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I was straightening up the chaos in my house when I came across my notebook from the lab. I guess I had gotten so caught up in the overwhelming minutiae of directing, or perhaps internalized so completely the notes you had given me, that it was a shock to see how thoroughly I had integrated them not only into the final shooting script but into the day to day decisions I had made as a director throughout the production process. They were really good notes! Deep and profound and honest and dangerous and difficult. My movie is infinitely better than it would have been without them. I am honored to be your student. I’ll be back.

As a longtime participant in the LA Writers Lab, I’m constantly surprised at how much I’m still learning. Al Watt has a knack for helping you understand your story by asking just the right, but not necessarily expected, questions. Al’s deeply personal insights and organic approach to creativity give an intimate and inspiring spin on the process of writing the classic three-act story. It’s a special gift that he’s been able to transform the typically solitary act of writing into such a richly rewarding shared experience.

Alan Watt’s class is motivating and inspiring. He has this amazing ability to help you to understand your story and characters in a way that makes your entire project more dynamic, cohesive, and fulfilling. To watch other writers’ stories develop and flourish in the environment of the class and Alan’s careful approach of asking the right questions and getting writers to overcome blocks of which even they may not initially be aware is quite engaging in itself. To then feel that same transformation take place in your own writing and story is a feeling that is beyond words.

Al is a unique and brilliant teacher. He has an uncanny ability to draw out the story that is in your heart. I’ve often found other writing teachers tend to “add” to my writing whereas I truly feel the script I am writing in Al’s class is 100% mine. I feel fortunate to be studying with him now because I know once the word gets out there will be long waiting lists.

With Al Watt, writing becomes an alchemical process of the soul, an exploration of the mystery of our humanity. Structure provides a sacred space within which characters develop and transform and plot is a function of the character’s fate and destiny. It is a beautiful experience, a dance with the unconscious as creative partner.

Alan Watt is a gift. The first time I took his class, I came in with a brief, one-sentence concept and ended up with a rich, complex, and wonderful feature-length screenplay. That’s why I went back when it was time to start my second feature. Alan helps me find the story that is inside me, that needs that magic touch to access. I recommend his workshop to any writer who wants to find his or her true voice.

What Alan teaches is profound… and it’s very hard work… and it’s hard to get a handle on… but when you commit to it, and dedicate yourself to the process, it starts to seep in as your story starts to seep in… and before you know it, your story is telling you what it wants to be, just like Alan says it will. And as you’ve been, all the while, anchoring your vision to the structure questions, you finally realize how this has contributed to the vibrancy, the wins and losses, that roller coaster ride, that every true and good story thirsts for.

Al’s workshop is the highlight of my week. I’ve been to every workshop on the planet and there’s no one who can ‘see’ the writer in you the way Al does. I had never written a word in my life and now I’m seriously writing my first book thanks to Al.

Quite honestly the best writing class I’ve ever taken and I’ve taken quite a few, including many at the USC film school.

Al Watt is not only a gifted writer, but a wonderful teacher. A typical class includes stream-of-consciousness writing exercises, followed by an incisive discussion of the issues the writing brings up, topped off with directives and assignments for the following week. Al is attentive, insightful, a wiz with structure, never phones it in, and has thought deeply about the writing process. A pleasure and a privilege.

Al Watt DOES NOT teach the typical, reverse-engineered, screenplay approach that is the ubiquitous contribution of so many brilliant left-brains out there. You know what I mean: real smart, insightful guys who have been able to incisively deconstruct many successful scripts, isolate and define the many component parts and their respective locals within a page count, and now teach students to first recognize these “devices” and then to insert similar ones within the framework of an outline/format. Well, yeah, that’s great, but how do I come to know my ending, the tone, the genre, the theme in a way that is more than a shallow, derivative, reconstitution of images from other stories/movies (even events in my own life) that are floating around my wracked skull? How do I connect to my writing, the thematic bedrock, in such an intimate way that these profound (yet typically glossed over) pieces/beats, rise up out of the infinite and introduce themselves to me as THE STORY? This is the stuff of Al’s class and, not accidentally, the call of great art. He teaches a PROCESS for the writer/artist/storyteller. We come to see structure as a simple, immutable expression of transformation: If the beats of the hero’s (or the audience’s) transformation have been successfully invited up from our unconscious, then structure will most assuredly have hitched a ride. Believe me, you’re gonna feel the fire of your hero’s adventure plenty, ‘cuz, kickin’ or screamin’, you’re goin’ with him/her.

Alan Watt is not only a very talented and acclaimed novelist and screenwriter, but he’s also that rare artist who teaches as skillfully as he writes. He respectfully challenged me to both feel and think, and his sincere encouragement coaxed the very best from me. I believe that learning from Al is the best investment that anyone could make to become a better writer. I went from creative discouragement to a renewed sense of fun and optimism about the adventure of storytelling. In short, I was amazed by my transformation — and it’s all due to Al’s workshop.

Al Watt delivers what others don’t even know is out there – a hands on, hand-crafted, rigorous one on one discussion between you, your story, and the craft of writing. Students are not dropped some vague technique and left to their own devices. Al works diligently with real caring and personal investment on developing the strength and power of the story, challenging and inspiring the writer to find exactly what works and doesn’t. This is an exciting class that left me feeling I was making real progress personally and professionally. Writing has become fun again.

“I went $64,000 in debt for my MFA in fiction writing. I sit in this class and I wonder why. This is a great class!”

“The idea of bringing a first draft of a novel to fruition seemed too daunting and overwhelming to even consider until I was introduced to Al’s 90-Day Novel Class. His methodology is deep and precise, and helps unearth unconscious themes and characters in you that let the story almost tell itself.”

“The 90-Day Screenplay instills a fundamental knowing that we are uniquely qualified to tell our stories, that our conscious mind is a filter through which passes our creativity, and that the trick is to not let it get in the way but rather provide a structure under which we can create.”

Alan Watt’s The 90-Day Novel is a treasure trove of insight, not only for beginners or aspiring writers but for grizzled old-timers like me, who can profit, always, from revisiting the fundamentals and first principles of the writer’s calling. Two thumbs up!

“I had always wanted to write a book and didn’t think it was in me to do so. Alan’s simple and generous guidance allowed me to face the mental and emotional barriers that stood in the way of thinking about doing something and actually creating something….as for doing it in 90 days, I have one word…Commitment. Alan’s daily emails kept me on track as to what my goals were and I recognized the power of consistency.”

I’ve published three novels to some acclaim, a book of criticism, and a book of short stories, but I never send my work to a publisher before Alan Watt has gone through it and shown me how to make it better. He’s one of the best editors and mentors in the country. That he’s offering courses open to the public is a gift to the people of Los Angeles.

“Alan Watt offers not only a safe environment to talk through your writer’s demons while on the journey but the structure and insights that make the trip fun and enjoyable. It’s worth every penny and then some.”

“Al Watt goes deep into our unconscious to pry the most out of our inner genius. That, and his superb attention to detail, his daily notes of encouragement and guidance, his insightful exercises and questions, make him a formidable teacher in the pursuit of greatness and originality in story telling – our story that must come out of the bowels of our guts! He is brilliant.”

“Al’s 90-Day Novel is the best writing workshop I have ever taken. The supportive nature of the class inspires and motivates you to write everyday and to get to the true heart of your story. By the end of the 90th day I had completed my rough draft (300 pages long) and developed a writing ritual that I have adopted for the rest of my life. Thank you Al!”

In September 2009 I met Al and he promised me that within three months I would have the first draft written. I thought he was a little confident, but maybe I was too confident about my many years of writers block. Fortunately he was right, and now in the 90-Day Rewrite class – not five months later – I am totally and miraculously engaged in the second draft of my first novel.
“In unabashed adulation of Al, I want to say that he has a gift for making people comfortable and confident inside their own heads. I know (and don’t quite know) how he got me to write again, but I have also watched him do the same thing with everyone in class – and has done it all over the phone! He manages to set a tone that is supportive without being gratuitous, and he does so with intelligence and compassion. Writing a novel can be a cold and lonely gray day for the writer, especially when beginning, but Al knows how to get in your head with you and he shows you how to use the sunny side of the journey to harness the inevitable dark side of writing, and use it constructively.
“The online workshop has also been helpful for me since I travel a lot, so I can call from anywhere and rarely have to miss a class. Also, the online group page has been a huge support for me. I feel like there are virtual friends experiencing the same thing and Al’s daily newsletters are supportive and make me feel like I am not going at this alone.
“I can’t recommend this process enough to anyone who needs to write, whether you are an experienced writer or just have an inkling of something to say. I am very lucky to have come across Al and his workshop.”

Speaking as a bestselling author in both fiction and non-fiction, I can’t think of a better novel-writing teacher than Al Watt. Not only is he a wonderful and nurturing instructor, he’s also a terrific writer himself! How many of us have had that novel that we’ll get around to writing “someday”? But for most people someday NEVER comes — they think they need years to write it, or to quit their day job. With his revolutionary 90-DAY NOVEL CLASS, Al helps writers accomplish the miracle of getting that novel down on paper. Do yourself a favor and give yourself a gift you will always treasure. Only YOU can write that book — and Al can make it happen.

Al Watt understands that the challenge of writing a novel is as mystical as it is technical. Balancing nuts-and-bolts instruction with calls to the writer’s unconscious mind and deepest spiritual centers, Al cajoles, prods, demands, and inspires each student to finish the first draft of his novel in 90 days no matter what. Why? Because he knows that once it is down on paper , the writer is now, for better or worse, a novelist, not merely another dreamer.

“For twelve years I struggled with writing my first novel. A friend encouraged me to sign up for the 90-Day Novel Online Workshop with Al Watt and I’m so glad I did. In 90 days I have written over 150,000 words. I feel confident and alive with my writing, and happily realized I have a fantastic trilogy instead of a single novel. Who knew? I guess Al did. Now I tell everyone about his online course. Thank you Al, you’ve genuinely changed my life.”

Al Watt and his 90 day novel workshop have enabled me to FINALLY take the words I have been ‘writing’ in my head for the last 10 years and formulate them into something that actually appears to be sensible, meaningful and most of all OFF MY MIND and ON PAPER! {He is also very entertaining and an all around quality guy who wrote a f#%king amazing novel!}

“Al Watt is brilliant. The 90-Day Novel online workshop gave me the structure, support and guidance to finish the first draft of a novel I’d been struggling with for a decade. Al’s coaching gave me tremendous insight into the story and my characters, and the confidence that I actually could finish – which I credit as a minor miracle.”

“I resisted my story for five years, with ‘good reasons’ to dodge the work. Al’s 90-Day Novel class changed that. The daily letters, stream-of-conscious writing exercises and tales of the other writers kept me focused, honest and committed. It was liberating to write without reflexive rewriting – a huge change for me! And fun to absorb the new characters who kept showing up. I surprised myself every day. Especially the day I finished. Thanks, Al!”

The 90-Day Rewrite Master Class has taught me how to structure a novel so organically, with clarity, depth and specificity.

“LA Writer’s Lab is the kind of writer’s workshop that stirs the creative process by pushing you to write with abandon by forgetting about perfection. ‘Give yourself permission to write badly’ is his mantra which is very freeing, especially when you can’t bare the thought of starting the days work. Also, Al has this great generosity of spirit as a teacher. He’s extremely patient and genuinely interested in helping his students figure out their stories. That alone is worth the price of admission! Writing your book in 90 days may seem insane but now I get the process and know it can be done. Thanks Al!”

“The experience of Al’s workshop was mind blowing – a wild combination of exhilarating and calming! If you have any interest in writing, and read this blurb and DON’T take his class — I promise you will have missed an incredible opportunity. And I’m one of those writers who prides myself on not taking writing classes. I honestly never thought I’d get through writing a novel, let alone one I was excited about. But Al’s intelligence, compassion and enthusiasm are contagious. You really feel that his only goal in life is to help you achieve yours. The way he brilliantly guides each and every writer with thought provoking questions that unlock deep truths within not only their character, but within themselves, is worth a million bucks. My only regret? That I didn’t take it 20 years ago! Thank you Al!”

“Al’s 90 Day Novel course was a transformative experience. I’ve walked away with a solid first draft and a much clearer understanding of what goes into the process of writing a novel. I’d recommend this course to anyone who hasn’t been able to figure out how to tell the story that they know they want to tell.”

“The 90-Day Novel teleconference workshop taught me so much on so many different levels, that I don’t know where to start. The first thing I learned was that by putting in the daily hours and allowing myself to write poorly, the story got written, despite myself. Al is not only a brilliant writing teacher, but a spiritual guide and that is what sets him apart from any other writing teacher. I don’t mean this in a new-agey way, I mean that he guides us to find the answers within – he gently nudges us towards our truth and it’s from that place that our stories emerge. I started the class with an idea – that was it, and I wasn’t even sure that it would work as a novel. 90 days later I have a story (over 500 pages,) with characters who have come alive and have used me to tell the story of their transformation. I think in any other class, it would have taken me years to gain the understanding that the last 90 days has given me. My characters have changed and so have I. I can’t thank Al enough.”

Taking Al’s 90 Day Novel workshop has given me strength and discipline as a writer. The class literally changed the way I live my life and has instilled a creative work ethic in me I never knew I had. Now my day is incomplete without a writing session! As a result I’ve published my first book, Lessons Madame Chic: The Top 20 Things I Learned While Living in Paris (which debuted at #2 for books about Paris on Amazon.com!) and will publish my mystery novel, Divina Wright and the Case of the Missing Rubies, in 2012.

Howdy,

I just finished my novel last week. It took me four months. i started it on a vacation last October after reading several crappy (published!) novels, and thought I could improve on what i was reading. I found The 90-Day Novel on my kindle. Usually I start a project like this and let it fall by the wayside. But Alan’s letters are so encouraging and helped me give up my inner critic and just keep writing. I’m not a morning person or a coffee drinker, but I get up every day at 5:45 to go sit at the local coffee shop with a latte and type. It’s been the most fun thing I’ve done in years. Thank you, Alan! I can’t wait for the 90-Day Rewrite. I’m reading the first draft through and looking forward to some guidance. Thanks again!! Bob

I’ve wanted to write a novel since I was seven. I put it off by writing everything else except a novel – newspaper articles, film scripts, theatre plays, poetry books. And then I thought, bugger this. I’m 40. I’ve faffed around enough. So I bought this 90-Day Novel thingy so I could read about writing a novel and put off writing that novel some more. But the weirdest thing happened. In 90 days I actually ended up writing the first draft of a novel. So thank you, Alan. You stopped me putting it off any longer. I’m just hoping I won’t faff around for 33 more years with the rewrite.

I finished my book in no small part thanks to The 90 Day Novel. I never foresaw all the difficulty and self doubt that comes along with writing.
I’m really not sure if I would have finished it either without the constant support and know-how that is provided, but I do know that it wouldn’t have turned out nearly as well without it. My novel now sits around 123,000 words.

I’ll be first in line to buy The 90 Day Rewrite and I might even pick up The 90 Day Screenplay just to try my hand at writing one.
The 90 Day Novel Blew me away and Alan Watt clearly knows how to draw the best most creative stories people. If this book can’t help you write a novel then you can’t be helped!

I’ve spent years as a highly successful half-novel writer. Alas, it turns out that you can’t do much with half-novels. But taking the 90-Day Novel class was the key to me finally — FINALLY! — finishing an entire first draft. Al’s great method, the daily exercises, the camaraderie of the group, the accountability – it all came together and inspired me to work my tail off. Thanks, Al, for motivating and instructing me so well.

“The 90-Day Novel is a fantastic opportunity for first-time authors to explore and spread their wings. Using his book, The 90-Day Novel, as a daily assignment guide, Al pushes and prods, challenges and encourages fifteen students of all ages in a three-hour class once a week for 90 days. An incredible, soul-searching and creative experience – Fun, Fun, Fun! I loved every minute and wrote my first novel.”

“Al Watt is a fantastic teacher…and delivers the most concise, most graspable breakdown of story structure that I’ve ever heard.”

“I can sum up my experience with Al in The 90 Day Novel in one sentence. In 90 days, I became a writer. I stopped talking about what I was gonna write, and I began writing. And because of that I finally understood what Al and other great artists talk about– when you commit to something and focus enough energy around it, Universal forces conspire in your favor. The work gets done for you and through you. Working with Al is to witness someone who is living his purpose. By osmosis, and through the teachings, you begin to live yours too. Thank you Al. I go to sleep each night satisfied that I have done what I know I am meant to do. I am fulfilled. I love being a writer.”

“Al Watt provides writers at every level with a safe place to engage their creativity. Through a combination of in-class writing, queries into structure, and repeated one-on-one dialogues, writers gain access to the subconscious, where the emotional truth of story abides. The classes are intense. Al gives his all, while allowing writers to discover for themselves the strongest possible path to a completed work. I couldn’t be more grateful.”

“I found this wonderful class searching for writing classes on the Internet. The 90-Day Novel workshop is a good way to get your writing out of your head and onto the printed page. Al Watt is serious about his writing, and he truly wants to help other writers find the story that lives inside themselves.”

“Not only is Alan a gifted writer, he is also an extremely intuitive teacher. He always seems to ask the right questions or have the right exercises that bring your story to life. After one workshop with Alan, he has me convinced that I can write. No small feat for a first time writer. If you have an idea that won’t go away then go to Alan’s workshop, you’ll be so happy you did.”

“Al is the Zen Master of storytelling! His workshop changed my life! His approach to writing is genius. He listened to me and provided insightful views into the world of my story. He helped me to bring my characters and story to life. I ‘ve been trying to write my novel for 8 years and would start and then get overwhelmed and discouraged. Al helped me overcome my fear and doubt. He created an energy vortex of creativity filled with compassion and wisdom that nurtured the storytelling process and made it fun and exciting. Oh sure at times it was scary and there were moments I thought “what the hell am I doing” but Al helped me get through the rough spots and gave me a deep understanding of the writing process and how it mirrors the life process. He taught me how to channel my resistance and drama into my story. Words just don’t do the incredibleness of Al’s workshop justice. If you are looking for help to tell your story, look no further. Al is the real deal!”

“Where every other fantastic writing class/workshop gave me everything but practical technique with which I could apply to my writing endeavor, Al Watt’s 90-Day Novel Workshop delivered the goods, especially for working actors with a hint that they may be a writer deep down. Al helped me discover my gift and provided me with the tools to dig it out of procrastination and to win the war of art.”

“I had always dreamed of writing something close to my heart, but resistance always got the best of me. Then I met Al. The 90-Day Novel Workshop was just the intensive atmosphere that allowed me to focus on quantity and through Al’s loving, supportive and nurturing spirit, we forged ahead as he assured us that the quality would take care of itself. Working out a structure so that I could be free within that was key. Being free, in fact, is the key. There are no rules. I get to be an original. I am fully supported in a positive, loving atmosphere with like-hearted peers. There is no judgment here. I am so happy to have met Al. I must have been ready for the teacher, because he appeared and I am so grateful.”

“Alan Watt is the teacher of teachers; authentic, a rare muse, your best enemy when you are feeling sorry for yourself, your guide through the muck of structuring your work, on the money, and last but certainly not least, spiritually evolved. Purely for selfish reasons I have mixed feelings about telling you how wonderful my experience has been in the 90-Day Novel Workshop. It is much more than a writing class. It is a gateway to artistic integrity. Enter at your own peril and glory, and shhhhhh, please don’t tell anybody.”

“Think of Al Watt and the 90-Day Novel as your seeing-eye dog: You know where you’re going, but Al makes sure you get there.”

“This program is the deal of the century as far as I am concerned. It cuts out the low-risk, tenured university lectures and gets to the heat and action of the craft of writing. Al Watt is gifted. I don’t think it would much matter what he taught. He would find the essence of any skill. I am very grateful that he’s chosen to teach the craft of writing. I find his classes helpful, like oxygen. I will study with Al until he closes up shop.”

“What they teach you in MFA programs is how to rewrite, not generate raw material. Believe me, I know. I went to a ‘prestigious’ MFA program where I eventually rewrote myself into a corner. Then I stopped writing for almost ten years. On a whim, I signed up for the 90-Day Novel, and now I‘ve left that corner for good. Through the class, I learned how to play, inquire, and access the raw material needed for my story to come alive. The act of writing has become thrilling and fun again. Thank you, Al!”

“I’ve told several people with some confidence that I’m a writer. I admit I’m new to it and not yet published, but I can hold my head up and say I write. I get that confidence from the 90-Day Novel Workshop. Alan Watt, you are brilliant. How do you do that? How can you have an immediate response, insight, suggestion to what’s going on with the characters and sometimes the writer? …This workshop is so much more than learning how to write. I enrolled in the 90-Day Novel course on blind faith. If I had had some foreshadow of what I was going to go through I probably would have said “Uh…I don’t think I’m ready for that.” Amazing. I’m aware that you’re well respected by accomplished writers, still you teach the course in a humble way, making even me, as the brand new to writing student, feel just as worthy. Just as uniquely qualified. In our egomaniac culture I find this extremely amazing. I see story all around me. I feel so much more alive. This is where I fall back into a loss for words. It’s that thing I call God. You probably understand what I’m trying to say.”

“The 90-Day Novel is the most fun and exhilarating feeling I have ever experienced, like falling in love. Really, I never had this feeling before, not at Harvard, not getting my book published, I don’t even know how to put it into words. Al Watt is the best teacher I have ever had. He creates a space that is so safe and nurturing, I want to get it wrong because now I know I’ll be able to get it right. Al, thank you so much for sharing what you know and your experience with me.”

“The 90-Day Screenplay workshop takes away your last excuse for not finishing your project. If you follow the process and discipline yourself to do the work, you will have that draft completed within 90 days. I no longer stare blankly into a computer screen, my characters are well developed, plotlines are mapped out. All that’s left is to let the story evolve naturally. It’s absolutely inspiring!”

“It is difficult to distill what Al Watt does in his workshops. He helps the writer tap into that secret world that lies within, a world often victim to procrastination, insecurity and lack of focus. He instills a fundamental knowing that we are uniquely qualified to tell our stories, that our conscious mind is a filter through which passes our creativity, and that the trick is to not let it get in the way but rather provide a structure under which we can create.”

“The 90-Day Screenplay Workshop is the most complete intensive instruction you could ever imagine. A quantum leap for a novice writer.”

“For anyone who does well in a class, or when assignments are expected, this course format is great. I’d been keeping the story in my back pocket for 2+ years. Now, at the end of the course, it’s a full-length feature script in its second revision. Al has insights into how story grows, and how heroes are transformed that are enlightening for storytellers and majorly practical in completing a full first draft. I know I’m a better screenwriter for taking this workshop.”

“Right from the moment I read LA Writers’ Lab’s website, I knew the approach was what I had been looking for in countless other courses and books. I had been floundering in a sea of ideas with no stories emerging, thinking that I might actually not have the talent to ever see a screenplay through to completion, much less have any hope of selling one. What I hadn’t realized was just how much exploration was needed (and how comparatively little I had done) in order to allow my characters to tell me their story–but this workshop has provided me with the guidance and tools to change that. There has been no greater thrill for me than to prove to myself that story can flow freely out of the surprising fun of simply getting to know my characters.”

“I was straightening up the chaos in my house when I came across my notebook from the lab. I guess I had gotten so caught up in the overwhelming minutiae of directing, or perhaps internalized so completely the notes you had given me, that it was a shock to see how thoroughly I had integrated them not only into the final shooting script but into the day to day decisions I had made as a director throughout the production process. They were really good notes! Deep and profound and honest and dangerous and difficult. My movie is infinitely better than it would have been without them. I am honored to be your student. I’ll be back.”

“The 90-Day Screenplay Workshop teaches how the primacy of structure is directly connected to the unconscious mind. The story is already written – the instructor’s job is simply to help you discover it by instilling the hard rules of craft while coaxing your muse from hiding. In 90 days, no matter what, you will have a finished screenplay.”

“The 90-Day Rewrite workshop, with its emphasis on specificity and relentless inquiry into the dilemma at the heart of a story, has helped me find the most compelling way to write my novel.”

“The 90-Day Rewrite Workshop was the natural next step for me. It helped me keep my momentum going as I took raw material out of the shadows of my intuitive mind and into the light of craft and revision. Through the 90 days of rewrite, discussion, and feedback, my story got cooking. Existing ideas fell away or became stronger and began to coalesce with new ones. In the end, what I got was a structured story with characters made of flesh and sinew. And, the motivation to continue moving forward. A great class!”

“Countless book, courses, websites promise to take your writing to the next level, but fail to go much beyond the basics. The 90-Day Rewrite process actually comes through on the promise by encouraging–forcing–the writer to dig ever deeper in order to discover psychological depth and complexity. Highly recommended for those who really do want to move beyond mere plot mechanics.”

“The 90-Day Rewrite gave me all the tools I needed to refine my first draft and get closer to the heart of my story. Al’s highly effective techniques stay with you as a writer and give you the confidence to finish your work and prepare it for publication.”

“The 90 Day Rewrite Workshop has helped me to refine my first draft, to uncover what belongs and what doesn’t, and to stay true to the original impulses that got me here. This work is freeing – your wildest ideas are valued and everything you come up with either finds its way into the story or leads you to something that does. The process is focused on simple curiosity; as you continue to investigate, your story is revealed. This is hard work and great fun – you’re in for the ride of your life.”

“Alan Watt’s 90-Day Rewrite Workshop taught me how to infuse the first draft of my novel with the kind of left-brain logic that is required if one’s story is to have a strong narrative arc without sacrificing the right-brain passion which went into writing the first draft. The 90-Day Rewrite Workshop kept the focus right where it needed to be, on the nature of the relationship between my characters and on the dilemma(s) that my novel needed to resolve. Alan taught me how to re-embrace my novel in a way which made the tasks of revising as pleasurable and productive as the white-heat intensity that went into writing the first draft. He teaches you to live in your scenes and set aside the hypercritical surveillance that can plague the rewrite process. I did more work in less time, and with greater satisfaction in Al’s workshops than ever before.”

“Al Watt’s 90-Day Novel Workshop is worth every hour and every penny. By asking all the right questions, Al helps his students explore the depths of the stories they were meant to write. I now have a first draft of a novel that had languished in a drawer for many years. I can’t wait for the rewrite class to begin!”

I completed a treatment on Xmas Day 2007, ten days after getting the idea, and 3 months after winning a competition w/my 1st script. I kept this one on the back burner for over a year until I took the 90-Day Screenplay workshop. In that workshop I wrote the first draft. I’ve since written a 2nd award-winning screenplay. For 6 months I’ve been revising the 90-Day one, playing with different main characters, under the auspices of a very expensive writing school. I just now got – during my recent evaluation of the 3rd Draft – that the original manuscript, created with 90-Day Screenplay’s guidance, is the best one for this story.

“Unlock the Story Within provided me with six of the most productive hours I have ever spent in a writing class. Not only did I finally get down to the true dilemma at the heart of my story, I came away with twelve pages of notes and exercises that continue to instruct and inspire me with every review. I look forward to repeating the workshop and highly recommend it!”

“I feel like there is hope and I just may be able to push past whatever is keeping me from writing to actually writing without editing myself back to a blank page!”

“Al Watt has a knack for helping you understand your story by asking just the right, but not necessarily expected, questions. His deeply personal insights and organic approach to creativity give an intimate and inspiring spin on the process of writing the classic three-act story. It’s a special gift that he’s been able to transform the typically solitary act of writing into such a richly rewarding shared experience.”

“Alan Watt has this amazing ability to help you to understand your story and characters in a way that makes your entire project more dynamic, cohesive, and fulfilling. To watch other writers’ stories develop in the environment of the workshop and Alan’s careful approach of asking the right questions and getting writers to overcome blocks of which even they may not initially be aware is quite engaging in itself. To then feel that same transformation take place in your own writing and story is a feeling that is beyond words.”

“I’ve been to every workshop on the planet and there’s no one who can ‘see’ the writer in you, the way Al does. I had never written a word in my life and now I’m seriously writing my first book thanks to Al.”

“Al is a unique and brilliant teacher. He has an uncanny ability to draw out the story that is in your heart.”

“Alan Watt has the uncanny ability to help me find the story I know, the one deep inside waiting to find the light of day.”

“What Alan teaches is profound… and it’s very hard work… and it’s hard to get a handle on… but when you commit to it, and dedicate yourself to the process, it starts to seep in as your story starts to seep in… and before you know it, your story is telling you what it wants to be, just like Alan says it will. And as you’ve been, all the while, anchoring your vision to the structure questions, you finally realize how this has contributed to the vibrancy, the wins and losses, that roller coaster ride, that every true and good story thirsts for.”

“Al Watt is not only a gifted writer but a wonderful teacher. He is attentive, insightful, and a whiz with structure. He has thought deeply about the writing process. A pleasure and a privilege.”

“With Al Watt, writing becomes an alchemical process of the soul, an exploration of the mystery of our humanity. Structure provides a sacred space within which characters develop and transform and plot is a function of the character’s fate and destiny. It is a beautiful experience, a dance with the unconscious as creative partner.”

“Al’s approach is brilliant and his heart is in the right place. He empowers students with amazing tools and techniques to uncover their own creative genius and he does this with humor and great sincerity.”

I can’t believe I actually finished my story! But I did it and it feels fantastic! I love what I’ve written, and followed Al’s advice and inspiration all the way. I never missed a day writing for a least two hours. Now I can’t imagine a life not writing. I have started so many stories, been told by everyone over many years, you should write a story. Well, finally I did. It was a truly amazing experience. Thanks so much Al.

Even though I didn’t complete my first draft in the 90 day time frame, I consider my experience a success, because I now have the tools I actually need. Even though I had written and published plenty of work prior to this class, I had never had the experience of allowing a story to unfold in this deep way. I’ve often viewed writing as a job requiring a set of tools, namely a hammer. So, I’d attack the project, banging away at it until I’d flattened it, tamed it and nailed it onto the page. But with a novel, the task is quite different. The story reveals itself little by little, and a hammer is exactly what I don’t need. A flashlight, maybe. Or some rope. A net perhaps. But definitely not a hammer. With Al’s honest, direct, unflinchingly kind reminders that our toughest job is to get out of our own way, I gradually have come to value the deep and mysterious role that trust and faith plays in the creative process. My own course will be more like The 118 Day Novel, but I will get there, now that my hammer’s locked in the toolbox it belong.

At first, I feared a writing workshop would be too rigid for a gal like me. In the past I’ve felt smothered by certain structures, but Al’s method and material were quite different than my initial projections. Not only did I produce more pages than I had previously, Al’s insightful instruction, guidance and encouragement gave me room to run wild, and at the same time, land within some lines. Al provides a wonderful balance structure simply inspires more creativity to flow.

Al Watt is a genius with tremendous insight regarding the process of writing story. He can second-guess you are in the writing of your novel and know exactly what help you need at each point. When I decided to write my novel I picked up Al’s first book, The 90-day Novel and got started. I now have a decent first draft and I’m ready for the rewrite. I know past experience that this book will be what I need to fine-tune my work. There are lots of writing books out there, but Al’s two books take you several steps further and show you how to actually put the words together into a novel. The 90-day Rewrite is a step-by-step guide that won’t force you into a formula or stifle your creativity. I’m so happy I found Al’s books to pilot me through my first novel writing experience. If you’re serious about taking this step, Al’s books will not only get you started, they will take you to the finish line.

“I have taken one writing class in my life. It was from Linda Jenkins when I was a student at Northwestern. She was an invaluable support and mentor as I wrote my very first play.”

“If it weren’t for the wisdom, teaching skills and sound, practical advice of Linda Jenkins, I might not have enjoyed three decades of satisfying work in the entertainment business as a writer, performer and producer. Linda taught me the basics of dramatic structure, how to build interesting characters and write honest and intelligent dialogue. Most importantly, she encouraged and inspired me to write my own material – and that became my ticket to success.”

“Linda Jenkins knows how plays are made. And she has the great teachers’ gift of leading students to discover their own individual playmaking voices.”

“I made my career in book publishing rather than in theater, but as a copy editor—and now managing editor at one of the largest trade publishing companies in the world—for more than two decades, I call upon the things I learned from Linda every working day of my life. Any student would be fortunate to be given access to her.”

“Much of what I learned I was able to fully use during my career as a network executive and later a producer in heyday of the network television film. I don’t think I would have anything near the facility that helped me communicate with writers if it were not for the foundation I was able to build in my work with Dr. Jenkins.”

“Linda gave me my start as a playwright, nurturing a 21 year-old college student with astute advice and observations as well as great compassion for someone just finding their way as a writer. I’ll never forget her suggestion that playwrights always keep a secret “lizard in their pocket” that they only threaten to show the audience until the end.”

“My class with Linda Jenkins is the reason I have spent the last 27 years working with new plays as a playwright, director, teacher, and the artistic director of a new play development theatre. I consider myself lucky that my first playwriting teacher was sensitive to the individual process of each writer in the room, never tried to force a writer to hew to a particular formula or approach, but at the same time created a discipline that was unique to every student in the class. It was tremendously freeing for me and is an approach I use with my students to this day in all of my work.”

“In addition to being an incredibly dedicated teacher, a positive and encouraging mentor, and an insightful expert in theatre history and the development of dramatic art, Linda Jenkins has an uncanny knack for demystifying the writing process and breaking down a task as daunting as creating a play into a series of logical steps and clear, achievable goals. I am forever indebted to her for jump-starting and guiding my own creative and professional life.”

“Linda Jenkins teaches drama with great authority and warmth. She understands playwriting from the inside out, which makes her love of theater contagious.”

“The first play I ever wrote was during ninety days of intense work in Linda Jenkin’s fabulous class. Her encouragement and humor kept me going then, and they buoy me even today. If not for her belief in me, I don’t know that I would have pursued a career as a writer.”

“There is no one I know whose knowledge of the development of dramatic art rivals that of Linda Jenkins. She knows how a play works inside and out, and knows how to teach that elusive and ephemeral craft to others. Linda has been both my teacher and my colleague and I treasure her input on all my work. Quite simply, if you want someone to teach you playwriting, she is the best.”

“I am forever grateful to Linda Jenkins for her ability to be compassionate and firm at the same time, trusting me to follow my instincts and guiding me in principles of storytelling and character. She taught me to trust my voice. Her expert understanding of form, story, dialogue and character has been the basis for my understanding of the art (and craft) of playwriting.”

“As a young playwright, I was helped by Linda Jenkins to place myself in each specific moment of my character’s physical life, to genuinely discover the action that set my play in motion. As her student, I experienced a delicate balance of collaboration, critique, and guidance, without ever losing hold of the story I had set out to tell. Today, as a teacher, I work daily to create that same environment of curiosity and trust with my own students, as they explore their own playwright’s voice. So much of what they learn from me, I learned from Linda. I am proud to extend the reach of her personal, practical approach to the craft of playwriting.”

Linda Jenkins’ playwriting class is the only class I have ever needed. Linda’s sense of dramatic arc and insightful character exploration techniques have been the foundation of my playwriting career. It is difficult to tread the line between art and what is commercially viable, but Linda’s ability to communicate the basic tenets of form and structure helped me create a playwriting process which has served me successfully, writing straight plays and musicals, in regional and Off-Broadway productions. Linda will teach you what you need to know.”

“With an expert’s knowledge of how structure and content combine with context to create a universe of dramaturgical possibilities, Linda opened my eyes and my ears and my heart to the possibilities within my own writing. She taught me that, at least in playwriting, the world is what you make of it.”

“The 90-Day Rewrite workshop, with its emphasis on specificity and relentless inquiry into the dilemma at the heart of a story, has helped me find the most compelling way to write my novel.”

“Countless books, courses, websites promise to take your writing to the next level, but fail to go much beyond the basics. The 90-Day Rewrite process actually comes through on the promise by encouraging–forcing–the writer to dig ever deeper in order to discover psychological depth and complexity. Highly recommended for those who really do want to move beyond mere plot mechanics.”

Al Watt asks probing questions, encourages continuous inquiry, and affirms the passion to write story. I am inspired!

This has been an amazing process for me. I already had an MFA and I teach and direct a college creative writing program, but I really didn’t have an organic understanding of story. I have published five books, including one novel, but I knew I could move deeper into craft and I wanted to try a different approach. Al’s ability to merge intuition and structure is unique and invaluable. I was able to work through my outline-phobia because of the way he approached structure as a holistic approach, rather than a rigid box. He distilled the bones of story in a way that I could really embrace. I’m a more random-scene writer. I like to be a part of the unfolding of the story, but that approach always created a weak narrative. Al’s program allows for the discovery and intuition to flourish within the structure of a loose story outline. I highly recommend this program. He encourages the writer to live within the questions of the story, not the answers.