Questions?   323.200.9478

NY Times Worthy Personal Essay

Online Dec 9, Dec 16, Jan 6, Jan 13, Jan 20 (5 Monday Afternoons)5:30pm - 8:30pm Pacific$425Limited Spots

9 Spots Left

Getting an essay in the New York Times is the crown jewel of personal essays in terms of bragging rights and future book deals. In this 5 week NY Times worthy personal essay class, Brett Paesel (Modern Love) will share her insight into securing this prestigious but elusive prize. Through fun, in class exercises, an informative craft talk, and in-class feedback, you will learn Brett’s secret techniques for approaching this essay, including the unspoken expectations of the format. By the end of the class you will have everything you need to craft your own New York Times Essay, and send it off to the Big Apple!

NY Times Modern LoveIn this class you’ll write an essay worthy of the NY Times Modern Love or other essay columns. We’ll workshop one of your essays until it’s perfect. By the end of class, you’ll have a kick-ass essay that is ready to be submitted for publication and a plan of where to submit it. Your goal will be to sell your essay within a couple of weeks after the class ends! You’ll be well on your way to joining the ranks of the 860 Writing Pad Alums (51 of whom got into the NY Times) who have sold essays and articles with Writing Pad’s help!

You can read some of the essays here: New York Times Modern Love #1,New York Times Modern Love #2, New York Times Modern Love #3,New York Times Modern Love #4, New York Times Modern Love #5, New York Times Modern Love #6, NY Times Well # 1, NY Times Well # 2New York Times Well #3, New York Times Well #4, New York Times Well #5, New York Times Well #6, New York Times Well #7, New York Times Well #8, New York Times Well #9, New York Times Well #10New York Times Well #11, New York Times Well #12, New York Times Well #13, NY Times StyleLos Angeles Magazine, New York Magazine, Bon Appetit, Boston Globe, Brain, Child, Daily BeastCosmopolitanDAME, Elle #1, Elle #2, Elle #3, 5280,Huffington Post #1,Huffington Post #2, Huffington Post #3,LA Times #1, LA Times #2LA Times #3, LA Times #4, LA Times #5, LA Times #6, LA Times #7, LA Times #8,The Lily #1 (Washington Post), The Lily #2 (Washington Post), Marie Claire #1, Marie Claire #2, Men's Journal, Morning News #1, Morning News #2, Narratively, Nerve, Role Reboot, Salon #1, Salon #2, Salon #3, Salon #4, Salon #5, Salon #6, Salon #7, Salon #8, Salon #9, Salon #10, Salon #11, Salon #12, Salon #13, Salon #14, San Diego Union-Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, Self #1, Self #2, Teen Vogue The Beauty Bean, Shine, The Date Report, The Smart Set, Vice, Vogue #1, Vogue #2, Vogue #3, Washington Post #1, Washington Post #2, Washington Post #3, Washington Post #4, Washington Post #5, Washington Post #6, Washington Post #7, Whole Life, Wired.        .

Brett Paesel

Producer, Transparent, 7 Pilots Sold, NY Times Modern Love, Bestselling Memoirist

Brett Paesel has sold 7 pilots to HBO, ABC, Comedy Central, Fox, WB, Lifetime, and Nick at Nite (three of which were based on her bestselling memoir, "Mommies Who Drink". She was a consulting producer on Amazons' Emmy Award Winning, "Transparent" and "I Love Dick". In her producing capacity, Brett consulted with writers and directors on identifying and carving out emotional beats for characters in both episodes and the season as a whole. Brett Paesel’s stories, essays, and articles have been published in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Salon.com, More magazine, Self, Family Fun, amongst other publications. In addition, she was a contributing editor to Parents and Wondertime (where she was also a beauty and wellness columnist). Brett is the author of the Los Angeles Times bestselling memoir, “Mommies Who Drink: Sex, Drugs, and Other Distant Memories of an Ordinary Mom” (Warner Books) and the blog, “Last of the Bohemians”. “Mommies Who Drink” was selected as an Elle Magazine Must Read, a hot summer pick in Entertainment Weekly, and one of “Summers’ Hottest Reads” in People Magazine. The Boston Globe proclaimed the book “honest, affectionate, and smartly written. . . real, and laugh-out-loud funny.” Her comic essays have been included in several collections including “Lights, Action, Travel” and “Behind the Bedroom Door”. Brett has taught screenwriting and sketch at Second City and nonfiction writing for The National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts. Brett recently sold her novel "The Last Perfect Day" to Grand Central Publishing. As an actor, Brett was in the casts of "Mr. Show with Bob and David" and played Rita on "Transparent". MORE