Masterclass

Last week, I did something I don't usually do. I actually let an online ad get me interested in something.

Now, YouTube had been hounding me for over a month with this crap, but for the first time (I think ever), I actually liked what I was seeing. So, I went and checked out this 'Masterclass' thing. Website looked good. Courses looked interesting. 'Aight,' I thought, and dropped €200.

For those of you who don't know; Masterclass is a streaming-video service which provides 'classes' taught by celebrities and big names in various industries. And for that price, you get a one-year subscription and can 'learn' everything from talking like an astro-physicist to playing the ukulele. At least that's the idea.

My first impressions? Neat, I suppose. It's neat to have a little look behind the curtain at how professionals work and it's neat to hear what they have to share. In a week, I've done two of the writing courses. One by Margaret Atwood, and another from David Baldacci. And while I enjoyed them both, their approaches were very different and I do have some comments.

Firstly, all these 'courses' are short. Too short. Each seems to run to about 2.5 hours and if you're an audiobook or fantasy book buff like I am, that feels like a prologue. Then there was the structure of each. In Atwood's course, she tended to speak much more candidly and give advice from the heart, and that was nice. But unfortunately, for me it also wasn't that helpful. Being the first course I watched and really liking Atwood's work, I was quite disappointed. David Baldacci's course, on the other hand, seemed far better planned out, and I found it far more in-depth, structured, and helpful.

I think the main problem with all these courses, however, is that they just aren't (as the name suggests) 'Masterclasses'. I feel they're more like 'primers'; short talks given by pros, and I was a bit peeved that I already knew almost all of what I heard. Having written for a few years, you'll discover most of these things intuitively. Or learn from others. Or read articles and books.

Now, not to say it wasn't helpful at all. Sure, I picked up the odd, new tidbit, but I feel Masterclass is actually aimed at beginners to the industry/craft. It's also possible that in the future, some of these pros will come back and do a 'part two', and if that happens, this might end up being worth the money. But right now, I'd say hold onto that purse-string! I'll keep going and report back, again.

Ciao!