If you're writing about people, you
have to be interested in people.
What makes a question a good question?
Well, I like a question like, do you children shower?
Who is the drunkest customer that you've had today?
I met this woman one time, and I said,
when was the last time you touched a monkey?
And she said, oh, can you smell it on me?
In this class, I'll talk about connecting with people
and asking them questions.
I'll talk about keeping a diary.
It begins with a notebook.
I'll be reading a few of my published essays.
"Lisa, you're a natural."
I'm often asked, what does your family
feel when you write about them?
Well, I thought I would bring my sister Lisa here and find out
from her.
[LAUGHS]
I go willingly to my desk every morning and write in my diary.
I write something over probably 12 to 18 times.
Writing is rewriting.
And when you read in front of an audience, and I'll make notes,
and I'll rewrite it, read it, rewrite it, read it,
rewrite it to get an idea of the overall rhythm.
The danger is writing something that just stops
instead of something that ends.
A huge part of writing is learning to trust yourself.
And that just comes with experience.
I wrote every day for 15 years before my first book came out.
Most of the writers that I know have similar stories.
Write something that stinks.
Try and fail.
Failure is fantastic.
Don't underestimate failure.
You have to connect with people on some level.
And it's good to pay attention and keep
a diary because, every now and then,
your life feels like a story.
It's exciting to think that you're
living in this world with all these other people.
And today, is an opportunity for you
to connect with some of them.
That makes life worth living.
I'm David Sedaris, and this is my MasterClass.