“Do you want to get the movie in your heart onto the page? Go 90 days deep with Al!”

- Viki King (best-selling author of How To Write A Movie in 21 Days)

“I am a fan of Al’s writing for the skill, depth and insight he brings to the table. And I’m a fan of the care and craftsmanship he brings to teaching.”

- Peggy Rajski (Producer of Little Man Tate and The Grifters)

"Al Watt is a traditionalist, a wizard, a jester, a therapist, a drill sergeant, and a high priest. He understands the primacy of structure, but never loses sight of the power of the imagination and the unconscious mind. He will speak to both hemispheres of your brain, instilling the hard rules of craft while coaxing your muse out of hiding. And the best part of all? After 90 days, no matter what, you will have a finished screenplay.”

- Allison Burnett (screenwriter of Fame, Resurrecting the Champ, and Untraceable)

“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.”

- Donna Powers (screenwriter of The Italian Job)

“Watching Al at work with his students is a beautiful thing to behold. He is a talented and capable guide on the sometimes precarious journey through the screenwriting process. If you’re thinking of taking the 90- Day-Screenplay, my advice to you is jump in and enjoy the ride.”

- Benjamin van der Veen (screenwriter of Steven Soderberg’s Che: Guerilla)

“Perhaps the best screenwriting workshop in town! I say ‘perhaps’ only because I haven’t taken them all. I say ‘the best’ because of Al’s tremendous insights into My Writing! He makes me think (even when I don’t want to) and he makes me probe (into areas I hadn’t imagined) and he gets me to rewrite (when I was previously resistant). Check him out! If you’re a screenwriter or want to be one, Al Watt is your guy.”

- Mark Travis (author of the best-selling The Director’s Journey and Directing Feature Films)

Al’s 90-Day Screenplay changed my life and therefore my work. He is a remarkable, passionate, unnervingly confrontational teacher (when confrontation is called for), exceptionally compassionate, superbly demanding and a real channel builder, as in, he requires that you open your channel so your deepest truths and talents can surface, almost in spite of yourself. I love the way he works, I love his teaching, and I’m picky, because I am a teacher myself. Don’t miss out on his classes. Al is the real thing.

- Mary-Anne McGarry (screenwriter of Honeymoon in Galway)

“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.”

- John Milton Branton (director of Project Fear)

“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.”

- Cathryn Deprume (screenwriter/actress)

“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.”

- Raina Manuel-Paris Ph.D.

“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.”

- Mindi White (screenwriter/producer)

“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.”

- Glenn Ripps (screenwriter/director)

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

- Zena Leigh Logan (screenwriter/actress)

“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.”

- Dave Voda (author/English professor)

“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.”

- Josh Drew (filmmaker)

“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.”

- Kevin King (writer/filmmaker)

“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.”

- Bill Cusack (screenwriter)

“Al Watt is a brilliant teacher and will take you to the heart of your story and lead you to the true essence of what you want to communicate. I was at the 50 page, ugh, where do I go now, when Al asked me the essential questions I needed answered before I could complete my story. It was extremely valuable! As a teacher, Al will not let you write until you are ready. He is an award-winning writer himself, and uses the same methods he teachers to create his best-sellers. It is a rare joy to work with someone who inspires one to write their piece. He is truly gifted. If you are ready to get your story moving to completion, then working with Al is for you. He is direct, supportive, and will provide space for you to find your own voice and finish your project.”

- Tori Harttman (screenwriter and author of Fabulous You!)

“A quantum leap for a novice writer.”

- David Wilder (attorney/screenwriter)

“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.”

- Eric Schneider (workshop leader/screenwriter)

“Right from the moment I read LA Writers’ Lab’s website, I knew Al’s 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 Al 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.”

- Brenda Matteson (90-Day screenwriter)