Screenwriting course opportunity
I’ve been invited back for the 4th time to teach at the UCLA Extension Writers Studio in 2009. The four-day workshop, which runs from Thursday, February 5 — Sunday, February 8 and meets in Westwood near the UCLA campus, is titled “Character Archetypes: Five Key Figures to Shape Your Story’s Characters.” Here is the course description:
If the adage “plot equals structure” is true, then so is this one: character equals function. Every character in a screenplay should serve a narrative function. If they don’t, more than likely you end up with flat characters who just lie there on the page, redundant characters who act like other characters, and confusing characters who don’t seem to have a purpose in the story. In this workshop, we study five character archetypes — protagonist, nemesis, attractor, mentor, and trickster — and use their models to analyze your story’s characters, allowing you to apply that knowledge and insight to develop, shape, and focus your story’s primary characters. Come to the first session with a story concept you are ready to develop or a script that you are already writing. Students also should be prepared to screen and discuss numerous movie scenes in class to explore the course subject matter. Prerequisite: At least one previous screenwriting course.
Whereas most books and courses approach screenwriting in a three-act structure / major plot point / linear way, this represents a different paradigm — entering into the story through the characters, not only to develop your primary characters, but also find the essence of your story and shape its plot. For writers whose instincts are ‘character first, plot second,’ this class should prove most useful. For those writers who come at story plot / structure first, I think you’ll find an interesting synergy with the course material — and to think about your characters in a different light.
I taught the course for the first time a few months back online and I must say, I’ve gotten plenty of great class evaluations before, but I’ve never received this degree of positive feedback. For several students, it was truly an eye-opening way to approach screenwriting. In fact, I’m so excited about the subject matter, I am in the process of putting together a book proposal. And it looks like I’ll be teaching the course next fall at UNC-Chapel Hill.
There are 18 spots for the UCLA workshop, but people are already signing up, so if you’re at all interested, I would encourage you to contact the good folks at the Writers Program sooner rather than later. Their phone number is (310) 825–9415. Email: writers@uclaextension.edu. The course is #U6336.