Personal Essay Masterclass
NOW ENROLLING
Now Enrolling Two Versions of this class:
Group Class, Winter 2025 (Jan 6 - Mar 10) $480
Self-Guided class (Available anytime) - $150
Personal Essay Masterclass
In a comprehensive, 10-week group class, learn specific techniques for turning memories into publishable essays.
“Peter has helped me elevate the quality and power of my work through his exceptional craft courses as well as one-on-one coaching. He has an unerring sense of a story’s center of gravity and the structure that best suits the material. He’s the kind of merciless editor that any serious writer would value. Since working with him, I’ve won awards and had four essays accepted by prestigious literary magazines. In a star rating, he’d get a full 5 from me.”
Publication Frustration
Perhaps you’re frustrated by receiving rejection after rejection, no answer at all, or you’re unsure if you’re ready to even send out.
Maybe you’ve had a few pieces published but can’t seem to go further. Maybe you’re frustrated with how few tools you have to turn anecdotes from your life into publishable essays.
You want to share your stories and wisdom. To entertain others, or expand your writing platform.
It’s possible to Overcome Essay Challenges
Work with award-winning essayist Peter Mountford, published in NYT Modern Love, The Atlantic, The Sun, NYT Magazine, Granta, and more.
Adjust the misalignment
Between your content, your approach, and a publication.
I’ll help you find your best material.
This class is for exploring specific techniques and personal essay structures. We’ll explore how tools and formats help authors avoid common pitfalls.
Group Class Benefits
Flexibility: This class is asynchronous, so you can complete assignments at your leisure.
Accountability: Participate weekly in the class to receive instructor feedback on your work.
Experience: Your instructor is on faculty at an MFA program and has traditionally published essays, short fiction, and novels.
NOW ENROLLING GROUP CLASS
Winter 2025 :
January 6th - March 10th
Class limit: 12
Student Success
Students who’ve taken this Advanced Personal Essay course have seen in-class essays published in outlets including
The New York Times
The Sun
Newsweek
The Washington Post
“Peter Mountford is a fantastic teacher. I’ve taken two of his classes and each time my writing has improved. He provides thoughtful and challenging material in his classes that push students to think about how to elevate their work. Since working with him, I’ve been able to fine tune my essays and get them published in many national publications.”
Course Schedule
Week 1: Getting Started / Sourcing Material
Week 2: Approaches And Pitfalls
Week 3: Structure And Form
Week 4: Tone And Voice
Week 5: Theme Vs. Motif
Week 6: Structure
Week 7: Setting And Space In Essay
Week 8: Dramatic Tension And Plot
Week 9: The “Drama Of Ideas”
Week 10: Revision And Marketplace
See below for full syllabus.
How We Work
Written lectures and a selection of readings weekly
Weekly discussions of assigned readings and other general writing topics with peers and the instructor
Some weeks also include:
Writing exercises and prompts
Peer and instructor feedback on a flash essay (up to 1000 words) and a feature-length essay (up to 4000 words)
Optional video conference open to all students in Week 2 (available afterwards as a recording for those unable to participate)
Winter 2025
January 6 — March 10, 2025
Or explore the self-guided version of the class…
Personal essay masterclass
(group
class) Syllabus
Week by Week
WEEK 1: GETTING STARTED / SOURCING MATERIAL
Learn how writers locate promising material for personal essays. How much ground (i.e. time and space) can an essay reasonably cover? How many characters does a good essay have?
You’ll also get to know your classmates and receive your initial writing prompt. Finally, you’ll make a list of potential subjects you might want to write about.
WEEK 2: ESSAY APPROACHES AND PITFALLS
You’ll read examples of several forms of essays and examine how the authors avoid common pitfalls. The instructor will offer examples from his own work of first drafts versus published drafts from the Guardian, and the NYT’s “Modern Love.”
This week we will also have a video conference.
WEEK 3: ESSAY SCENE AND SUMMARY
Discuss the difference between scene and summary and explore how you can balance these two approaches in crafting an essay. Read portions of several essays and write new work from two prompts.
First brief writing samples are due for instructor review.
WEEK 4: ESSAY TONE AND VOICE
We’ll look at what tone and voice can contribute to an essay. Read two essays and examine the variations in tone and voice between them. You’ll also experiment by writing the opening of one essay in two different ways.
WEEK 5: ESSAY THEME VS MOTIF
The lecture and reading will focus on how essays with less “plot” use theme and motif as binding ingredients to create purpose and direction. Workshop begins! You’ll receive guidelines on how to respond to one another’s work.
WEEK 6: ESSAY STRUCTURE
This week is dedicated to structure and how the outer framework of an essay can reflect and strengthen focus and make space for more stories and information.
We’ll read and discuss an essay by John McPhee, a master of structure. This will also be the second significant workshop week.
WEEK 7: SETTING AND SPACE IN ESSAY
Look at how a clear setting, when handled carefully, can heighten emotional impact and build atmosphere in personal essays. You’ll also learn how setting is often overused in essays.
In addition to workshopping, you will listen to the Leslie Jamison interview with David Naimon from the “Between the Covers” Podcast.
WEEK 8: DRAMATIC TENSION AND PLOT
We’ll consider essays that are “plotted”—that is, that contain overt or covert dramatic tension. How can you create tension, and how do you know where to start or stop (or pause) a narrative for maximum effect?
In addition to workshop this week, you will turn in further ideas for essays or expand on some earlier ideas.
WEEK 9: THE “DRAMA OF IDEAS”
Essayist David Shields has often remarked, in various ways, that what distinguishes essay from fiction is that essays offer the “drama of ideas” (whereas fiction presents “drama of action”). This week’s essay by Lauren Slater that perfectly embodies this notion. This is the final week for workshopping.
WEEK 10: ESSAY REVISION AND ESSAY MARKETPLACE
In this final week you’ll learn specific techniques for revision and self-editing, and different marketplaces for personal essays, both in print and online.
You will also learn about residencies, artist colonies, summer workshops, MFA programs, and other resources that can help you find a writing community and connections to other writers.
FAQ
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This class is asynchronous, so you complete work at your own pace. There is one optional Zoom meeting two weeks after the class starts.
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Most students turn in 8,000 words of writing by the end of class, including one essay up to 1500 words (a very publishable length) and another of up to 4000 words.
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For full participation, you’ll spend 3-5 hours per week in class. One week will ask for a bit more.
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No, but you should be already familiar with basic writing concepts and essay writing. If you have questions about whether you’re ready for this Advanced Personal Essay class, please contact me.
