Rhetoric, The Art of Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking—HarvardX

When lockdown started last year I decided to take online classes as a way to keep my mind off current events. I tried random classes that interested me, Archaeology & Egyptology, The Science of Happiness, Screenwriting, Amherst Writers and Artists, and others. I saved Rhetoric for last, worried it was like those Russian novels I'm forever moving to the bottom of my To Be Read pile, and something I was in no mood to tackle. It was work, and I'm kind of proud of myself for sticking with it. It's a worthy and worthwhile topic and class.

I took it through HarvardX and edX classes. If you like to learn (or just want useful escapism), I recommend checking out edX. The selection is large and they have both free and certified versions of their classes, so don't let cost sway you. None of the classes I've taken were easy, but they were all worth my time and effort, including Rhetoric.

Rhetoric includes both written essays and public speaking. It's a way to consider right/wrong, guilt/innocence, knowing/ignorance. It's about clear communication. One of the things the class tackles is how to get solid facts through legitimate sources (something all of these classes were strict about, no Wikipedia, no whacky Uncle's Facebook posts). We studied political speeches and documents as we learned a variety of rhetorical devices. To me Rhetoric is kind of like the Geometry of words.

Reading early versions of the Declaration of Independence as it went through edits and changes was an incredible learning experience. As a writer I know that magic happens in the edits, yet a part of me imagined that Thomas Jefferson sat down and penned this miracle of a manuscript in its famous perfection as we now know it. That is not how it happened, and history has the edits. I loved it, it was a group effort, and thank goodness for editors. 

As for speeches, we analyzed Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream speech, Presidential speeches, political speeches, and watched how they all have bits and pieces of other historical catch phrases and quotes in them (from biblical to mythology to a candidate who ran twenty years ago). It's a beautiful thing and reminded me so much of Austin Kleon's Steal Like an Artist book and spirit. We all use what we've learned to create new things. 

Now would probably be a good time to head back to Toastmasters to practice my newfound skills, but I have a few novels to finish writing first. 

 

Nutrition and the Digestive System, eCornell Class—Trying to Figure Out Why Gluten is The Enemy

 

Someone asked me recently for tips on going Gluten-Free. In some ways it's easy for me. I've not once cheated and eaten gluten on purpose. No matter how tempting the cupcake or bread might be to someone, I see it as poison. I find flaming pain to be quite inspirational. 

The reason I took eCornell's class on Nutrition and the Digestive System  is because I wondered how I could have such trouble with gluten when I'm not Celiac. It's an interesting class. We covered the following:

• Sympathetic/Parasympathetic Systems
• The Autonomic Nervous System
• The Physiology of the ANS
• Digestion and the Mouth
• Saliva Production
• How to Evaluate Studies
• Nutrition and the Digestive System
• Digestion and the Stomach
• Digestion and the Small Intestine

There's a lot to the class but Gluten and Celiac are covered along with Proteins, Gastric Emptying, Dietary Fiber, and the Geometry of the Small Intestine/and Structure. Inside the small intestine are structures called Villi that absorb nutrients. If you are Celiac, gluten causes intestinal collapse and your villi retracts (for lack of a better word). 

It's a fascinating class and I'd like to eventually take all the classes in this series. There was no real answer to why gluten causes me to develop Interstitial Cystitis. I had to assume gluten causes inflammation for me everywhere and maybe it's worse in certain systems. I have Sjogren's Syndrome which is why I'd decided to try giving up gluten in the first place. It took me some time to figure out what all had gluten in it, but within a week of figuring that out and quitting it I never had another bladder spasm. 

My Urologist was rather amazed and I may have been among the first to graduate from ever having to see her again. 

The difficulty in eating gluten-free is real. Gluten is hidden in most everything. Once I got "glutened" by chewing gum. Another time by mints. Cough drops. Dried fruit. Salad Dressing. Chocolate. Those were times when a gluten containing ingredient was hidden or overlooked. Apparently dried fruit can sometimes involve flour in processing. Malt and barley derivatives hide in ingredient lists and they're gluten. So quitting gluten is more of a process as you learn to avoid it and difficult to do perfectly from day one, or to do for only a few days to see if it makes you feel better. 

One thing I have learned even before this class, there's no bread or cupcake worth flaming pain. One thing I learned after this class? I'm not going to solve "gluten-sensitivity" as so many medical professionals call it (as though it'll cause a wee tummy ache or possibly a few hives), but I can avoid it and that really works beautifully for me. 

Me and Microsoft Excel—The Fast Easy Way to Keep Track of Writing Finances

 

Using Excel

Udemy dot com offers a Microsoft Excel class for Beginners to Advanced. It has over 200,000 positive reviews. For years I've tried to avoid Excel simply because I never took the time to learn how to use it properly. The worst part is that I was business manager for an engineering company and used it in my job but when I was finally able to make writing my full-time job, I quit using Excel just because I could. I decided it'd be easier to keep track of everything in handwritten ledgers. It wasn't easier.

After years of accumulating piles of good old-fashioned paperwork, I had to admit to myself that everything would actually be simpler if I used Excel again. Step one, I decided, was to LEARN how to use it properly so I didn't dread it. That's how I found the Udemy class. 

The class I'm recommending is by Kyle Pew, Office Newb. Every single lesson is basic (my speed) and thorough. I keep a laptop open beside my computer through each lesson, so I can practice without split screens. 

Recently I mentioned this Excel class to a group of writers. There was a collective groan, EXCEL, NO! It was the old, "Don't make us do math" mentality. My mentality. Yet the fact is, keeping track of your finances via Excel is the easy way. Sorry to be a realist. You know I abhor reality. I have the soul of a fiction writer. Yet what I've learned is that it's an undeniable fact that the best way to deal with keeping track of writing expenses is succinctly. That way you get it over with as quickly as possible. 

Excel can help you with that.

When you write, or simply live, you have to keep track of income and expenses. You have to do the math. It's easier on everyone if you keep good track of expenses and income and know the bottom line in your writing life and in the real world. You'll see in plain old black and white and red what works and what doesn't. It helps you make smart decisions, like what to spend your time and energy on and what is a waste of resources. That's actually important in both worlds—Fiction and Non-Fiction. 

Building your Screenplay—Cambridge University edX—MOOC Classes

This week I completed the online screenwriting class Building your Screenplay offered by Cambridge University. It's part of their Micromasters program in Writing Performance & Entertainment Industries. I took it online without enrolling in the masters program. From what I learned in one of our live lessons, I think you'd have to attend the university in person to finish the offered micromasters, and complete an English exam that could silence some of the diverse and varied online voices.

It's a four week class. It took me four or five hours a week to complete that week's lessons, that's half the recommended time but I write daily and have for years. I've also already completed one version of the screenplay I'm working on so when it came to theme, character, and story, I could summon my take on the assignments instantly. 

Compared to the other MOOC classes I've taken, I found this one easier and spent less time on it. That said, I found it a very valuable class and it gave me a lot to consider in regards to my screenplay. Part One with award-winning film-director Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese and his take on image taking precedence in screenwriting was especially provocative. 

My favorite part of the class was our live ZOOM meeting. There's just nothing like getting together with a group of other writers for inspiration, networking, and simple camaraderie even if it's online. We split into breakout rooms for an assignment. It was both brilliant and surreal to chat writing with screenwriters from Peru, Spain, and Montana. Our discussion topic somehow morphed into movie scores, but I promise it was time well spent and I wouldn't have missed it.

During these online classes, I take notes while I listen to lectures, and I save my assignments to refer back to. I will be referring back to these notes as I continue working on my screenplay. This class is available for free or with edX's verified track. 

The Science of Happiness—Berkeley edX—online learning during a pandemic

 

In order to focus on things besides the latest pandemic news and to continue to learn and grow as a person, I decided to take edX's The Science of Happiness by BerkeleyX . It teaches positive psychology and science-based principles for a happy and meaningful life. 

Heads up, The Science of Happiness isn't about becoming ridiculously happy all the time or not feeling what you really feel. It's about living your best meaningful life. It's smart and insightful and like any science-based class it's backed up with research and facts. 

It's a big class. That means it takes a chunk of time. The overview says about five hours a week for eleven weeks. I gave myself only five weeks to do it because I have deadlines approaching and had to. A more leisurely pace would have been easier, but I also do better on quizzes and tests if the course material is still fresh in my vestibular migraine head. 

Free or Verified

Verified Track vs. Free

If you choose to take the verified track it offers plenty of extra reading material, podcasts, videos, and even books. I ordered several (you don't have to and they're at your own cost but I was so fascinated by aspects of this class that I wanted the extra material). I'd guesstimate I spent about twenty-plus hours a week on the class. That doesn't include reading the books I purchased, which I haven't done yet. 

Assignments were almost all pleasant, and they were all fascinating. They're suggested tasks to help discover what happiness practices work best for you. I learned things about myself in this class that I thought I knew, but didn't. (Who knew, but some of the things that have annoyed me about hubby for the past centuries aren't all him.) It taught me better communication skills and ways to incorporate happiness-inducing changes in my life. 

It is time well spent

A few of the incredible concepts studied that I found particularly profound are as follows:

Mindfulness, the difference between being Thankful and Gratitude, Empathy, Compassion, Kindness, Maximizer/Satisficer, Why Self-Compassion trumps Self-Esteem, Flow, Habituation & Adaptation, Gratitude in Schools/Romantic Relationships, The Science of Awe. 

As with other edX classes, you can skip the verified track and take it for free. However you chose to increase your happiness, I do recommend checking out The Science of Happiness and the Greater Good Science Center. Especially during this anxiety-producing pandemic, it can help you sort your priorities and learn coping skills.