I feel an unbelievable amount of gratitude for you reading my ramblings on storytelling in 2023. Here’s a list of 9 resources I came across this year that have helped me write better fiction, write better on the internet, and in general weave more compelling stories.

Hope you enjoy:

3 Books I’ll Read Again

A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders. This is a brilliant book, and one I appreciate all the more each time I flip it open. A detailed breakdown of what makes some of the best short stories ever so effective.

Storyworthy by Matthew Dicks. I can’t recommend this book enough. Matthew has a way of distilling years of storytelling knowledge in such an approachable way. With this book, he changed how I view the stories that happen every single day that usually pass us by.

Lightbringer by Pierce Brown. I tend to read too many “how to” books when it comes to writing and storytelling. Sometimes, I’m reminded to go straight to the source material. Pierce Brown can tell a story like no other new author I’ve found.

3 Podcasts I Can’t Stop Listening To

How I Write with David Perell. Most podcasts I listen for the guest, but a few I listen for the host. This is one of the latter. David’s one of the best writers on the internet. His knowledge shines through as he digs into how his guests write. Plus, I can’t get over how wide a net they’ve thrown when it comes to guests—from Steven Pressfield to Riva Tez to Marc Andreessen. Brilliant listen.

Publishing Rodeo. If you’re even somewhat interested in writing books, this pod is a must listen. I love how the two hosts dig into what made one of their launches so successful while left the other one wanting more.

Brandon Sanderson’s Creative Writing Lectures. I cannot believe these are free on YouTube. If you’re at all interested in storytelling, really of any variety, the few hours you invest watching these will be well worth it.

3 Practices (To Build the Story Muscle)

Copywork. Take your favorite storyteller, copy their best work by hand, and tear apart what they do that makes you love their work. The tone, the style, the techniques. Everything. I teach this in StoryWork, but you can do it for any kind of writing. Speechwriting, copywriting, digital writing, and anything else. I find it makes for an amazing warm up before a writing session.

Write Fiction. Fiction immerses your brain in new worlds, characters, stories and ideas. It exercises your ability to imagine—a key ingredient for storytelling. If you can write fiction, you can write anything.

Inversion. Ask yourself, ‘What would not happen next?’ Then spend 10 minutes writing down everything you think of. Often, the contrast reveals an unexpected path forward.

Have an awesome weekend,

Nathan