Call to Action: Solve Your Story Problems with Structure

Class Description

Ah summer, the season of sun, sand, surf and…structure? In A Call to Action: Solve Your Story Problems with Structure! we’ll dive deep into classic three-act structure across genres, and look at it through a whole new (sunglass) lens. We’ll examine diverse examples in film, theater, fiction, and non-fiction to look at how we can put it into practice to benefit our own stories.

Each week, we’ll break down one act* from a screenplay, novel, play, and/or memoir into its essential components to see how they function and serve the story. (Examples may include ‘Lady Bird’ by Greta Gerwig, ‘Exit West’ by Mohsin Hamid, ‘From the Corner of the Oval: A Memoir’ by Beck Dorey-Stein, and more.) Each week students will also write a one-page synopsis and/or outline for one act of their stories, on which they’ll receive feedback from the instructor and fellow students. Additionally, writing prompts and exercises will get the creative juices flowing and offer new approaches to putting three-act structure to work for you!

This class is perfect for the student who wants to solve a story problem and/or study up on three-act structure from its Aristotelian origins to how it’s employed today. You will take from this class a renewed understanding of structure and how it works across genres, as well as a toolkit for using it effectively in your own unique work.

*NOTE that while our handy dandy "Schedule" tab states a 6-7pm class time, there are actually no live meetings for this class! Assignments will be given on a weekly basis. Students will have access to the online class portal starting at 5pm on the first day of class. Instructions for logging onto the online portal will be emailed to registered students before 5pm the first day of class.