Do you enjoy sharing your viewpoints? What do you think of, say, global warming or the latest water-cooler TV show or the forgotten value of handkerchiefs? No topic is too major or minor to warrant exploration. There are many places to air your views—magazines, newspapers, websites, blogs, books—and many forms to encapsulate them.People will be eager to hear you out…if you know how to elucidate your thoughts better than the average loudmouth on the bus. Here you’ll learn about the leading forms of viewpoint writing—personal essay, lyric essay, op-eds, reviews, and others—as well as writing craft and how to market your work.Whatever you have to say, we’ll show you how to say it effectively and compellingly.This course gives you a firm grounding in the basics of essay/opinion writing craft and gets you writing an essay or opinion piece (or two). Course components:LecturesWriting exercisesWorkshopping of student projects (each student presenting work two times)Essay & Opinion I is for beginners or anyone who wants to brush up on the fundamentals.Essay & Opinion Writing I — SyllabusIntroduction to Essay & Opinion Writing: The different forms of essay and opinion writing—personal essays, reviews, op-eds, persuasive essays, exploratory essays, lyric essays.Framing and Structure: Creative nonfiction structure—lede, nut graf, body, kicker. The basics of framing.Purpose and Meaning: Your point (and you do have one). Finding an essay’s guiding principle. The role of theme in creative nonfiction.Description: Putting the “creative” in creative nonfiction. Finding the right word. The art of selection.Voice: Elements of voice. Role of voice in essay writing. Finding your writer’s voice.Personal Essay: Blending the personal and universal. Using your experience to shed light on a larger subject.Review Writing: Structure of reviews. Balancing honesty with mutual regard.Op-Ed/Persuasive Essay: Logic in creative writing. The art of persuasion.Reported/Exploratory/Lyric Essays: Reported—narrative nonfiction using style, dialogue, and description. Exploratory—essays that begin with a question. Lyric—nonfiction that experiments with rhythm, sound, and syntax.Revision: The art of revision.The Business: Finding the right market. Making your pitch.Note: Content may vary among individual classes.Important:Schedule posted is the Start and End date of the class. You may access the class at any time, day or night, within the schedule provided. Please see Online Class Delivery for more details.Registrants will receive email instructions and information on how to access the online classroom.
Overview
Taught by
Gotham Writers Workshop
