Personal Essay Boot Camp

WHEN 8 weeks, Tuesdays, June 17 - August 5, 7-10 pm WHERE New York (Downtown) LEVEL Intermediate PRICE $499 ($475 for ) more info

Course Details

From Anna Quindlen to Adam Gopnik, the work of personal essayists is increasingly filling the pages of newspapers and magazines, offering readers a tantalizing glimpse of inner worlds, and, in the process, casting a light on the larger world around them. But what separates a compelling personal essay from mere navel gazing? This class will explore the basics of writing and selling first-person narratives, starting with short (2-4 page) opinion and slice-of-life pieces appropriate for The New York Times op-ed page, and moving on to longer, reported pieces written in the first-person. We will read and discuss student work in class and prepare it for pitching.

In this class, you will learn:

• How to find a narrative voice to weave throughout your essay
• How to tell a personal story without being whiney
• How to tell someone else's story
• How to know what to leave in and what to leave out

By the end of class, you will have:
At least two complete and salable personal essays

Related Courses

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Journalism

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Essay Writing

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New York, NY

Instructor Bio

Helaine Olen's Courses

Helaine Olen's essays, reviews, and articles have been featured in The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Salon.com, AlterNet.org, and numerous other print and online publications. Her contribution to The New York Times' Modern Love column The New Nanny Diaries are Online is one of the most controversial and widely discussed essays in the series. She co-wrote Office Mate: The Employee Handbook for Finding and Managing Romance on the Job which was dubbed "The Rules for the office" by The New York Times. Her contribution to the recently published anthology The Maternal Is Political was cited by Publishers Weekly in their review of the book. You can view more details at her website, www.helaineolen.com.

Testimonials

Helaine was generous with advice and anecdotes and she offered valuable information. Her take on the different forums for writing was intelligent, and her advice to participants on specific works and submissions made me wish for a longer workshop. -- M-J Haronian

"I would like to thank Helaine so much for her help. I learned an enormous amount from the class, which has given me the confidence to pursue freelance work." -- Pauline Pechin

"Helaine's class was instrumental in my transition from specialized press to mainstream media pieces. Her insight, feedback, and tips gave me the know-how and confidence to take my niche writing to the main stage." -- Lindsey Goodwin

"Helaine was a very encouraging and open-minded teacher. She gave very thoughtful feedback on my work." -- Christina Morgan

"Helaine was very professional, well prepared, and shared so much good advice with the class. I truly learned a lot about writing. I would not hesitate to take another of her classes and highly recommend her to anyone." -- Anne Blume Futtrup

"Helaine works hard to engage her students in a spirit of writer camaraderie which she considers an essential tool for sanity and success in the current, inclement environment." -- Donald Schwartz