Writers’ Gym (online)
Course Info
Has the fun gone out of your writing? Do you feel stuck, finding it hard to make a routine? Are you looking for new ways into storytelling?
Developed over twenty years of workshops, the Writers Gym’ is a collection of games and exercises to stretch your writer’s muscles and offer insights into the mechanisms of story. The approach is a practical one; solving creative problems, with practical tools to help the writer to find new writing habits.
Previous Writers’ Gym participants have ranged from complete novices to experienced feature directors. Whatever the level, we all face the empty page and the Writers’ Gym is there to help find new ways to fill it.
This workshop will also give you the chance to develop as writers and develop a piece of writing over eight weeks, getting feedback on a story treatment of up to 8 pages from Ellis and the group.
There will be also be opportunity for one-to-one interim Zoom with Ellis to discuss a project proposal during the course.
The class will provide a chance to connect to other writers, sympathetic to your work, who can provide a support network beyond the course.
Come with an open mind, ready to play. (Please note: this is an online workshop which takes place via Zoom.)
Course Outline:
Creativity and inspiration
- Setting your mind into a creative state.
- Harnessing that creative energy.
- Journalling.
- Finding out what you want to write.
- How to keep improving as a writer.
Characters
- What makes for interesting characters?
- Tools for investigating character
- Empathetic characters
- Change
- From character to story.
- From relationships to story.
Plot
- Story mechanisms – what moves the story forward?
- Story questions; What is the audience asking themselves?
- Loglines – finding the core of an idea.
- Structuring an idea.
- Dramatic Irony.
- Tips for writing summaries.
- Using reference films.
- Watching films as a screenwriter
Theme
- What is Theme?
- Clashes of beliefs.
- Dilemmas.
- Brainstorming Theme.
- From Theme to Story.
Emotion
- Finding emotion into your work.
- Creating an emotional journey for the characters and the audience.
- Emotion and genre.
Scenewriting
- Tips for scene writing.
- Dialogue and subtext.
Feedback
- Giving good feedback
- How best to receive feedback
- Approaches to rewriting
Testimonials
Tutor
Ellis Freeman
ScreenwriterEllis Freeman
ScreenwriterEllis is a London born screenwriter and writing teacher. His credits include Princesa, which screened at Sundance and won best foreign narrative at the LA Outfest; comedy feature, January 2nd and the acclaimed short, Coming Down.
He began his teaching journey at the London Film School over twenty years ago where he developed The Writers Gym, a series of creative workshops for screenwriters, directors and producers. The workshop became a laboratory to explore writing, the creative process and the nature of storytelling itself.
Over the years, he has taken the gym to many film schools and other artistic institutions including the Film London, the AFI conservatory in Los Angeles; The Scuola Holden in Turin; Calarts; Famu in Prague; the Zurich University of the Arts; the Alma Löv Museum in Sweden and the Berlinale Talents.
For five years he was Head of Screenwriting at the DFFB in Berlin where he still teaches regularly and mentors. He also works as script consultant on features and shorts as well as mentoring emerging writer/directors in their development process.
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