Jump start your screenwriting in 2014!
I’m happy to provide all the free screenwriting content I do here at Go Into The Story and hope you benefit from it. In fact, I’m gratified to learn that several 2013 Black List writers and 2013 Nicholl Fellowship winners are fans of the blog.
There is also The Black Board, the Official Online Writing Community of the Black List and Go Into The Story, another free resource.
This is in keeping with my mantra: You do not need to spend a dime to learn the craft. Watch movies. Read scripts. Write pages. Immerse yourself in the world of cinema. If you have talent and persistence, that may be all you need to succeed.
That said, I do believe in the value of working with knowledgeable teachers who are passionate about movies and storytelling, and have decades of experience working in Hollywood — like Tom Benedek (who wrote Cocoon) and myself.
We launched Screenwriting Master Class three years ago because we saw a need for what we know and do: provide solid screenwriting theory grounded in the realities of life as a professional screenwriter.
Tom and I are proud to say that several writers who have worked with us as their teachers achieved notable successes in 2013. Here are just a few:
- Matt Lintner optioned his original script “Snowballs” to Gold Key Productions targeting production in 2014. Matt worked with Tom in a rewrite class.
- Belgium based writer Eddy Martens is being funded to write his original screenplay “Slopie” by the VAF (Flemish Audiovisual Fund). Eddy took the Core Package with Scott.
- San Patricios, a movie written by Adair Cole, was produced this year starring Austin Nichols, Patrick John Fleuger, Kris Kristofferson, and Beau Bridges. Adair worked with Tom on the rewrite of the script.
- Paramount Insurge acquired the spec script “Fetch” written by Kristen Vincent and Tim Moran. Scott was Kristen’s first screenwriting teacher and she has taken several online classes with him.
- Mitchell Akselrad, whose script “Titans of Park Row” made the 2012 Black List, sold “The Gate” to Wayfare Entertainment and worked on the pilot for the upcoming AMC series “Turn”. Mitchell had Tom for a teacher at USC.
- Legendary Pictures bought the spec script “Reminiscence” written by Lisa Joy for a reported $1.75M. She also co-wrote the pilot script for the HBO series “Westworld” which goes into production in 2014. Scott is the only screenwriting teacher Lisa has ever had.
At Screenwriting Master Class, we offer a wide variety of online courses and workshops we can tailor to meet your specific needs and help jump start your screenwriting.
For example, starting Monday, January 6, I will be leading the next session of Pages I: The First Draft. It’s a 10-week workshop in which you use a series of writing assignments to pound out pages and steer you from FADE IN to FADE OUT.
More than that, the ten lectures and supplementary material enable you to learn a professional approach to screenwriting, one you can adopt and adapt for all future script projects.
In addition, there is the value of a workshop experience:
* Weekly due dates to spur you to write pages.
* Feedback from your fellow workshop participants.
* Extensive analysis and guidance from me, acting as a writing mentor.
If you’ve worked out a story and are ready to knock out a first draft…
If you’ve started a script, but just couldn’t find the motivation to finish it…
If you’ve got lost along the way, but know you have a story worth telling…
What better way to start off the New Year than with a new story?
Join me for the The First Draft workshop by enrolling here.
While you’re at it, you can go here to check out the entire roster of exciting SMC classes and workshops through the month of June.
Onward into 2014!
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