Go Into The Story travels to France!

In December, I will be presenting a three-day masterclass in Paris on contemporary screenwriting and character-driven storytelling.

Since October 1st, my writing, teaching, workshops, masterclasses, and story consulting has taken me to California (Ojai), Canada (Montreal), Texas (Austin), and Greece (Athens). Upcoming: On December 13th, 14th, and 15th, I will be presenting a three-day masterclass in Paris for writers, screenwriters, filmmakers, and storytellers.

As with my previous appearances in Paris, the presentations will be in English and simultaneously translated into French via headsets for attendees.

Here is the schedule for the three-day event:

Day One
Strategies : Character-Driven Screenwriting

Character drives plot. When a writer engages their characters , they start a process which naturally leads to the story structure and everything else that makes for a well written narrative. This first day’s session is based on Scott’s book “The Protagonist’s Journey” (Palgrave Macmillan), an Amazon #1 Best Seller in Film and Television.

• Character-Driven Screenwriting and Storytelling
  • The Central Role of the Protagonist
  • The Variety of Character Arcs
  • The Primacy of the Unity Arc
  • Protagonist Character Treatment
  • The Family of Characters
  • Character Map

Day Two 
Techniques: Proven Story-Crafting Methods

There are proven professional techniques writers can use to immerse themselves in the lives of their characters which can drive the story-crafting process.

• How to Generate, Assess, and Develop Story Concepts
• Character Development Keys
• Craft a Compelling Protagonist
• Write a Worthy Nemesis
• The Importance of Subplots
• Theme: What Is It, How to Find It, and How to Use It to Enrich Your Story
• Bonus: The Coen Brothers and the Craft of Storytelling

Day Three
Tools: Professional Story-Crafting Tips

Drawn from decades of writing Hollywood screenplays, these tools enable writers to craft scripts which are contemporary in style and entertaining to read.

• Effective Character Introductions
• Handling Exposition
• Scene Description as Narrative Voice
• Scene-Writing Keys
• Dialogue-Writing Keys
• So-Called Screenwriting “Rules”
• Bonus : Pixar and the Craft of Storytelling

After this three-day masterclass, writers will have learned:

• Strategies for using characters to drive the story-crafting process
• Techniques to discover and develop distinctive characters
• Tools to write script scenes and pages that have a contemporary look and feel
• Keys to enhance their distinctive writing voice
• A time-tested approach to “breaking story” (story prep)

In sum, participants will learn a combination of storytelling theory and practical tactics enabling them to write professional quality screenplays that both engage and entertain readers.

Over the last few years and especially since the publication of my book The Protagonist’s Journey: An Introduction to Character-Driven Screenwriting and Storytelling, I have participated in screenwriting events in England, Spain, Germany, France, and Mexico.

If you live in Western Europe or know a writer or filmmaker who does, please share this information with them.

The Paris event is a great opportunity to learn the essence of character-driven storytelling and the craft of screenwriting.

Begin with character. End with character. Find the story in between.

Onward!