Masterclass Recording: Writing with Emotional Honesty

‘If you do not tell the truth about yourself you cannot tell it about other people’ – Virginia Woolf

‘If you’re not telling secrets, who cares?’ – Mike Birbiglia

Honesty is the crucial quality of all good writing – even if it’s a piece of wildly inventive fiction. In this Masterclass for those interested in vivid storytelling regardless of genre, author and journalist Hattie Crisell will explain how writers produce work that is honest about the experience of being human.

She will draw on her own years of professional writing, and on the dozens of conversations she’s had with those who’ve mastered the art of storytelling – including fiction writers Brandon Taylor and Meg Wolitzer, screenwriter Jesse Armstrong, essayist David Sedaris and poet Wendy Cope. In this class, you’ll be led through the insights of successful writers of different kinds. A novelist might use imaginative empathy to write a character who feels utterly real; a journalist can use interviewing to get to the heart of somebody else’s story. Confessional writers find that it’s only when they’re brave enough to expose the uncomfortable truth that their work really connects with readers, and some authors have found therapy helpful in their work. In a friendly and supportive session, Hattie will explain how specificity helps a writer to access something universally relatable. She will go beyond the process of putting words on the page, to explain the essential role played by editing – and will argue that, counterintuitively, a writer must select and control the facts in order to guide the reader to a more profound truth.

This recording will be available to watch at your convenience. Please see the ‘Access’ tab for information on how to find it.

Online: £25.00

Concessions: £12.50

We are committed to making our Arvon at Home programme accessible to as many people as possible.

When you make your purchase, you will receive an email confirmation, including a link to the recording. You can access it at any time using that link. It can also be accessed by logging in to your account on our website, opening the course card on your ‘My Bookings’ page, and clicking on the red ‘Recording’ button. Any course materials that may have been shared for the live session will also be available via a button in the course card. All Masterclasses are recorded with auto-generated captioning, which appears on the recordings.

If you require any assistance or further information, please email arvonathome@arvon.org