All language subtitles for Master.Class.Dan.Brown.S01E01.Introduction-MOD

[MUSIC PLAYING]

DAN BROWN: One of
the things I love

about books is that they are
different things to all people.

When you write a novel,
you're not writing one novel.

You're writing a million novels.

And each person reads
it in a different way,

imagines your character
in a different way.

Your job is to
create a framework,

to create the points of interest
that the reader's imagination

fills in and connects.

Help them imagine the story.

Give them just enough to
move to the next point

and to bring their imagination
to fill in all the blanks.

At the end of this
MasterClass, I'm

going to admit something
to you that I have never

admitted to anyone on Earth.

I'm also going to show you an
artifact that nobody except me

has ever seen.

And that is your first
lesson in suspense.

I love the creative
process of writing.

And I wanted to teach
this MasterClass

in hopes of helping other
writers overcome some

of the natural obstacles
and frustrations that

are inherent in the process of
writing a novel, so they could

get to the point where
they're actually doing it,

loving the process, and
being successful at it.

I can't tell you
what idea to have

or what to write
your novel about.

But I'm hoping that I can
give you a roadmap of sorts

to turn your idea into a story.

This class is
specifically designed

to talk about writing thrillers.

But I'm hoping that it
actually helps writers

of all different genres.

Because what makes
thrillers work

are elements that actually
make all stories work.

And this art form
of storytelling

is at the core of
every single art form.

Paintings tell stories.

Music tells stories.

You, as a writer,
as a storyteller,

are participating in the oldest
creative art form on Earth.

I was very fortunate to grow
up the son of a teacher.

My father was a was a
mathematics professor.

My mom actually was
a music teacher.

Some of the people I've
respected most in my life

are teachers.

So when I set out to write a
thriller and to create a hero,

I said, well, he's
going to be a teacher.

He's going to be just like
these people that I respect,

that have helped me so much.

And in some way,
you sort of feel

like you're giving
back a little.

You're reminding
people that teaching

is the noblest of
all professions,

and that if we can do one
thing for the people around us,

it's to help them.

And that's what teachers do.

That's what this
class is trying to do.

Written language is how
our species has progressed.

It's how we remember
what we've accomplished

and pass it on to
the next generation.

When I first started
out as a writer,

I got a lot of very
ethereal advice.

Write what I know.

Write what I'm passionate about.

Write a page a day.

Show, don't tell.

And there's some
truth to all of that.

But the reality is, it's
not all that helpful

when you're trying to
sit down to figure out

how to put a book together.

What I'm hoping to do in this
class is give the actual nuts

and bolts of, how do you
put a story together?

How do you create tension?

How do you build character?

How do you even decide
what to write about?

How do you write a finale?

How do you weave multiple
plot lines together

in a way that your
reader can follow them,

and that they serve each
other, that they play off

of each other?

In the world of writing,
you learn by doing.

And I've been doing
this a long time.

And what I'm hoping
to do here is

to help you learn
from the mistakes

that I've made along
the way, the things

that I've learned by doing.

I also hope that I
can share with you

a lot of the information
that I've gotten

from a bunch of great teachers.

Above all, what I'm
hoping is that this class

provides some truly
practical tools

to help writers create stories.

And also, I'm hoping we have
a little fun along the way.

I'm Dan Brown, and
this is my MasterClass.