Excavating the Wound: An Artist Development Workshop
Before we can build a story, we have to understand why it’s calling us. This week, we’ll explore the personal histories, themes, and recurring images that shape your creative voice. Through guided reflection and discussion, we’ll begin shaping your project with intention, aligning it with your larger artistic goals.
Writing the Archetypal Selves: A Character Development Workshop
Every character is a reflection of something within us, conscious or not. This week, we’ll use archetypes, psychology, and storytelling structure to develop characters with depth, complexity, and clear arcs. You’ll learn how to craft layered protagonists, antagonists, and supporting characters while deepening your own self-awareness in the process.
Writing the Room: A World Building Workshop
Place is never just a backdrop. It is a living, breathing force that shapes narrative. This week, we’ll explore how to build evocative story worlds, whether inspired by real places, imagined landscapes, or something in between. We’ll also examine how symbols, motifs, and genre conventions create atmosphere and deepen meaning.
Moment to Moment: Story Beats and Outlines
Now that we’ve built the foundation, it’s time to shape the story itself. This week focuses on expanding character arcs into a full narrative outline. We’ll explore different outlining methods, structural frameworks, and the organic ways stories emerge through writing.
The Story Within the Story: Scene Construction
A story is only as strong as its scenes. In our final session, we’ll zoom in on scene construction, learning how to shape individual beats with clarity, emotion, and narrative weight. We’ll break down compelling scenes from film and literature before applying those techniques to our own work.
FAQs
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The Storywell is an online platform dedicated to helping emerging writers and storytellers develop their creative practices through workshops, resources, and community support. Workshops are designed for new or emerging fiction writers for the screen, but select workshops are also beneficial to creatives of other mediums endeavoring to transmute personal stories and experiences. Learn more here.
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We offer a mix of pre-recorded short courses available for download and live online (and in-person) workshops. Short Courses can be treated like an at-home artist date or a podcast, digested in privacy and revisited as much as you’d like.
Live workshops provide the opportunity for real-time feedback and interaction with other storytellers. They are hosted either online via zoom or in-person at select venues. The typical format includes a lecture, a series of exercises, and an open forum for discussion.
Pre-recorded workshops typically last 45 minutes, while live workshops run 2 hours.
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Live workshops are scheduled seasonally on a rotating basis to accommodate different time zones. Please check the specific workshop page for dates and times or subscribe to our Substack to stay updated on upcoming sessions.
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It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
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A specific project isn’t necessary for our short courses “Artist Development for Storytellers”, and “Wellness Practices for Personal Storytelling.” In fact, the first can even help you bring a project to mind.
But you’ll get the most benefit out of our Live Workshops if you already have a project of interest at any state — even just the gestation state. You’ll receive a recording of the workshop to playback for future projects as well.
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Yes! All live workshops are recorded and sent to all registered participants afterward, so you can rewatch them at your convenience.
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Once you’ve accessed the content, we can no longer offer a refund for pre-recorded workshops.
If you are unable to attend a live workshop, you may receive a full refund if you cancel your registration less than 48 hours after booking.
You may receive a partial refund if you cancel your registration at least 48 hours before the session.
No refunds will be issued after the session has taken place, but a recording will be provided to all registered attendees.
In cases of extenuating circumstances, we may consider a refund outside the standard policy. Please contact us to discuss your situation.