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Essay & Opinion Writing Level 1 (Self-Paced)

Discover the secrets of effective and compelling essay and opinion writing in this workshop at Gotham Writers Workshop. Explore different forms of viewpoint writing, from personal essays to op-eds, and learn essential writing craft techniques. Whether you're a beginner or looking to brush up on the fundamentals, this course will equip you with the skills to make your voice heard.

  • Beginner
  • 18 and older
  • $464
  • Online Classroom
  • 47 hours & 30 minutes over 2 sessions

Start Dates (1)

  • $464
  • Online Classroom
  • 47 hours & 30 minutes over 2 sessions
  • Includes $25 Reg Fee
    Class accessible anytime within the session dates
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  • Tue, May 14 at 12:00am - 11:45pm
  • Tue, Jul 23 at 12:00am - 11:45pm
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Class Description

Description

What you'll learn in this essay writing class:

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:
  • Lectures
  • Writing exercises
  • Workshopping 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 — Syllabus
  • Introduction 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.

Remote Learning

This course is available for "remote" learning and will be available to anyone with access to an internet device with a microphone (this includes most models of computers, tablets). Classes will take place with a "Live" instructor at the date/times listed below.

Upon registration, the instructor will send along additional information about how to log-on and participate in the class.

Refund Policy

All Classes (except One-day and Zoom Intensives and Write-Ins):

  • For a refund or credit, contact us three business days or more before your class starts. You can either choose to hold a full credit with us good for one year on other Gotham classes OR you can opt for a refund less a $25 administrative fee and your $25 registration fee ($50 total).
  • If you need to withdraw after your class has started (or two business days before it starts), you won’t receive a refund, but you’re welcome to a Gotham credit less the price of Week 1 and your $25 registration fee, but we need to hear from you three business days or more before Week 2 meets for that to happen. After that point, no credits are available.

One-day and Zoom Intensives:

  • You may reschedule a One-day or Zoom Intensive one time, if you notify us two business days before the class begins. After that first reschedule, there is a $25 rescheduling fee.
  • If you notify us three business days or more before your class begins, rescheduling is free. If you notify us less than three business days before your class begins, there is a $25 rescheduling fee. If you don’t notify us until after your class begins, we cannot reschedule you.
  • You may get a refund (minus a $50 fee) if you notify us three business days or more before your class begins.

Write-Ins:

  • If you withdraw 1 business day or more before it begins, you’re welcome to a full credit good for one year toward another Write-In. No refunds are available.
  • If you simply don’t show up and don’t notify us in advance, you forfeit your money.

A few more things:

  • Credits are valid for one year and cannot be changed into refunds down the road.
  • Simply not attending class or notifying the instructor does not mean you've officially withdrawn.
  • Some exceptions are made on a case-by-case basis for medical emergencies with a doctor's note.
  • Refunds take up to six weeks to process.

Please understand, we can't issue a refund after classes have started, even if you miss your first class. Similarly, we can't offer you a credit one day before your second class or after that. We understand that other obligations get in the way of attending class, but these policies allow us to get other interested writers into class early enough to have a good experience, and this allows us to offer our classes at a reasonable price.

Important Notes:

  • Students are allowed to join a class in the second week.
  • Only those who pay the tuition in full can be guaranteed a place in class.
  • Class dates and times may be subject to change. A substitute may be assigned or make-up classes added to the end of the term.
  • Auditing and the recording of classes are not allowed.
  • For all classes, students receive a record of payment and registration.
  • Gotham reserves the right to remove any student at our discretion.
  • Gotham does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, socioeconomic status, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, age, or marital status.
  • Our courses are not intended to provide instruction that will result in the student's acquisition of occupational skills.

In any event where a customer wants to cancel their enrollment and is eligible for a full refund, a 5% processing fee will be deducted from the refund amount.

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Gotham Writers Workshop

Gotham Writers Workshop is a creative home in New
York City and Online where writers develop their craft and come together in the
spirit of discovery and fellowship. We’ve been teaching creative writing to
students since 1993.




We believe that everyone has a story to tell.
Indeed, many stories. Keep your...

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