BE A SUCCESSFUL WRITER...MASTER THIS TRAINING

This blog (masquerading as a website) has been superseded by an update that can be accessed at https://storycraft.stanwilliams.com. 

The links and information on this blog may work and be accurate, but it is no longer being updated or monitored.

Thank you for your patronage. Write well, true, and beautiful. (S.W.) 

This training is available by 4 options.

1. Purchase and download all 12 lessons (25 videos).

2. Purchase and download individual lessons (prices at links below).

3. Rent and stream individual lessons (prices at links below).

ALL 10:  Download or Rent the whole package (12 Lessons, 25 Videos)

Lesson 1. Intro Story Theory and Irony

Lesson 2. Hooks, Log Lines & Values

Lesson 3. The Moral Premise Statement

Lesson 4. Character Traits (Secrets)

Lesson 5. Evolution of Story Structure

Lesson 6. Act 1 Beats

Lesson 7. Act 2 Beats

Lesson 8. Moment of Grace (The Midpoint)

Lesson 9. Act 3 Beats

Lesson 10. Transformation, Goals & Plots

Lesson 11. Visualizing Story Structure

Lesson 12. Writing Convincing Movie Dialogue

Compare any of these options to a live two-day workshop for $495 plus travel. This is better because you can pause, replay, and come back to it another day. 

MORE DETAIL descriptions of each lesson are in the posts below, or accessible by the Lessons and Topics links to the right.

ARE YOU WRITING A SCREENPLAY, STAGE PLAY, SHORT or NOVEL?

With this training
your story will be:

• Structurally Stronger
• Easier to Write 
• Emotionally Engaging

What Others Have Said:

• WILL SMITH: "The Moral Premise is the most powerful tool in my new tool box."

• CHRIS VOGLER (The Writer's Journey): "The Moral Premise dares to suggest that movies might actually mean something."

• MICHAEL JANN, Sr. Writer, Tonight Show with Jay Leno: "A total game changer. The Moral Premise gets your story (and all your characters) working for you instead of the other way around." 

• BLAKE SNYDER (Save the Cat): "Thanks for the great book. I will recommend it to all my classes."

• CORMAC & MARIANNE WIBBERLEY (WGA, NATIONAL TREASURE franchise): "An incredibly practical and helpful tool that should be taught in every film school."

  Benefits of the Training for the Writer

• You'll know exactly where you're going and how you're going to get there.
• You'll have the freedom to let your character's wander WITH PURPOSE and direction.
• You will totally avoid writer's block. 
• You will not waste your time writing a great scene that has nothing to do with the story.
• Your first draft will write itself in a faction of the time without using this information.
• Your rewrites will be focused—you'll know exactly what you need to fix.
• You'll give your audience an even-paced, emotional roller coaster ride.
• You'll be excited for your audience and be able to see through their eyes.
• Your story will have meaning and purpose and make life better for your audience.
• Your story will have no dull or slow middle. 
• Every scene you write will have a beginning, middle, and end thick with plot and tension.
• You will be in control, but your characters will surprise you.
• Serendipity will be wonderfully common place.

BUY OR RENT?

You can rent or buy any of the 12 Lessons or the entire package, available at the bottom of this page. Links to and titles of each are listed at right. The total play time is over 8.5 hours—the equivalent of content delivered in a 2+ days long live workshop. The material here is more condensed due to the elimination of live workshop Q&A, breaks, presenter's sidebar comments, stories and amnesia. I've cut out most of the amnesia parts.

2. Hooks, Log Lines & the Conflict of Values

To Access the Training Click on the PLAY TRAILER button above.

You'll be taken to VIMEO's VOD pages. 

There, use the Blue Buttons to choose Rent or Buy

Then enter the promotion code, if you have one. 

Enjoy. Learn. Write.

LESSON NO. 2    VIDEO PARTS: 3   LENGTH: 53-min   SLIDES: 30   CLIPS: 0
PREREQUSITES: Lesson 1
DESCRIPTION: This lesson explains the first three secrets of all successful stories, and three of the Moral Premises' Story Fundamentals: Ironic Hooks, Log lines, and the motivational Conflict of Values. These are critical to the success of all stories if they are to connect with audiences. Getting these three secrets and fundamentals right will speed your writing and help ensure your audience connects emotionally with your characters.

SPECIFICALLY, this lesson covers:

• The first three secrets of successful stories
• The six Story Fundamentals you need to know before you begin to write.
• The four elements of a ironic hook
• The five critical ingredients of a Log Line
• The alternative four questions every log line needs to answer
• The four word outline of every successful tory's structure.
• The five elements of a motivating conflict of values
• How to incorporate linguistic ironic conflict in sentence structure
• The structural difference between redemptive and tragic stories.

3. The Moral Premise Statement

To Access the Training Click on the PLAY TRAILER button above.

You'll be taken to VIMEO's VOD pages. 

There, use the Blue Buttons to choose Rent or Buy

Then enter the promotion code, if you have one. 

Enjoy. Learn. Write.

LESSON NO. 3    VIDEO PARTS: 2   LENGTH: 35-min   SLIDES: 25   CLIPS: 3
PREREQUSITES: Lessons 1-2
DESCRIPTION: This lesson explains the organic basis of of the Moral Premise Statement, how it is constructed, how it is used, and how it focuses all the creative elements in a movie, novel or play so all the plots and subplots are about one thing. We also show clips from two films as examples.

SPECIFICALLY, this lesson covers:

-- The three characteristics of conveying Verisimilitude
-- The realms of reality that must coincide
-- How values drive action
-- How consequences change values
-- The four elements of a valid Moral Premise statement
-- How the moral premise is often articulated in a movie
-- The box office difference between a true and false moral premise
-- The intimate relationship between psychological and physical spines
-- The difference between Redemptive and Tragic arcs
-- How the moral premise is illustrated in DIE HARD
-- The 13 ways a story can consistently be about one thing

5. The Evolution of Story Structure

To Access the Training Click on the PLAY TRAILER button above.

You'll be taken to VIMEO's VOD pages. 

There, use the Blue Buttons to choose Rent or Buy

Then enter the promotion code, if you have one. 

Enjoy. Learn. Write.

LESSON NO.  5  VIDEO PARTS: 2   LENGTH: 42-min   SLIDES: 42   CLIPS: 1
PREREQUSITES: Lessons 1-4
DESCRIPTION: This lesson explains the development of story structure in order to create an emotional roller coaster ride for your audience or reader. The lesson focuses on the traditional 3-act, 13-beats of successful stories, but also describes alternative beats that are based on the human condition and result in act structures of 5, 7 and 12.

SPECIFICALLY, this program covers:
-- Secrets to Successful Stories 11 & 16
-- How story structure evolved
-- The critical dramatic beats of a 30-second story
-- How the placement and character of beats are determined
-- The three disasters of a novel
-- The three parts of all stories
-- The 13 traditional macro beats of a successful motion picture or novel
-- How to solve a "slow middle"
-- How the 13 macro beats and Pinch Points create a perfect roller coaster
-- The psychological and physical roller coaster of a story
-- How to create a roller coaster with a spread sheet
-- Five alternative story structures

8. The Moment of Grace (The Midpoint)

To Access the Training Click on the PLAY TRAILER button above.

You'll be taken to VIMEO's VOD pages. 

There, use the Blue Buttons to choose Rent or Buy

Then enter the promotion code, if you have one. 

Enjoy. Learn. Write.

LESSON NO. 8   VIDEO PARTS: 2   LENGTH: 53-min   SLIDES: 17   CLIPS:7
PREREQUSITES: Lessons 1-7
DESCRIPTION:  This 53-minute, two-part,  presentation by Dr. Stan Williams, explains and shows examples of the The Moment of Grace (MOG) in successful and not so successful motion pictures. The MOG is the main plot's mid-point. It's the scene where the truth of the Moral Premise is realized by the Protagonist and he or she changes their motivations, and thus changes their arc. Examples are shown from Lord of the Rings, A Beautiful Mind, Liar! Liar!,What Women Want, Ratatouille,  and Aronofsky' Noah.

SPECIFICALLY, this lesson covers:

-- The 12 and 13th Secrets of Successful Stories
-- How the Moment of Grace defines all plot arcs
-- Why the protagonist's Moment of Grace is at the mid-point
-- How other Moments of Grace can be just about anywhere.
-- Examples of the Moment of Grace in A Beautiful Mind, Liar! Liar!, Ratatouille, What Women Want, Lord of the Rings: Fellowship and Noah.
-- Compares and contrasts the two Moments of Grace in Noah.

9. Act 3 Beats

To Access the Training Click on the PLAY TRAILER button above.

You'll be taken to VIMEO's VOD pages. 

There, use the Blue Buttons to choose Rent or Buy

Then enter the promotion code, if you have one. 

Enjoy. Learn. Write.

LESSON NO. 9   VIDEO PARTS: 1   LENGTH: 28-min   SLIDES: 13   CLIPS: 4
PREREQUSITES: Lessons 1-8
DESCRIPTION: This 28-min presentation by Dr. Stan Williams, explains and shows examples of the major beats in Act 3: The Dark Night of the Soul, The Resurrection Beat, The Final Incident, The Act 3 Climax and Final Hand-to-hand combat, and the Denouement. It features clips from Lord of the Rings:  Fellowship of the Ring, Die Hard, and Where the Heart Is.

SPECIFICALLY, this lesson covers:
-- The major protagonist beats in Act 3 listed above
-- The Dark Night of the Soul from Lord of the Rings: Fellowship...
-- The Resurrection Beat from Die Hard
-- When and when not to place a Moment of Grace in Act 3
-- How Act 3 can hold the secret to a character's Wish Fulfillment
-- The Final Incident from Where the Heart is
-- The Hand-to-hand combat and Act 3 Climax in Where the Heart Is
-- The Denouement from Where the Heart Is