Saturday Hot Links

Screenwriting Master Class tip of the week: We hit the ground running in 2015 with three writing workshops and one of the most popular Craft classes I teach. Here’s the schedule for January:

January 5: Pages I: Writing the First Draft (Scott Myers). This 10-week online writing workshop has proved to be extremely successful since its introduction for one simple reason: A vast majority of writers who enroll actually finish their script. Why? The combination of weekly lectures to guide the writing process, weekly due dates as motivation, weekly teleconferences to work through script pages, and the support of the instructor and other participants.

January 12: Pages TV: Original Pilot Script Workshop (Tom Benedek). TV is hot right now and Tom has crafted this workshop for any writer not only looking to write an original pilot script, but also understand the ins and outs of TV writing.

January 19: Craft: Pixar and the Craft of Storytelling (Scott Myers). People love this 1-week online course for many reasons. First, we analyze every single Pixar movie. Second, we explore six storytelling principles evident in Pixar movies which we can use to enhance our own writing. Third, we delve into an immersive interview I did with Mary Coleman, Senior Development Executive at Pixar Animation Studios. Finally, the forum discussions and teleconferences yield incredible insights as well.

January 26: Prep: From Concept to Outline (Tom Benedek). Of all the courses I have created, the six-week Prep workshop may be the one of which I am most proud because up until I launched it in 2010, there was no such resource online to help writers learn how to break a story before typing FADE IN. Also this: It works. And once you have that outline in hand, you can leap into page-writing with confidence that your ‘map’ can lead you to FADE OUT. Imagine: No more scripts you get to P. 50, then stop writing because you’re lost.

As I always say, you don’t need to pay anyone anything to learn the craft of screenwriting or TV writing. If you are passionate, persistent and do the hard work of watching movies, reading scripts, writing pages, and analyzing stories, you can get where you need to get.

However taking online classes can speed your process and spare you from a myriad of poor creative choices. Plus the structure itself of a course or workshop is precisely what some writers need as motivation to pound out pages.

So if you are considering your options for online writing education, I recommend Screenwriting Master Class. Combined Tom and I have over 60 years experience as Hollywood writers and 20 years as teachers. We have had several movies produced. We have written for every major studio and every major broadcast TV network. We are WGA members and well-connected in Hollywood. Plus this: We are passionate about what we do including working with writers in SMC courses and workshops.

For more information about Screenwriting Master Class, go here.

For the rest of our 2015 schedule through July, go here.

We look forward to the opportunity to work with you!

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