Have you got the right kind of point on your pencil? Do you know how to achieve the perfect point for the kind of work you need out of that pencil? Deep in New York’s Hudson River Valley, craftsman David Rees—the world’s number one #2 pencil sharpener—still practices the age-old art of manual pencil sharpening. In 2010, he began offering his artisanal service to the world, to the jubilation of artists, writers, draftsmen, and standardized test takers. David will teach you to sharpen your own pencil the old-fashioned way and SHARE HIS SECRETS. All materials provided.

Comedy writer and performer, podcaster, and author Julie Klausner has taught just about everything. She has helped people better themselves at performance, writing, sketches, and even book proposals. Got something you like, but know that it needs a little work? Julie is your fixer. Bring in anything¬—a play, a story, a monologue, literally any original, creative work—and Julie will provide you with the tools and know-how to shape and actualize it. Students should bring 15 copies of their piece -- enough to share with the rest of the class.

Are you an aspiring writer yearning to express yourself in your own unique voice? Storytelling with John Roderick can help! John Roderick is a musician and storyteller and has previously collaborated with such MaxFun greats as Jonathan Coulton and John Hodgman. Currently a member of the band The Long Winters, John has recently been expanding his talents into writing and storytelling. His storytelling class will help you to find your own personal voice as a writer, and show you ways to learn to write in your voice.

Carol Kolb is a former head writer of the Onion News Network video series and TV show on IFC (and before that, the editor-in-chief of The Onion). Now, she's working on a new TV show for Comedy Central. In this class, Carol will teach you how to write effective satire and parody in less than 90 minutes. Bring a #2 pencil or other suitable writing instrument for this fun and interactive workshop.

Recently home from the 2012 Olympic Games in London, pentathlete Donna Vakalis will present a rare, candid look into both the Olympics and just what the pentathlon is. You'll divide into teams and competes in an abridged (but equally thrilling!) version of pentathlon followed by an awards ceremony. Finally, Vakalis will demonstrate her shiny new LASER GUN. And maybe (just maybe!) she'll give a few lucky participants the opportunity to give it a shot. She will also take time for a Q&A. Bring your workout clothes and your swimming gear!

The mid-'50s 3-D boom went far beyond that iconic photo of the audience gasping behind their cardboard glasses. At around the same time, photography buffs were embracing a new format of three-dimensional still photography in the "Stereo Realist" camera system. Introduced in 1947, the camera and its matched viewer proved an unbeatable partner for Kodachrome - the miraculously crisp, sensitive and long-lasting color slide film. To this day, 3-D purists believe the startling quality of the photos from this system is unmatched. Colbert Report writer Eric Drysdale has been collecting vintage 3-D for 15 years, and will share the story, technology and personalities behind the 1950s 3-D photography boom. You'll see a treasure-trove of one-of-a-kind images, amateur and professional, of every aspect of mid-century American life. Most importantly, you'll see them the way they were meant to be seen – as first-generation Kodachrome transparencies in backlit viewers from the 1950s with high-quality achromatic lenses. Whether some of those words mean something to you, or none of them do – don't miss a rare chance to step back in time through an amazing, and largely forgotten, technology.

The interview is a cornerstone to all kinds of creative work, be it radio, documentary or non-fiction writing. Mary O'Hara (who writes for The Guardian and is currently hard at work on her second novel) will present a guided workshop on conducting a great interview. Attendees will then get the chance to pair up for a brief, candid interview and transform those answers into the introductory paragraph for a profile piece about your classmate. Leave caution at the door and come prepared to reveal what makes you worthy of front page coverage!

This workshop, taught by Kevin Allison (of MTV's The State sketch comedy show and the popular comedy true storytelling podcast RISK!), provides students with an encouraging, constructive environment in which to tell a true life story they never thought they'd dare to tell and receive feedback from their instructor and peers. Class will include a short lecture on classic story structuring, building suspense, eliciting emotion, recreating drama, digging deeper into a story’s meaning, and using your voice and body to add levels to your listeners’ experience, so that your story stays with them. This workshop will be limited to 10 students and will aim to get everyone up on stage to tell a 3 to 5 minute story and receive feedback from Kevin Allison and the class. Students should brainstorm their stories in advance of the workshop and aim to ensure that their stories include some of the following criteria: A) High stakes (You felt there was a lot to be lost and/or gained in the circumstances.) B) Emotional investment (You really cared about the situation and were thrilled or crushed or frightened, etc.) C) An unusual experience (Your story features subject matter we’re not likely to have covered on the podcast yet.) D) Sharing this takes guts (Normally you’d only share this with a therapist. Or perhaps this shows a side of yourself you rarely show.)

Colin Anderson still makes radio comedy shows for a living and you can too. British comedy series often develop as radio shows before moving onto TV, with BBC Radio broadcasting an hour and a half of sitcom, stand-up and sketch every day. Radio was the launch pad for such Brit-comedy luminaries as David Mitchell, Hugh Laurie, Steve Coogan, Armando Iannucci and Douglas Adams.* Come sit in a darkened room for a guided tour of the best of radio comedy. Find out how YOU can write and submit your own sketches to the BBC and get paid actual money if they’re broadcast. Or snog furtively on the back row with your MaxFun hook-up. *assuming you know who any of those people are.

Jordan Morris isn't just the co-host of Jordan Jesse Go! -- he's also a UCB-certified improv instructor. Try improv for the first time, Session A occurs Saturday morning and is open to all skill levels.

Comedian Graham Clark has a hobby. He likes to paint. He paints portraits and various things in several different styles utilizing a variety of mediums. Pretty normal, right? Well, he paints with his beard. Yeah. Each of his pieces not only captures Clark's unique artistic vision, but simultaneously becomes a time capsule reflecting the state of his facial hair at the time of composition. At MaxFunCon East, Graham will introduce the art of beard painting to a lucky group of hirsute participants. Experience this fun and meditative practice and leave with your own mini-masterpiece! Remember to wear clothes that you won't mind getting paint on. Beards will be made available for those unable to grow their own.

Always wanted to be in a sweet band but been too afraid to try? Dave Hill is willing to help by giving you that chance to bring extreme rock heat like you've always dreamed. Hill is no stranger to stage fright (He has the pills to prove it) and has built for himself a solid/sordid career in music and comedy. He hosts The Dave Hill Explosion at UCB in New York and as a musician has performed with several unstoppable acts, including Valley Lodge, Walter Schreifels Band, Cobra Verde, Diamondsnake (alongside Moby) and others. During MaxFunCon East, Dave will work with a class to write an incredible song in 90 minutes and then perform it as a group. Sound daunting? Don't worry, all skill levels are welcome (even that skill level that involves having no skill whatsoever) and Dave will be there as your helpful and aromatic guide and host. You are encouraged to bring your own (acoustic) instrument or use one of several provided.

You've got a great idea for a new creative project, but with a 9 to 5 job, where's the time to get it started? Benjamin Wagner managed to write, direct, and produce a documentary titled Mister Rogers & Me, all while holding down a career as senior vice president of MTV News and he believes that there is no reason you can't do the same with your own dream and your own job. In this session, Wagner will explain why you don't have to drop everything just to get a new project off the ground, and reveal how creativity can peacefully coexist alongside the daily grind.

Take advantage of the amenities at the Pocono Manor! Play some games with your pals in the Game Room, go for a hike, even take a nap! The world is your [free time based, non-structured] oyster.