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.
