Figure out your story BEFORE you write it

One of the most gratifying aspects of the launch of Screenwriting Master Class has been the response of writers to our 6-week online Prep: From Concept to Outline course. Even though I know how important it is to break a story in prep, how this is the way most professional writers operate, I was concerned most writers would not embrace devoting time, money and energy to a prep class. I was wrong.

The Prep: From Concept to Outline class has turned out to be one of our most popular courses. Here are just a few testimonials from writers who benefited from participating in the 6-week Prep class:

“You gave us all just the right amount of ideas, encouragement, and support to discover, develop, and design a real workable blueprint to take into the page writing.”

– David Broyles

“The Prep class has given me a set of practical tools to use to take the bare glimmer of a concept to outline in six weeks.”

– James Tichenor

“I honestly can’t wait to get started on this script now, and to use what I’ve learned in Prep to go back and rewrite other scripts.”

– Paul Labich

Through a combination of six lectures, six weekly writing assignments, online forum constructive critiques, instructor feedback and teleconferences, if you do the work, you will end up with a thorough outline of a story you know. Armed with that, writing a first draft becomes a much easier, more creative and doable task. In fact, I have been told by several writers they have actually decreased the amount of time it takes them to complete a first draft by including Prep in their process.

The next session begins Monday, February 6 led by Tom Benedek, long-time screenwriter (Cocoon, Free Willy) and co-founder of Screenwriting Master Class. Plus to make it more accessible to writers, we’re starting off the new year by lowering the price.

Our emphasis at SMC is more than just writing a spec script. It’s about teaching you how to think, act and write like a professional screenwriter. Learning how to figure out your story before you write it is one of the most important tools of a professional’s writers trade.

For more information about Prep: From Concept to Outline, go here.

And don’t forget the 2-week class on Dialogue Tom will be teaching beginning Monday, January 30. The key to dialogue is to find your character’s voice. Learn key principles and techniques from a Hollywood screenwriter with over 30 year’s of experience who has worked with such luminaries as Robert Zemeckis, Lawerence Kasdan, Ron Howard, Martin Scorsese, and Sydney Pollack.

We look forward to the opportunity to work with you!