2022 Willamette Writers Conference

Join me in Portland, Oregon for The Protagonist’s Journey master class… and get a free autographed copy of my book!

The Willamette Writers Conference is one of my favorite events. I was invited as a presenter the first time in 2017 and have participated annually ever since, either in-person or — due to COVID — online. This year, I am back in Portland and I couldn’t be more excited. Here is Kate Ristau, the WWC executive director, with a nifty video to guide folks through the online interface.

My schedule:

Friday, August 5, 2022 — The Protagonist’s Journey Master Class (9:00AM–3:00PM)

The best writing is character-driven writing. In this daylong intensive master class with Scott Meyers, you will go deep into the Protagonist’s Journey, exploring character-driven screenwriting and storytelling. With interactive presentations, in-depth discussions and writing exercises, you will discover that the Protagonist’s Journey is not only a narrative imperative, it’s also a commercial necessity.

We divide the session into three parts:

Part I: The Protagonist’s Journey as Narrative Imperative

Examining more than a dozen movie and television examples, we will explore how there is a profound connection between the psychological state of the Protagonist and the unfolding plot. The journey the Protagonist takes is the journey they need to take. If you are a fan of Carl Jung, you will connect with the concepts we delve into here.

Part II: The Protadgonist’s Journey as Family of Characters

Once again looking at movie and television examples, we consider the concept of the Family of Characters, five archetypes seen with great frequency — Protagonist, Nemesis, Attractor, Mentor, Trickster — and how this assembly of a story’s characters exists to support the Protagonist’s physical and psychological journey.

Part III: The Protagonist’s Journey as Breaking Story

Here we consider a proven professional approach to story prep: how to use a series of character development and plotting exercises to result in a scene-by-scene outline. Also, you will have the opportunity to use some of these exercises and workshop your own story with my feedback.

Space in this Master Class is limited to 15 writers. Registration required.

PEOPLE WHO REGISTER FOR THE MASTER CLASS WILL RECEIVE A FREE AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF MY BOOK “THE PROTAGONIST’S JOURNEY: AN INTRODUCTION TO CHARACTER-DRIVEN SCREENWRITING AND STORYTELLING.” Amazon 5-star rated and #1 Top Seller in Film & TV

Saturday, August 6, 2022 — How to Write a Marketable Screenplay
5:00PM-6:00PM

Concept. Character. Voice. Three keys to writing a screenplay which will get Hollywood’s attention. Learn a professional approach to writing a marketable screenplay from Scott Myers, screenwriter (K-9, Alaska, Trojan War), professor (DePaul University), and author (The Protagonist’s Journey: An Introduction to Character-Driven Screenwriting and Storytelling).

The Conference features nearly fifty professional writers speaking on a wide variety of topics. Plus, it’s an opportunity to bond with other writers and have a chance to enjoy the social delights of downtown Portland, Oregon.

For more information about this year’s Willamette Writers Conference, go here. I hope to see you there!