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LEARN THE SECRETS, HACKS, AND INSIDER INFO THAT ONLY BESTSELLING AUTHORS CAN TEACH!
Bestselling Authors Steven James, DP Lyle and Joseph Badal give you the inside scoop!
BESTSELLING AUTHORS TEACH YOU HOW!
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OUTLIERS - A WRITING UNIVERSITY
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WHAT LIES AT THE HEART OF BESTSELLING BOOKS?
Learn the secret sauce to writing a blockbuster!
The Story Cube: An In-depth Exploration of What Truly Lies at the Heart of All Great Stories
Instructor: Steven James
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Wednesday, April 3, 2024 at 4PM (Pacific Time)
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3-Consecutive Wednesdays at 4PM (Pacific Time)
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Beginning April 3, 2024
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Part 1: April 3
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Part 2: April 10
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Part 3: April 17
Ever since Aristotle, story theorists have been looking at story through a temporal lens—beginning, middle, and end, or first act, second act, and third act.
But what if there was another way of conceptualizing story on a more elemental level?
What if there was a way of understanding story that was easy to visualize and remember and that would apply to any genre you write?
Well, there is, and in this in-depth seminar you’ll learn how it can transform your writing and storytelling forever.
In Part 1, You'll Learn:
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What a story really is (it might surprise you!).
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The specific things that your opening needs to accomplish, no matter what genre you write in.
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Why every story that doesn’t entertain collapses in on itself—and what to do about that.
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How to use settings to either inhibit your character’s pursuit or enhance it.
In Part 2, You'll Learn:
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The three realms of struggles within a story and what readers expect to happen within each of them.
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The centrality of tension, its propulsive force to drive a story forward, and how to enhance it through unmet desire.
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Why struggles are incubators for growth and why sacrifices that mean nothing to characters mean nothing to readers.
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Specific tips on creating moral dilemmas that will engage readers, reveal characterization, and add intriguing, unpredictable climaxes.
In Part 3, You'll Learn:
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Why the necessity of “rising action” is a myth and what to include instead.
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How to create believable twists that won’t feel too contrived, too predictable, or too outlandish.
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The difference between stated and implied narrative promises, why it matters, and when to use each of them.
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Why it’s much more important to be able to state your dilemma than your theme.
Steven James is a critically acclaimed author of nineteen novels and numerous nonfiction books that have sold more than 1 million copies. His books have won or been shortlisted for dozens of national and international awards.
Publishers Weekly has called him "a master storyteller at the peak of his game.”
CLASS 1 - Instructor: Steven James
3 Live Zoom Sessions
Pay ONLY $99 $49.99
SPACE IS LIMITED.
MURDER on your mind?
Constructing/Deconstructing the Perfect Fictional Murder
Instructor: DP Lyle, MD
Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 4PM (Pacific Time)
1 Live ZOOM Session
SPACE IS LIMITED.
CLASS 2 - Instructor: DP Lyle, MD
The Perfect Fictional Murder
When your antagonist plans and executes "The Perfect Murder," he always, ALWAYS makes a mistake or two. These errors ultimately lead your sleuth to the solution. In this session, I will “construct” the perfect murder in every detail—the where, when, how, and why. I will then don the hat of the protagonist and “deconstruct” the crime while considering the many variables that make plotting a murder fun for the writer and a disaster for the antagonist. I will discuss the killer's Pre-Crime Behavior, the steps taken to "do the deed," and his Post-Crime Behavior from social, psychological, forensics, investigative, and motivational points of view.
The goal is to show you how to create a detailed, realistic, and suspenseful plot and kick your story up a notch.
DP Lyle is the Amazon #1 Bestselling; Macavity and Benjamin Franklin Award-winning; and Edgar(2), Agatha, Anthony, Shamus, Scribe, and USA Today Best Book(2) Award-nominated author of 23 books, both fiction and non-fiction.
As a founding member of International Thriller Writers he created and directed CraftFest, the Online Thriller school, and co-created and directed the Master Class program. He has worked with many novelists and writers of popular television shows such as: Law & Order, CSI: Miami, Diagnosis Murder, Monk, Judging Amy, Peacemakers, Cold Case, House, Medium, Women’s Murder Club, 1-800-Missing, The Glades, and Pretty Little Liars.
Pay ONLY $49 $29.99
SPACE IS LIMITED.
HIGH CONCEPT Plots and where to find them!
Sources of Inspiration For Writers
If you're stumped about what to write, there are several sources of inspiration you can draw upon to help you find the inspirational subject that matches your passion for writing.
Award-winning author Joseph Badal will describe the sources of inspiration behind several of his suspense novels and will engage the students in writing exercises to help them identify their own sources of inspiration and to select that one source that can become their next story.
CLASS 3 - Instructor: Joseph Badal
Monday, April 29, 2024 at 4 PM (Pacific Time)
1 Live ZOOM Session
Pay ONLY $29 $15.99
SPACE IS LIMITED.
The Autopsy of a Thriller: Deconstructing The Terminator
Instructor: DP Lyle, MD
Wednesday, June 12, 2024 at 4PM (Pacific Time)
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How do you learn to plot your story?
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How do you determine the sequence of your scenes and when to reveal the key story elements to the reader, or viewer?
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How do you build tension scene by scene and keep the reader/viewer engaged? What will keep readers turning the pages, and viewers on the edge of their seats?
Mastering the plot can make your story sing, or fall flat.
The best way to develop this skill is to deconstruct successful plots. See what makes them work. And then, apply this knowledge to your own stories.
In this class, we will undertake a scene-by-scene analysis of The Terminator—“the perfect thriller.” We will look at storytelling by showing how this movie follows the 3-act structure, progressively raises the stakes, ramps up the tension, and forces the protagonist, Sarah Conner, to alter virtually everything in her life, heart, and soul in perhaps the greatest character arc ever. You will learn techniques that will allow you to analyze other stories and ultimately master plotting.
DP LYLE, MD
Outliers Co-Creator and Program/Education Director
DP Lyle is the Amazon #1 Bestselling; Macavity and Benjamin Franklin Award-winning; and Edgar(2), Agatha, Anthony, Shamus, Scribe, and USA Today Best Book(2) Award-nominated author of 23 books, both fiction and non-fiction. As a founding member of International Thriller Writers he created and directed CraftFest, the Online Thriller school, and co-created and directed the Master Class program. He has worked with many novelists and writers of popular television shows such as Law & Order, CSI: Miami, Diagnosis Murder, Monk, Judging Amy, Peacemakers, Cold Case, House, Medium, Women’s Murder Club, 1-800-Missing, The Glades, and Pretty Little Liars.
CLASS 4 - Instructor: DP Lyle, MD
Wednesday, June 12, 2024 at 4PM (Pacific Time)
1 Live ZOOM Session
Pay ONLY $49 $29.99
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SPACE IS LIMITED.
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