Insights From MasterClass

Heyo! I had the amazing opportunity to team up with Wattpad and MasterClass to share with you guys about what I learned from my MasterClass instructor when it comes to creating a solid story. I've been wanting to join MasterClass for years, and it was just as inspiring as I'd hoped it would be. For those of you who don't know, MasterClass is an online educational platform that allows you to take lessons from the world's best (Shonda Rhimes, Neil Gaiman, Natalie Portman, to name a few) in all sorts of areas, like writing, culinary, film, and more. I even have a class saved for dog training. You can learn more about MasterClass by pressing on the external link here! #Sponsored

Research.

How do you react when you hear the word? A popular response is ugh. Another one is eh, maybe later. And the less popular: oooh!

I've never hated research, unless it was for a school project that held precisely zero percent of my interest. However, in the past—high school especially—I snuggled with eh, maybe later for too long (especially since my maybe laters always transformed into never got it dones). Research just wasn't something I did. As a result, my stories were riddled with plot holes and a deep lacking in authenticity.

Nowadays, research excites me. I love learning, and I want my characters, their relationships, their struggles, and their worlds to feel so real that you get a little upset when you realize they're nothing more than letters strung together on a page. Plus, it's fascinating to hear all the seemingly random things people look up in order to strengthen their stories' foundations. One moment you could be Googling high heel brands, and the next you're diving into articles on somatic memory, poaching, and government agencies. And then you're heading over to YouTube to watch some dorm tours and learn about modern day witchcraft from practicing witches. It's so cool.

But, here's the thing. Research is also intimidating.

The Internet makes the process less overwhelming. I've learned so much about science, history, business, and people from video platforms and search engines. But what do you do when you don't know exactly what you're looking for? Or, on the flip side, if there's a detail so specific that your search engine shrugs and says, sorry, dude, can't help you. But might I interest you in...?

In those cases, you should ask someone for help, right? But...what the heck are you supposed to ask them, especially when you don't really know what you're looking for?

Before watching Shonda Rhimes's class on MasterClass, I was convinced I I needed to hold back on interviewing anyone until I was able to formulate the "proper" number of questions. Don't reach out to anyone yet. You only have one question—not even that. It's a half a question. Wait until you have more, so you're not wasting their time. Because interviews are more intense Q&As, right? I kinda need to provide the Qs!

Not necessarily.

Shonda Rhimes's interview process isn't like the one I'd been envisioning. It starts general, with Rhimes listening to her subject with minimal speaking herself. As she states in her class, listening is the most important thing you can do for yourself and your story. Details emerge that wouldn't have even crossed your mind, and probably wouldn't have been mentioned if you'd thrown yourself directly into the specifics.

Say you came to me for my experience as a college student, but only asked about my Shakespeare class. You'd only hear about the plays we read, my classmates' performances, and maybe a bit about the stadium seating and the occasional quiz. But, if you'd asked me to talk about my general experience? You'd also know how, when I first moved into my dorm, I felt like I was staying in a hotel with a bunch of kids—which was strange and exciting at the same time. You'd hear about the sculpture that basically everyone on campus calls the Asparagus but isn't actually an asparagus. You'd hear all about how the homey movie theater just down the road sells home-baked goods, only charges three dollars—and, once a month, a dollar for college kids—has numbered tickets but unmarked theaters, and had (it's gone now) an Australian man for the voiceover telling everyone to turn off their mobile phones and utilize the rubbish bins. You learn so much more when you sit back and listen to people's stories.

What's more, I'd always pictured interviews as a one-and-done deal. Sometimes they are, but when researching for Grey's Anatomy, Shonda Rhimes spoke with the same surgical resident on multiple occasions, each time honing her questions toward the finer details. She didn't cram everything in one meeting, but let the questions come organically and posed them as she went along. To hear someone as accomplished as Shonda Rhimes say it's okay not to have all the answers right away was such a relief. Suddenly, the idea of interviewing wasn't so terrifying.

Am I still nervous at the prospect of asking someone I don't know to talk with me about their life? Yes. And, there are so many opportunities for learning on the Internet—YouTube alone is filled with people who talk about their experiences. But, with the freedom to take research in stride, I can't wait to talk to people and strengthen my story's foundation. I have an opportunity to get answers. All I have to do is ask.