Fiction Writing 101

Internal and External Essentials of Novel, Short Story and Screenplay Fiction Writing

What you'll learn

Essential nuts and bolts of engaging and marketable fiction writing.

Little known but essential tricks of the trade.

How to find the best story to write, and integrate it with what you know, who you are and what you value most.

Converting novel to screenplay and vice versa, conveying what you want/need to say to the world in every line.

Integrating sound story structure with emotionally engaging comedy, drama and/or satire.

Requirements

Willingness to write prose and scripts from your heart, mind and soul.

Description

A guide for writers new to writing screenplays and/or literature that fills you in on the essential elements of storytelling as well as tricks of the trade that enable you to write innovative stories that you believe in which can be shared, appreciated and sold to the world. For those who have written already, effective strategies to improve your craft and reach a wider audience. Demonstrations of literary de novo improvisations for screenplay and novel contained within the course, with explanations for why each word, phrase and line was written. This is a course designed for writers at all levels who write fictional stories as novels, novellas or short stories as well as screenplays in a wide variety of genres. Special attention is made to the differences and similarities of screenplay vs book writing. Numerous tricks of the trade are related in a manner that is entertaining, informative, inspiring and honest. Screenplay and story are structure but they are also embedded with believable characters. The intimate relationship between plot and character is also given special attention so that freedom of expression is related in a way that is understandable and relatable to a wide variety of audiences. This course best suits writers who want and need to put their heart and soul into the endeavor on their own terms but in a language that is maximally relatable to the world, and to potential buyers. Writing is both an art and a science, the course being presented by a prolific screenwriter/author who, in a past career, was a highly accomplished and biomedical researcher and lecturer specializing in neuroscience, who knows the importance of integrating logic with intuition in writing, and life.

Overview

Section 1: Introduction

Lecture 1 Challenge and Stakes

Lecture 2 Introduction

Lecture 3 Finding Your Audience

Lecture 4 Rules That Let You Write Your Own Rules

Lecture 5 Of Heroes and Villains

Lecture 6 Loglines, Summaries, Synopses

Lecture 7 What If's? Your Best Friends

Lecture 8 The Most Important Commandment for Writers

Lecture 9 Write What You Know (but you know more than you think you do)

Lecture 10 Cultural Appropriation, and You

Lecture 11 Writing for a Show or Genre You Hate (and converting it to one you love)

Lecture 12 Getting Out of The Box, A Win-Win Situation

Lecture 13 Humor, More Than Just A Laughing Matter

Lecture 14 When Is The Best Time To Write?

Lecture 15 Writing Nuts, Bolts and Screwdrivers

Lecture 16 Story Structure and Character Arcs

Lecture 17 Descriptors

Lecture 18 Utilizing The Five Senses

Lecture 19 Perspective

Lecture 20 Stylizing Dialog

Lecture 21 Tools Of The Trade

Lecture 22 Making Verbs Dynamic

Lecture 23 The Hardest Part

Lecture 24 Editing

Lecture 25 Setting Up Your Day

Lecture 26 Objectively Evaluating Your Work

Section 2: Experimental Practicum

Lecture 27 Screenplay vs. Literature

Lecture 28 Dialog: Saying The Opposite Of What You Mean?

Lecture 29 The Cost and Perception of Different Canvases

Lecture 30 Putting Theory Into Practice

Lecture 31 Experimental Practicum: Short Stories On The Spot

Lecture 32 Experimental Practicum: Converting From Short Story To Screenplay

Lecture 33 Finale: How To Positively Deal With 'No's'

Lecture 34 Class Project…..and Beyond

Anyone who aspires to write quality and marketable short stories, novels or screenplays; as well as experienced writers who seek to improve their craft or expand it to new literary canvases.