story day
Sunday June 30th, 2024
10 am - 4 pm PST
unlock the story within
How often have you tried to write a story and gotten stuck midway through? How often have you felt like your characters weren't doing what you wanted them to do?
In this powerful one-day workshop, through lecture, writing exercises, and one-on-one work with writers to illustrate the principles, I will take you through the process of connecting to the core of your story by marrying the wildness of your imagination to the rigor of structure.
By the end of the day, you will not only have a much clearer understanding of the story you wish to tell but also a deeper understanding of the fundamentals of story creation.
Join me for this one-day transformative workshop.
who is story day for?
This workshop is for novelists, screenwriters, memoirists, producers, directors, editors, and anyone else with a desire to deepen their understanding of how to build a story.
about the workshop
watch the class anytime
You are not required to take the workshop live. Many writers have day jobs or commitments during class hours, or sometimes life just gets in the way, therefore this workshop will be recorded and available for viewing for three weeks.
what's the schedule?
Story day is comprised of a morning session, Unlock the Story Within, from 10 am - 12: 30 pm PST, and an afternoon session, Story Structure Intensive, from 1:30 pm - 4 pm PST. There is a one-hour break for lunch in between.
meet your teacher
Hi, I'm Alan. They call me the Story Whisperer. I teach a process of marrying passion to craft to tell compelling stories. My students range from first-time writers to best-selling authors and filmmakers who've won numerous accolades for their work including the Pulitzer Prize.
L.A. Writers' Lab's mission is to help writers build a body of work. If you have a story to tell and are seeking support, guidance and community, then welcome. I look forward to working with you.
why writers love story day
“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. 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. Al encourages the writer to live within the questions of the story, not the answers.”
Laraine Herring
“This was a great experience for me, with clear reminders Al walked us through story structure while at the same time taking us deeper with great questions that helped me to imagine more of the world of the story so that by the end of the day I had a much clearer sense of my story. Whether you are new to all of this or are just looking for a refreshing reminder I would highly recommend getting this and doing the exercises as you listen and re-listen to it. Five stars!”
Philip Mcgrade
“I cannot recommend Al highly enough. He’s my guy. If you take your career seriously, make him yours.”
Jessica Sharzer
“As I had already completed the first draft of my novel, I wasn’t sure if I’d learn much on this course, but I could not have been more wrong! I now feel much better equipped to get to the core of what my story is ‘really’ about and to make that the focus of the second draft. Al is a gifted, humane, experienced, humble and utterly relatable teacher and, whether you are a new writer or an experienced one, offers so much insight to the writing process. Highly recommended.”
Jody Day
“I seriously didn’t think getting published could be a reality until I took your workshop!”
Aditi Khorana
“Al Watt is a master teacher, with a brilliant, intuitive understanding of story.”
Allen Zadoff
“Watt is a superb storyteller with an amazing ability to create suspense… fascinating and elaborate characters… multi-layered, complex and tragically realistic.”
Winnipeg Free Press
“Al Watt delivers the most concise, most graspable breakdown of story structure that I’ve ever heard.”
Andrew J. Lampl
“Watt has an assured talent for complex narrative.”
The Globe and The Mail
“Alan is the best writing instructor on the planet. He shines a light and steps out of the way. He honors the creative process and he respects the writer’s soul. He is insightful and caring and generous. I feel lucky to have crossed paths with such an inspiring person.”
A'ni Santiago
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