Lectures
101: Introduction to Writewell Academy Jenny Crusie & Lani Diane Rich
This short video introduces you to the Writewell program. It gives a brief overview of the classes, let’s you experience the lecture format to make sure that Lani and Jenny’s voice don’t give you seizures, and provides an opportunity to try the download process for free.
102: Introduction to Discovery Lani Diane Rich
An introduction to discovering your story, fueling your magic, and filling the creative well to draw from throughout the writing process.
103: Introduction to Conflict Jenny Crusie
This lecture is an introduction to the basics of conflict. It defines conflict, discuss the roles of the major players (protagonist and antagonist), analyzes how conflict develops, and explains the importance of a conflict lock. One video with voiceover, one audio track, and two PDFs: the Lecture 103 Notebook and the Conflict Workbook. $10
201: Basics of Character Lani Diane Rich
An overview of what makes a great character, and how to build characters you and your reader will love.
202: Protagonists Lani Diane Rich
An overview of your main character; how to build her, how to challenge her, and how to arc her through your story.
203: Antagonists Lani Diane Rich
An overview of the antagonist; what makes her tick and what makes her great. Also, a look at the different kinds of antagonists, and how they work in a story.
204: Supporting Characters Lani Diane Rich
Just because a character isn’t the main attraction doesn’t mean she isn’t important. Learn what makes a great supporting character, and how these characters work to fill out your story community.
211: Four-Act Structure Jenny Crusie
An analysis of classic linear story structure, with a breakdown of story units, key scenes, and basic pacing.
212: Seven Anchor Scene Structure Lani Diane Rich
Breaking down classic structure into the seven scenes that keep your story on track.
213: Non-Traditional Structure Jenny Crusie
An overview of non-linear storytelling methods including patterned structure and frames.
214: Subplots Jenny Crusie
215: Short Form Structure Jenny Crusie
221: Scene Structure Jenny Crusie
An analysis of scene structure including beats and scene sequences.
222: Action Scenes Jenny Crusie
301: Point of View Lani Diane Rich
It’s more than just first- or third-person; perspective plays a huge role in your novel, and figuring out how your book benefits from one or the other is a big job. We’ll walk through the process, and look at perspective from many different angles.
302: Dialogue Lani Diane Rich
There are good reasons why dialogue is one of the trickiest skill sets for some writers. In this class, we’ll take a close look at what a character’s words tell your reader, and how to use them to your best advantage.
303: Voice Lani Diane Rich
Voice is one of the most essential, and hard to pin down, tools in a writer’s toolbox. We’ll take a look at voice, where to find it, and how to draw it out.
304: Goals and Motivation Lani Diane Rich
It comes down to this: What does your character want, and why does she want it? It’s shocking how difficult that can be to pin down. In this class, we’ll talk about how goal and motivation keep the engine humming in your story, as well as address the most common pitfalls that writers find themselves falling into.
311: Cutting the Fat Lani Diane Rich
Sometimes the hardest thing to do is cut the stuff that doesn’t work. In this class we’ll talk about some ways to easily identify what needs to go, what should stay, and what can be saved.
312: Time and Pacing Jenny Crusie
An analysis or the use of acts, scene sequences, word count, and summary and other time techniques to keep the story moving.
313: Theme Jenny Crusie
An analysis of the central meaning of the story and how it affects all aspects of the narrative.
321: Relationships Lani Diane Rich
Characters don’t exist in a social vacuum; the people around them will tell you as much about your characters as anything else. In this class, we’ll talk about how the relationships between your characters make your story complex and interesting.
322: Community Jenny Crusie
An analysis of the ways place, time, and people help shape story.