Attention U.K.-based writers!
I will be giving 4 presentations and leading a Master Class at this year’s London Screenwriters’ Festival between September 6th–9th, 2018.
I had such a great time at last year’s London Screenwriters’ Festival, when I was invited back to the 2018 event, I jumped at the opportunity. And this year, I’m not only doing 4 presentations, I’m also leading a Master Class. In fact, I have just finished rounding out the PowerPoints for the Master Class and sent them off to the fine folks at the LSF. It promises to be a special event.
Here is my schedule at the 2018 London Screenwriters’ Festival!
Master Class: The Narrative Imperative in YOUR Screenplay
September 6, 2018 (Thursday), 12:00–6:30PM
Why is the Protagonist the most critical character in your story-crafting process? How can you use their experience in the story, their deep psychology and their past to ramp up the stakes and move your script from ‘pretty good’ to un-put-downable?
The key to unlocking your story’s most powerful version and the underlying structure rests within its most central character: The Protagonist.
Every event that happens, every character who emerges is tied to the Protagonist and their unique psychological journey.
Learn how you can delve into your Protagonist to craft your story’s structure with Scott Myers.
For more information, go here.
Story Concept: How to Generate, Assess and Develop Story Ideas
September 7, 2018 (Friday), 5:00–6:00PM
Perhaps no single choice in crafting a screenplay is more important than the story concept, yet most writers simply don’t spend enough time trying to find the strongest idea to write. As a result, they may spend months writing a script which has no chance of ever becoming a movie.
In this session, Scott Myers will take you into the mindset of studio executives, producers, agents and managers as you will get the lowdown on High Concept, Hollywood’s obsession with ‘Similar but Different’, Genre Bending, Gender Bending, Geo-Bending, and more.
Learn ways to generate, develop, and assess story concepts so you can have the tools to come up with winning script ideas.
Theme: What Is It, How to Find It, and How to Use It to Enrich Your Story
September 8, 2018 (Saturday), 10:30AM–12:00PM
What is theme? Story premise? The moral of the story? A story’s DNA? There may be no more confusing writing concept than that of Theme and yet it is critically important in pulling together a story and its meaning to readers.
In this session, Scott Myers will present a clear articulation of theme — what it is, how it functions, and how to use themes to both expand and focus your understanding of the stories you write.
With examples from movies including True Grit, The Shawshank Redemption, Tootsie, As Good As It Gets, and Moneyball, you will explore Central Theme, Secondary Themes, Talismans, Motifs, and Moments, and learn how you can use themes to enrich your stories and inform your story-crafting process.
Create A Compelling Protagonist
September 9, 2018 (Sunday), 10:30AM-11:45AM
Of all the characters in a story, there is one whose importance is such they demand our immediate and sustained attention. That character is the Protagonist. As your story’s central character, the Protagonist informs every aspect of the story-crafting process.
Conventional wisdom suggests writers should strive to create a sympathetic Protagonist by finding their wound or their flaw, but that just scratches the surface of what we need to do to discover a truly Compelling Protagonist.
In this presentation, Scott Myers will do an in-depth analysis of the Protagonists in three movies — The Social Network, Bridesmaids, and Up — to demonstrate a comprehensive Inside Out approach to character development which you can use to craft your own Protagonist who compels a script reader’s attention.
Write a Worthy Nemesis
September 9, 2018 (Sunday), 11:45AM-1:00PM
There is nothing like a well-drawn Nemesis to enliven a screenplay by functioning as a worthy foe to the Protagonist and creating the story’s central conflict.
In this presentation with Scott Myers, you will learn key principles to help you craft a Nemesis who goes beyond the stereotypical Bad Guy to a living, breathing, and powerful antagonist figure.
Nemesis v. Antagonist
Shadow v. Light
Fear v. Need
Unity v. Disunity
Overlord v. Underdog
Intelligence v. Wisdom
Empathy v. Sympathy
Learn how to think of the Nemesis as a projection of your Protagonist’s shadow enabling you to create a psychological connection between these two pivotal characters.
Here are some of the testimonials from my appearance at last year’s London Screenwriters’ Festival:
‘Without a doubt, everything Scott Myers did was as if you could hear the penny dropping in every delegate’s brain throughout his well-reasoned and enabling lectures (plus he does a wicked Anthony ‘Hannibal’ Hopkins voice).’
Stephanie Wessell, Screenwriter
‘Scott’s knowledge, insight, depth, passion, humour and laser sharp delivery was unmatched. Each lecture he gave was rammed to the hilt with ammunition and he gave us FOUR MASTERCLASSES. Good God that was worth the price alone.’
Richard Paul Wheildon, Screenwriter
‘Scott taught me more about writing description than my entire MA did.’
Liz Holliday, Screenwriter
‘The sheer breadth of Scott Myers’ knowledge is amazing, and he knows how to share it in an accessible and reassuring way.’
Carmen Radtke, Screenwriter
‘Scott is fantastic. I was bombarded all afternoon with people saying he was the best speaker they’d ever seen at LSF. I know he’s been invited back. Please make this happen, please!’
Alexis Howell-Jones, Screenwriter
To all my blog readers in the U.K. or other Euro-based writers, I hope to have the chance to see you at the 2018 London Screenwriters’ Festival. I especially look forward to working with those who sign up for the Master Class: The Narrative Imperative in YOUR Screenplay on September 6th. That promises to be a very special session.
The entire Festival is a terrific experience well worth your time. For more information, go here.
Onward!
