UNDERSTANDING HUMAN NATURE - A New Seminar Series

You were the inspiration for this!

I have been, for a long time, very disappointed with the quality of stories that have been coming out of Hollywood and publishing. I have watched all of the nominated films this year and have read over 40 of the best-selling novels of 2017 and - across the board - I find them lacking.

Lacking in the power of great story-telling that was the hallmark of the stories of the late 20th Century.

And I am not alone.  I've polled some of the other leading writing teachers in our industry - McKee, Hauge, Truby, Allesandra, Vogler, Maass - and we all feel the same:

That while there is some great storytelling out there, especially in long-form television - most films and novels lack the personal drama and understanding of human beings that make a story great

For example, Robert McKee recently wrote to me and said:

"The most important source of knowledge for writers is self-knowledge. What we want in a writer is somebody who is aware of the processes of thought and feelings that go on inside of oneself, and possesses a sensitive mind to the truth of human behavior. Essentially, writers need to recognize bullshit in the people around them, and in themselves"

And the film director Tony Gilroy recently said in a speech to BAFTA:

A writer's career is capped - that is, completely limited - by their understanding of human nature."

This mirrors what I have believed for some time - that you must dig deep into what makes human being tick in order to write compelling stories.

I began approaching this in both of my recent seminar series STORYSKILLS and DEEP WRITING.  I have worked with many of my private clients on aspects of this as they seek to writing their individual stories and build their careers.

But more was necessary to make this work for each of you.

To that end, I have created a Master-level Workshop called Understanding Human Nature (UHN).  It is an eight-week audio course beginning in February 15th and will be debuted in a limited 20-student series designed for you (my dedicated readers and my past private students). This series was first offered at university late last year and received exceptional reviews, and I have created a home audio version to bring to you.

In it, we will:

·         Look at the events in your life and find how to relate them to your characters and your stories

·         Teach you how to write for real emotional impact, and to get down to the real drama that turns readers into fans

·         Show you how to make your stories have a dramatic and real effect on your readers.

This class is meant for any writer who is not satisfied with the power and impact they have in their own writing.  It's meant to bring about a life view-altering mind shift in the way you look at your life, the lives of those around you and the characters that you create.

The cost is $197 for returning and private students (it will go up to $395 when widely released) if you enroll before January 31st. It is first-come, first served and, as I mentioned, space is limited to just 20 people. Announcement to the general public will go out in the next few week.

To enroll, just send the fees through PayPal to account: aholcomb07@gmail.com and we’ll get you signed up

It has been my greatest goal as a teacher to bring back great story telling in my students and in myself. This seminar is designed to do just that.

I see this as an integral part of the work you and I will be doing in the months to come.  Please take a minute to sign up.

I hope I can see you there.  Call or drop me a line if you have any questions.

Until next time, keep writing!