WRITE THAT SCRIPT! (PART II)
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Why is it that writers or their stories often run out of steam by the time they get to Act 2?
The main reason is that Act 2 is very long and hard to write. A proven strategy to avoid the second act “slump” is to approach Act 2 as a series of four sequences leading to strong plot twists or “cliffhangers”. It’s easier said than done but more likely to yield results than diving in unprepared into the writing of what's typically 50-60 pages. And once Act 2 is structured correctly, then Act 3 will flow organically. So, although this online 5-week workshop (max 8) takes writers through the process of completing an ENTIRE feature-length script, the emphasis of this course is very much on techniques to keep the reader engaged during the long Act 2. The course can be taken as a stand-alone course or in combination with “Write That Script! - Part I” (Outline & Act 1) as part of the “Write That Script! - Full Package”. Part 1 is NOT a prerequisite for this course. However, before they join this course (Part 2) writers must have a First Act of their script already written, as well as a four-page outline of the whole story. Who Should Take This Course:
The course is workshop oriented. The assignments will be due no later than midnight the following Monday (Tuesday workshops) or Friday (Saturday workshops). You will be expected to read at least three of the students’ work per week in order to give them notes in the class. In turn, you will benefit from the feedback and support of the tutor and peers to write your pages and revise them along the way. Brief lectures on craft issues supplement the workshop. Before the class the students’ four-pagers and first ten pages of the scripts will be circulated so that attendees have enough context to provide constructive feedback. SYLLABUS SESSION 1 – Starting Act 2 - Throw complications and obstacles at your protagonist! - In this class, we will explore the first building block in Act 2, from where you left off at the end of Act 1 to the first “cliffhanger”. SESSION 2 – Keep the momentum going. Time to complicate things further! - During this session, we pursue our exploration of the first half of Act 2, ensuring the story builds momentum. We zero in on the midpoint shift, which transforms the narrative or completely upends it so that things remain fresh and exciting for the reader… and the writer. SESSION 3 – Now things are getting really tough… and will get even tougher! - This is where a lot of writers give up, right after the mid-point section. But a strong mid-point should instil a renewed energy into the piece and keep you excited, so that’s what session 3 will focus on. SESSION 4 – Act the end of Act 2 hope no longer springs eternal, or does it? - The last building block of Act II leads to the lowest point, the so-called "All is Lost moment" where something or someone dies either literally or symbolically before the final leap of faith which leads to Act 3. In this class, we will ensure the turning point are earned. SESSION 5 – Act 3 - And that’s a wrap! — You’ve done it! You’ve survived the writing of Act 2 and perhaps your own dark night of the soul as a writer and now you are on a roll. The momentum of Act 2 should push you forward as you navigate Act 3. In the final session, we will make sure the resolution of your script lives up to the promise of your premise and your protagonist has completed their arc. We will look into climatic payoff and tying up loose ends. But, above all, we will make sure your ending is as satisfying as it can be By the end of this course, you will have:
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PRICES
STANDARD: £275
CONCESSION: £247
*We offer the concessionary rate to all Concessions as well as to members of these affiliated organisations. If you are a member of one of these organisations, please book at the concessionary rate and show your membership card to the course tutor at registration.
DATES & TIME
5 x Tuesday evening sessions: February 16,23 March 2,9,16 7pm-10pm (The Tuesday evening sessions for Part II are nearly SOLD OUT - before booking please email me to make sure there is still a seat available. Thanks!) OR 5 x Saturday morning sessions: March 13, 20, 27 April 10, 17 10am-1pm (With some prep work required, in-between dates) ONLINE PLATFORM The sessions will be run on Zoom. All attendees will be sent the Zoom login information upon registration. EVENT CAPACITY: 8 Book your place early to avoid disappointment. 
ABOUT STEPHANIE
Stéphanie is a writer-director. She runs Frenzy Films, a London-based production company which specialises in contained elevated genre films. Originally from France, she began her career in story development at TF1 International and Canal Plus. She then worked as a story editor and screenwriter for French TV, creating among others a Sci-Fi animated series for Luc Besson’s Europa Corp: VALERIAN & LAURELINE. After studying film at UCLA she wrote and directed her first feature film, THE QUIET HOUR, a sci-fi thriller starring Dakota Blue Richards (The Golden Compass, Skins, Endeavour). THE QUIET HOUR premiered at Galway Film Fleadh, was nominated Best British Film at Raindance Film Festival, won Best Film at Kansas City Film Fest, showcased at Newport Beach, premiered on Sky Cinema in the UK in 2016 and sold to Amazon Prime in the U.S. Stéphanie is now developing ICE, a grounded sci-fi thriller which was selected for the 2020 Filmarket's UK Online Pitchbox, Sofia Meeting, BiFan's NAFF Project Event and Frontieres co-production market at Fantasia. ICE has also made the Top 50 in the 2020 ISA Fast Track Fellowship competition and was a finalist of the 2020 ScreenCraft Sci-Fi & Fantasy Competition and Creative Screenwriting Unique Voices Competition. Stéphanie lectures on screenwriting at the London College of Communication, Central Film School and works as an industry mentor on the Raindance MA in Filmmaking with De Montfort University. She is an alumna of Berlinale Talent and IFP Emerging Narrative in NYC. |
