* This is a LIVE, virtual workshop. Limited to 15 Spots. *

Writing about your personal experiences can open new doors for your writing career.

What we’re talking about, of course, is the first-person narrative form known as the Personal Essay.

Publications like Vox, Buzzfeed, The Guardian, The New York Times, Apartment Therapy all covet these first-person pieces that share moving or amusing experiences. Understanding how to use them can help you write for your dream publications, launch a newsletter, or simply improve your craft as a writer.

In this Masterclass, we'll help you understand what it takes to plan and pitch a personal essay, and teach you how to win your first successful paid personal essay. We’ll also help you understand which moments of your life might be suitable to write about and how to use this writing to help you nurture your career as a writer.

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By the end of this 3-hour workshop you will:

• Understand where to find opportunities and editors to pitch
• See the anatomy of successful articles and understand how and why the writer landed the job
• Learn how to compose a powerful pitch for a Personal Essay that gets an editor’s attention
• Understand when you might be ready for a Personal Essay and how you can use this writing form to help supplement your writing career
• Start to draft a pitch and get real-time feedback from an editor

Who’s it for?

• Writers looking to break into freelance writing using the Personal Essay and use this a launchpad to build a successful and sustainable freelance writing career
• Anyone curious about exploring freelance writing for side income or a new career

What we'll cover:

1. An Introduction to Personal Essays. You’ll understand the pros and cons of the Personal Essay and how to use this type of writing in your writing career. You’ll also understand the types of Personal Essay that you might write and how to structure your piece.

2. From Pitch to Publication. Real examples of call-outs and pitches that have found success.

3. Dealing with Difficult Moments. Understand when and whether you might be ready to share sensitive stories with difficult subject matter.

4. How to Win Work. Learn how to find work, secure clients, and apply techniques to successfully pitch your pieces to publications.

5. Live Pitch Feedback. Begin to draft your first pitch, with a chance to get live pitch feedback from an editor.

6. Bonus Resources. We'll also share exercises and resources to make your next steps easier and help you hit the ground running.

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Whether you’re simply curious about writing personal essays, or you’re already pitching and looking to improve your craft – this Masterclass will help you take your next steps.

Your Instructor: Suchandrika Chakrabarti

Suchandrika Chakrabarti is a freelance journalist, podcaster and comedy writer, who has worked in the media for 14 years. Her first job in journalism was at The Guardian, and she has worked on staff for The Associated Press and the Daily Mirror. As a freelancer since 2018, her personal essays have been published in Marie Claire, Artsy and Bloomsberg's CityLab, among many others.

A sample of Suchandrika's Personal Essays:

• Marie Claire: How a Whatsapp Group of Strangers is Helping Me Grieve
• Artsy: This Artwork Changed My Life
• Bloomburg: Following the Subway My Mother Left Me

Your Hosts: Parul Bavishi & Matt Trinetti

Parul Bavishi has been an editor for over a decade. In addition to hosting LWS she helps thriller, YA and non-fiction writers level up their craft and get published. She writes and edits for the Story Grid and Publishing Uncovered. She has worked as an editor and literary scout at Random House, Quercus & Eccles Fisher. She analyses hit TV shows (Killing Eve, You, The Witcher) on the Story Grid Showrunners Podcast.

Matt Trinetti is a writer, publisher, TEDx speaker, and facilitator. In addition to hosting LWS, Matt designs programs to help unfulfilled professionals pursue creative work, start businesses, and reinvent their careers. Matt's work has appeared in Quartz, Observer, Creative Mornings, and on his blog GiveLiveExplore.

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