Malcolm Gladwell MasterClass Review
Malcolm Gladwell rose to fame with his off the wall ideas and compelling arguments. He proved to the world that he is not afraid of anything, attempting to make connections that not many others see. If you’re a fan, or just interested in non-fiction writing, you could benefit from his MasterClass, when you take Writing with Malcolm Gladwell.
During this MasterClass, he will share his process with you plus, some extra tips for when you’re ready to take your idea to the market. Not only will he walk you through the process of development and creation but, also tell you some of his most successful ways to find and come up with ideas. After taking this MasterClass, you’re sure to leave inspired to start writing more and let your creativity and curiosity flow. But, is this MasterClass worth your time? In this review, we will take a deeper look into the content and help you decide.
Who Is This MasterClass For?
This MasterClass is designed for anyone that has a passion for writing and wants to learn a bit more about how to think more critically. However, this doesn’t mean that this class is only for writers. Anyone that is curious about things in this world and is interested in creating connections to these deep thoughts can benefit from this class, tuning into the master of non-fiction and psychologically conscious thoughts.
We as humans are almost always curious. For this reason, this course is the perfect fit for anyone. There doesn’t need to be any kind of special interest or skills, just a will to learn and grow your knowledge base. So, anyone that loves writing, brainstorming, or just wants to learn something new can take this class and benefit, tuning in and listening to one of the most interesting speakers and teachers in the field of non-fiction writing.
Why Learn from Malcolm Gladwell?
Malcolm Gladwell is one of the most famous non-fiction writers in the world, known for his works that get the wheels in the brain turning. He often hits on sociopolitical topics, taking his psychology studies into account. In his books, he tends to ask questions to get readers thinking, most often bringing up controversial ideas and radical narratives that have raised a few eyebrows.
He has a unique way of looking at the world, one that he shares with learners in his MasterClass. During the entire course, he’ll take you through the process of creating his writings and taking you on a journey of writing and thinking deeply and complexly. During his MasterClass, Gladwell will walk you through the development of his dynamic ideas, showing how he takes an idea and turns it into an award-winning novel, one that captures the attention of all his readers and audience.
MasterClass Content: What Students Will Learn
Gladwell’s MasterClass comes with 2 video lessons that are all between 3 and 20 minutes each. All of his exclusive MasterClass content is filled with in-depth material, all presented in a one-to-one manner with the master himself. Also included along with the video lectures are the MasterClass workbook, which includes lessons and assignments, and access to Office Hours, where students can ask him questions that he will answer personally. Included in the topics that you will learn are:
Imperfection Captures Attention
One of the most complicated things about writing in the non-fiction genre is the fact that you’re expected to inform. However, you won’t be able to inform just anyone without first capturing their attention, needing to shake things up a bit to intrigue readers from the outside. This starts with posing questions and answering them in a different way. Once you grab your reader’s attention, you have to hit them with some sort of compelling argument, one where you can let your ideas and thoughts run free.
Keeping Readers Engaged
When a reader goes for a non-fiction book, they are usually interested or curious about the ideas that are presented within. If you only present them with a one-dimensional argument, however, you’ll wind up losing their attention. In order to create a more compelling argument and presentation, you can add data, graphics, and figures-all to solidify and support your writings. Included in this section are suggestions for adding little trails into your writing here and there that readers can pick up on, keeping them engaged and curious for the answers you’ll provide throughout your book.
Talk to your Readers
Surprises and guessing games are fun as a child and also as an adult. Gladwell plays with this idea, suggesting that writers talk to their readers in an attempt to engage them with questions. When you focus on your audience and turn to ask them questions, they will more than likely become more engaged and interested in your story. Asking questions makes readers think and keeps them engaged throughout the entire story. With the readers engaged, they won’t want to put your book down and will be anxious for more of your knowledge with your next round of books.
The Importance of Research
Anyone can have access to information these days. We can simply grab our phones and look something up, getting access to data and numbers all at the same time. The last thing you want to do as a writer is regurgitated what someone has already said, needing to take a look at things and put your own twist on them. Readers will be more likely to pick up your book if you bring something new to the table, reading with interest in the ideas that you’re presenting. Also, when on the hunt for information, Malcolm has a suggestion or two that could come in handy, leading readers to a goldmine of information that is both useful and engaging.
How to Interview People
Among the list of places to find information is from people, turning to those with knowledge different from the rest. One important step in learning how to speak to and interview people is becoming an active listener, asking the right questions that will get the conversation going and the information flowing. Malcolm suggests that interviewers should keep thequestions unscripted and short. This will give your interviewee the floor and allows them more time to speak and help you create your story.
Finding What to Write About
Asking questions and interviewing is one part of creating a story. There is a whole other part of creating a story, and that is finding out what to write. People can give you a lot of information-but turning that into a non-fiction novel can be difficult. Given the information that others provide you with, you can take what you have and start to create a storyline, one that will captivate your audience.
Testing Your Ideas
Before you plan out the writing of your masterpiece, Malcolm says it is important to know what you have and how much time you have to dedicate. He goes over ways that you can solidify ideas and test them to make sure they are worth dedicating your time to. This includes putting some of your ideas out there and seeing how others react. Pay attention to your readers when they are following along, watching for their reactions and body language. This is a telling sign to know if they are enjoying the story and if they are engaged with what you have written.
Using Jargon: When to and How to
We use Jargon in day to day speech but, writing it into a novel can be different. You don’t want to use too much, especially because these words are difficult to translate, both internationally and regionally. On top of that, you want to use them to add emphasis to your stories, not to take over and tell the whole tale. Too much jargon will decrease the readability of your novel and may make you sound unprofessional.
Check Your Tone
We don’t often associate writing with tone but, it is something that can set the stage for your novel. The tone that your words take on and fuse depends on the way that you say things and the types of words that you’re using. Focus on creating the tone that best fits the style of your novel, whether that is informative, captivating, or surprising when you are trying to get a point or message across. When you finish a section, it is always good to go back and read what you have written, looking to see if you can spot the type of tone that you are transmitting to your readers.
Jazzing Things Up
You don’t just want an informative novel to be bland. What you want is bits and pieces of humor or other engaging surprises sprinkled throughout. Malcolm talks about how to add humor and a bit of fun into your novel, which will keep your readers looking for more. Humor has a way of activating and waking up the brain, especially when least expected. Using this, you can grab your reader’s attention and bring back their focus. Humor is fun but, you want to avoid adding too much, taking away from the informative tone of your non-fiction novel.
Creating Captivating Titles
Titles are the first thing that someone sees when they read a book. It is sometimes the only reason why people choose to pick up a book, making it an important part of the novel creation process. Malcolm speaks about the importance of choosing and creating titles, making sure that you create some that are both engaging and interesting when it comes to attention.
Student Reviews
Overall, those who have taken the MasterClass have positive things to say about it, mostly bringing up the fact that the class is full of useful information that comes directly from Malcolm Gladwell. But don’t just take our word for it, take a look at what students had to say about the course themselves:
“Malcolm Gladwell is undoubtedly one of the most accomplished non-fiction writers in the world. He’s an award-winning journalist, a bestselling author, and also a public speaker.I think for aspiring writers, people are interested in his class on MasterClass to learn more about how he weaves intellectual facts into the “pop” perspectives that come through his books.” – Michael P.
“It was a good class for starters, not knowing who Malcolm Gladwell was, I didn’t have any expectations or preconception about who he was, so my impression of him was that he had a nice personality and character, he was actually funny and seemed to enjoy his work a lot.He gave a lot of advice on how to write non-fiction in general and gave loads of example with his own personal work, he mentioned his book – David and Goliath a lot, and often read excerpts from it.” Amber C.
“This course is mostly about writing as a journalist and producing non-fiction pieces. Up to this point, all of the masterclass writer’s courses I have taken using my all-access pass were about writing fiction. So, I found this course quite interesting, if a little difficult to follow, at times.However, overall, I did enjoy it and I certainly learned a few things. It has also inspired me to read some of Malcolm’s work.” – Berry C.
Is Malcolm’s MasterClass Worth It? Final Verdict
This class has a lot to do with finding information that will aid you in the creation of compelling arguments. Even if you’re not a writer, you can still get a lot of useful information from Malcolm, using his tips and advice as a starting point. This type of advice from a professional of his status could cost a fortune, not to mention be quite difficult to come by.
This is why this course is definitely worth it, especially if you’re a fan of Malcolm’s work. It is a better deal to score the all-access pass if you’re a curious being, able to choose different topics, all of which are taught by the most famous people in the world.
