▵ Q&A: What Makes a Great Essay? Mapping the Architecture of Essays w/ Michael Dean
Ever wonder why some essays just click while others feel disjointed?
Michael Dean has spent the last four years uncovering the invisible patterns behind great essays, revealing structures that are often overlooked but crucial for success.
Drawing from his background as an architect and virtual reality specialist, Michael approaches essay writing as a form of design—complete with its own rules, patterns, and blueprints.
Join us for a Q&A with Michael as we discuss Essay Architecture, the textbook he’s developing with support from the O’Shaughnessy Fellowship grant.
We’ll also explore:
Michael’s approach to drafting, editing, and publishing essays
How constraints in form can free writers to explore new ideas
Why is essay quality more objective than you think
About Michael Dean
Over the last 4 years, Michael Dean been obsessed with reading, writing, and editing essays. Before that he was an architect and a virtual reality specialist. Now he'd developing Essay Architecture through an O’Shaughnessy Fellowship grant, and leading the Editor program at Write of Passage.
**Held immediately following our Writers’ Hour ET session, in the same room.**
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