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I had a screenwriting friend the other day explain to me that she didn't know we were developing material in these workshops. She thought it was the traditional lectures and "writing group" type of class.
 
No.
 
No, no, no, no.
 
In the evening Story and Plot classes we develop material to be sold or independently produced. This is an important distinction. Our goal is to have finely tuned finished projects. We take ideas and assess marketability, budget requirements and desired goals. Once decisions are made about the story the writer really wants to tell I help structure out the scripts, act by act, scene by scene, or even beat by beat if we have to, depending on each writer's individual needs and desires. Writer's write, and we then work meticulously through the scripts, line by line if necessary. Writers are guided. They are not left out there alone with the empty page.
 
We do this for the short films as well as the feature films. Everyone works at their own pace and absorbs the lessons learned by the other writers. While we do read each other's script we do so for context and not to "give notes". This is not that kind of class. I see little value in people who know equally as little giving advice or opinions to each other. Some of the veteran students will feel more comfortable speaking up a bit and they do that because they've earned it, but the class is still largely an autocracy. We do not work off of "opinions". Writers set their goals and decide what story they want to tell and we use dramatic principles and hard-earned knowledge to best figure out how to do it.
 
But they are the writer's goals and it is the writer's story. No one else's.
 
The class teaches craft. The art and the talent is largely up to the student. We have a great time in class and I rarely laugh as hard all week as I do when I'm with the group, but we are very serious about our work.
 
I do not know of any other class where a working professional screenwriter is this involved with his students' material with the stated goal of selling and/or producing it. Seriously, not anywhere. It is largely modeled after developing projects with producers when I was a young writer. In this variation I am acting as the producer mentoring up-and-coming writers. Perhaps this is because that is exactly where I learned the most about being a professional screenwriter.
 
The class was not formed out of a desire to teach (though that was there) but rather a desire to create more content in Houston worth producing. The difference between these goals is considerable.
 
If you intend to produce your own short films in Houston or make a run as feature screenwriter you need to be working with us. It does require an ego check; you have to admit the quality of your work is not at a professional level yet; that you are not a "natural" with no need for outside help. This can tough for some, but, let's face it, it's the truth. And frankly, if you're not teachable, you wouldn't enjoy what we do all that much anyway, so... These classes aren't for you.
 
But. But. If you are teachable, you will absolutely learn.
 
That, I promise.

Tags: Screenwriting