the great essays of our time. In this video, we go over his 27-point framework that makes up every world-class piece of writing and how he uses the same system to analyze the Guggenheim and Apple Store. We also talk about what skills will still matter as AI continues to improve and why learning to write might be more important than ever. Enjoy! A few links: 1. Join the Essay Architecture beta: https://essayarchitecture.com/ 2. Follow Michael Dean on Substack: https://www.michaeldean.site/ 00:00:00 Intro 00:00:41 Is writing quality objective? 00:03:18 Grading essays with AI 00:06:07 Guggenheim vs. Apple Store 00:08:33 How great writers start 00:11:37 Practice vs. performance 00:16:12 Editing for voice 00:25:30 Getting feedback like a comedian 00:29:06 A map of writing patterns 00:37:11 Rhythm, sound, and style 00:44:25 Wallace vs. Orwell 00:54:20 Wallace’s 37 examples 01:00:17 Three pillars of personal writing 01:05:51 Intention creates tension 01:12:18 What makes a great essay 01:20:34 AI’s influence on writing 01:28:16 Should schools ban ChatGPT? 01:31:11 Writing’s deeper meaning 01:39:47 How work writing will change 01:44:49 Personal writing vs. AI 01:50:28 Why writing still matters Hey! 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. Follow me Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-write/id1700171470 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2DjMSboniFAeGA8v9NpoPv X: https://x.com/david_perell