Malcolm Gladwell is a well-known nonfiction author with a plethora of experience in interviewing and describing real-life characters for his works. In his class, he talked about different suggestions he had for various aspects of writing. I found his MasterClass to be insightful and enjoyable. Here is what I learned:
1. "The imperfect puzzle."
Gladwell described narrative in a way I had not heard it described before. In his lesson "Structuring Narrative: The Imperfect Puzzle," he mentions that the pieces of the puzzle not fitting together perfectly is exactly what makes a story interesting. I've heard and assumed that a story is supposed to fit snugly together and that plot holes and gaps are bad things. Maybe little inconsistencies aren't plot holes created from a lack of attention or effort; maybe those little hiccups help grab the reader's attention. As he mentioned, human beings love trying to piece things together, so making your story into something as quirky and unique as an imperfect puzzle is a great piece of advice!
2. Fiction vs. nonfiction writing.
Two major things I learned from the class are the similarities and differences between fiction and nonfiction. Gladwell described the difference between the two as fiction being about the person who wrote the work while nonfiction is about the person the work is about. Fiction is meant to reflect the thoughts and feelings of the author, but nonfiction is not about the author; it's about the characters and what they did. Although the two genres seem very different, they seem to have a lot in common in terms of how to write them. Gladwell's advice comes from his work with nonfiction, but I can apply all of his methods to fiction as well. Even though I'm more into writing fiction, this class has brought a new perspective that complements fiction writing well.
3. Not holding ideas hostage.
One piece of advice I'd gotten before is not to share ideas with anyone! Don't tell people your story ideas, or else someone might steal them. Your ideas are precious things that need to be protected. Gladwell doesn't seem to fully agree with that. Lesson 17 was about his book "Something Borrowed," which describes a situation of a woman plagiarizing lines from one of his works. He described how he was defensive at first, then wondered why authors were so attached to their ideas. Everything is borrowed from something, so why not celebrate sharing ideas instead of being overly paranoid? One of his suggestions in his "Drafts and Revisions" lesson involves talking to people about your story. He says it may even help build your ideas as people share their own.
4. Interviews.
Because Gladwell writes nonfiction, he will oftentimes do interviews with the people he is writing about and those who know that person. Even in fiction writing, this can be a useful tool. Interviewing those who have the same job or have lived through a similar event as your character will help your fiction writing feel more realistic.
5. Description and writing style.
I noticed Gladwell's style through the different excerpts he read in his lessons. He uses very simple descriptions. He uses what people do and how others describe them to show the character of the person he is writing about. I found this style fascinating, and I noticed that I personally prefer that writing style. You don't have to have page long paragraphs of description; less is oftentimes more.
6. Marketing.
Odyssey has also taught me a lot about this topic! A lot of the success you get as a writer is from how well you market your work. Gladwell suggests marketing even before your book is out! The sooner you get your name out there, the sooner people will start recognizing and purchasing your work.
7. Reading.
If you want to write, then read! Read different authors and genres to find what you like. You see what works and what doesn't, and that will help you develop your own style and taste.
8. Interpretations.
I have always believed that interpreting a work depends on the intentions of the author. I still believe that. Gladwell, however, brought up this subject in Lesson 20: "When Your Story Enters the World." He explained that people have taken ideas that he shared in his works and skewed them overtime as the information was passed from person to person. That happens, and it's okay! Even if you try your hardest to make a point clear, it may alter through the reader. Don't be offended, and don't think it's intentional.
9. Day job.
Not everyone is going to write a million dollar book, especially when you're still a beginner. Gladwell suggests starting off with freelance writing while having a steady job to pay the bills. That way you can eat and keep writing as an activity that you love, as opposed to something you have to do to get by. You can take on whatever jobs you want and take your own time with your projects.
It's difficult to narrow what I learned to a list since I feel like there was so much information for me to learn from. If you get an opportunity to take a MasterClass and you're interested in writing, I highly suggest you watch Malcolm Gladwell's!