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In this course, you will learn :
- Teaches you how to ask better questions, let stories fall into your lap, and not ruin the moment when a story idea is unfolding in front of you
- Demonstrates how to take ideas from your diary and start expanding them into an essay using examples from his own writing.
- Talks about the various failed openings to his essay "Understanding Owls" and how he arrived at the final, published version.
- Offers advice on how to make yourself relatable as a protagonist in your essays. He also discusses how to structure your writing's humour and content so that audiences can find something to relate to.
- How can you include people you care about in your essays without endangering them? David discusses this challenge with his sister Lisa, who has appeared in many of his essays, and they have an intimate conversation.
- Beginning with a diary entry, David reads multiple draughts of what became his New Yorker essay "Active Shooter."
- Get a behind-the-scenes look at David's workshop process while he's on tour, and see him try out a new piece at a public reading in Cleveland.
- teaches you how to transform your essay from a purely comedic piece into meaningful writing
- Discusses his approach to rewriting, with an emphasis on delving deeper into your stories and making the most of your comedic moments.
- Discusses how to learn from live readings, conduct your own readings, and act when your work is published in the world.
- Discusses some of his favourite stories and authors, as well as how to learn from them.
Syllabus :
- Observing the World
- Turning Observations Into Stories
- Breaking Into a Story
- Connecting to Your Reader
- Writing About Loved Ones
- Story Evolution: "Active Shooter"
- Kitchen Sink Stories: Live in Cleveland
- Ending With Weight
- Revision Philosophy
- Growing as a Writer
- David's Influences
- Conclusion: Two Groups of People
- Bonus Reading: "The Spirit World"
