Truby's Genre Secrets Audio Workshop

From the writers, directors and producers of Shrek to Sleepless in Seattle to Star Wars, Truby's screenwriting courses have trained some of the top players in Hollywood today. Truby's audio and video screenwriting courses will teach you hundreds of screenwriting techniques that will allow you to compete with the best.

All together, Truby's courses total in over 14 hours of audio and 8 hours of video and focus on the 22 building blocks of every script. These screenwriting courses will take you from beginning to end in the development process of your script idea.

"Truby's Story Structure Class is a totally new system.... a course that allows a writer to succeed in the fiercely competitive climate of Hollywood." American Film Institute Magazine 

Action 

Action is what film was invented for. Action is the epic hero, the one who changes a nation, who wins the day, who succeeds in life.

The ACTION COURSE shows you exactly how to write the most highly choreographed of all movie genres, including such classic hits as Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, and The Terminator. This live seminar covers every aspect of this audience favorite, from the various action heroes to all the beats of the major action story forms. Don't miss this detailed blueprint for success.

Table of contents:

• How Action Works 
• What to Watch Out For 
• The 11 Action Story Beats 
• The 5 Action Archetypes 
• Creating the Great Action Hero 
• Creating the Perfect Nemesis 
• Game Plan & The Trick to Plot 
• Principles of Combat Strategy 
• Sequencing the Fight Techniques 
• The 3 Thematic Sequences 
• Techniques of a Great Battle 
• The 3 Best Action Endings 
• Myth, Epic, Epic Love & War 
• Suicide Mission, Sports & Action Comedy 
• The Buddy Picture 
• Fish Out of Water 
• Transcending Action 
• Openings & Fight Scenes
• Chases, Sparring & Dialogue 

Comedy 

Comedy is hard. Movie comedy writing is very hard, and is done well by relatively few writers. That's actually good news. But only if you can master the professional techniques guaranteed to create laughs for a full two hours.The COMEDY WRITING COURSE is among the most popular at Truby's Writers Studio because it gives you all the techniques of this perennial favorite. 

We guarantee you won't find a third of them anywhere else. This is a monster course, covering comic characters, movie comedy structures, all the beats of the major comedy story forms, comedy dialogue and much, much more. If you are serious about your comedy writing, get this course.

Table of contents:

• How Comedy Works 
• Comedy Premise 
• The 11 Key Story Beats 
• The 9 Best Character Types 
• Boor, Trickster & Traveling Angel 
• How to Create the Comic Nightmare 
• Setting up the 4-Point Opposition 
• Scams, Disguises & Mistaken Identity 
• The 4 Big Comic Themes 
• Action Comedy Beats 
• Buddy Picture Beats 
• Traveling Angel Beats 
• Romantic Comedy Beats 
• Farce Beats 
• Black Comedy Beats 
• Satire Beats 
• Comic Lines & Openings 
• Predicament & Nightmare Sequence 
• Comic Battle & Communion 
• 10 Keys to Comedy

Detective, Crime, and Thriller

Are you most interested in truth? These story forms are about the unending search for truth, the struggle to claw through the facades, lies and misdirection that cheapen daily life. The truth may set you free. But these most honorable of all genres are a nightmare to structure.

The DETECTIVES, CRIME STORIES, AND THRILLERS COURSE shows you how to create the investigators, murderers and suspects, the intricacies of the crimes, the plot twists, the special story beats and the underlying themes of these popular forms. It also gives you detailed instruction on how to transcend these genres to write something truly special, like the classic hits L.A. Confidential, The Usual Suspects, and Silence of the Lambs.

Table of contents:

• What Is A Detective Story? 
• The 10 Detective Story Beats 
• Key Elements of the Detective Archetype 
• Weaknesses of the Detective 
• How the Killer Works 
• Creating the Mystery Code 
• Woman as Killer, Victim & Detective 
• Investigative Techniques 
• Structuring the Tricky Middle 
• Detective Moral Beats 
• Solving the Crime 
• The 8 Crime Story Beats 
• Beyond the Simple Crime Story 
• Fish Out of Water & Comedy Crime 
• Crime Caper & Film Noir 
• The 9 Thriller Story Beats 
• The Crime-Personal Connection 
• Best Technique of Writing 
• Transcending Detective 
• The Cosmic Detective Story 
• Transcending Crime 
• Transcending Thriller

Horror, Fantasy & Science Fiction

What's your vision of the future of man? These are the great forms of speculative fiction, and they can be tremendously creative. But while these genres are related, they give audiences very different visions of humanity.

This ground-breaking HORROR, FANTASY, AND SCIENCE FICTION COURSE gives you the tools and structures to make these most "high concept" of all genres real and original. Learn how to create the terrifying impact of Jaws, the sheer fun of ET and Big, and the complex world of The Matrix. If you are a visionary - of either darkness or light - these forms are for you.

Table of contents:

• How Horror Works 
• What to Watch Out For 
• The 15 Horror Story Beats 
• The Horror Hero 
• Creating the Monster
• Techniques of the Monster’s Attack 
• Tricks for the Middle 
• The Final Battle and the Double Ending 
• Transcending Horror 
• How Fantasy Works 
• What to Watch Out For 
• The 13 Fantasy Story Beats 
• Creating the Fantasy World 
• Arenas, Crazy Characters & Passageways 
• The Unique Fantasy Hero & Opponent 
• Transcending Fantasy 
• How Science Fiction Works 
• What to Watch Out For 
• The 4 Models of the Universe 
• Creating the Science Fiction World 
• The Unique SF Hero & Opponent 
• SF Plot Tricks and Smaller Worlds 
• Transcending Science Fiction

Love

Everyone loves a love story. But this apparently simple tale may be the most difficult form to write well. Love is the only genre where you need not one, but two equally well-defined main characters. It has a plot where surprise must come out of intimacy. And it has a story that should naturally take only ten minutes. But you have to fill two hours and make the audience not only see the love but feel it, want it, demand that it happen. If that isn't hard enough, your characters must want it, but be afraid of it as well.

The LOVE STORY COURSE explains in detail how the subtle choreography of a true love story works, from the essential story beats to love's many story forms, from love scenes and dialogue to how to write an enduring love story. Perhaps the most complex of all genres, the love story is as varied as Pretty Woman, The Titanic, and Four Weddings and a Funeral. If love is your message, this course will show you how to send it in the most appealing way possible.

Table of contents:

• Men vs. Women 
• The Love Path
• The Life Task of Men & Women 
• The Old Man-Woman Contract 
• How Love Stories Work 
• The 12 Love Story Beats 
• The Gaze, the Meet & the Desire 
• The Joust and the 2nd Opponent 
• Setting Up the Love Plot 
• Kicking Up the Heat 
• Getting Closer & Coming Apart 
• The Big Love Finale 
• Teen, Illicit, Film Noir & Tragic Love 
• Epic Love & Romantic Comedy 
• The Transcendent Love Story 
• Openings, Riffing & Seduction Scenes 
• Sex Scenes & Happy Marriage 
• Moral Conflict in Love 
• Farewell and Communion

Masterpiece
Techniques of Advanced Screenwriting

Do you believe in greatness? The only way to set yourself apart from all the other writers who want to succeed in the entertainment business is to create an original product. Hollywood sells individuality, packaged really well. In this business you are selling yourself, and writing the advanced screenplay is by far the best way to do it.

Writing a Masterpiece means creating complex characters, inventing your own story structures, tracking twisted moral arcs, and expressing the big themes. MASTERPIECE: TECHNIQUES OF ADANCED SCREENWRITING is filled with the most detailed professional techniques found in scripts like American Beauty, Forrest Gump, and Pulp Fiction. If you are serious about being a top professional writer, this course is a must.

Table of contents:

• What is Masterpiece Screenwriting? 
• The 8 Advanced Story Beats 
• How to Create the Advanced Story World 
• Worlds of Shame & Guilt 
• Individualizing 7 Character Archetypes 
• Creating the 4-Point Opposition 
• The 5 Advanced Moral Arguments 
• The Trick to the Advanced Battle 
• Connecting Premise to Theme 
• The 4 Advanced Story Shapes 
• Myth-Drama Story Beats 
• The 6 Myth Models 
• Fairy Tale-Drama Story Beats 
• Transcending Fantasy 
• Transcending Drama Beats 
• Advanced Comedy Story Beats 
• True Stories 
• Biography, Round & Chinese Boxes 
• Key Rules for Storytellers 
• Great Opening Scenes 
• Scene Sectioning 
• Great Closing Scenes 

Memoir & True Stories

Memoir & True Stories may be the most popular genre for books and films right now. What's more, writing your memoir is the single best way to create meaning out of your life. But it is a surprisingly difficult story form to do well. And most writers lack the techniques they need to bring their unique story to life. In the MEMOIR & TRUE STORIES COURSE, John Truby applies his advanced story techniques to this intimate and popular genre.

Using Truby's simple but powerful "10-10-10 System," you will turn your story into a professionally written Memoir that will make the entertainment industry take notice. You will be amazed at how quickly and easily you turn your personal experiences into a compelling life story that everyone wants to read.

Table of contents:

• Using the 10-10-10 System 
• The 7 Key Steps in Memoir 
• The True Story Film 
• Building the Story Frame 
• The 5 Techniques for Storyteller 
• Creating Vivid True Characters 
• Designing the Plot 
• Autobiography Myth Beats 
• The Thriller Memoir Beats 
• Comedy Drama & Straight Drama 
• The Detective Memoir 
• The Myth-Drama Memoir 
• Multi-Character Memoir 
• How Do You Feel 
• Tips for Writing Your Memoir 
• The 10 Keys for Adapting the Story 

Myth

The mythical journey is the only sure path to a smash hit. Myth is the foundation of more blockbusters than any other genre by far. One reason for this is that myths show us archetypal characters and life changes that transcend cultures. The myth form travels the world better than any other genre. Audiences love it, so studio executives love it too.

The MYTH COURSE, the most comprehensive class on myth you will find anywhere, explains the huge success of films as different as The Dark Knight, Star Wars, and Crocodile Dundee. It tells you the key story beats of the genre, along with techniques for updating the great myths of the past, then lays out a detailed blueprint for the 10 major myth forms that will likely define worldwide storytelling in the future.

Table of contents:

• How to Read the Myth Map 
• The 11 Key Symbols of the Psyche Map 
• The Top 4 Ancient Myths 
• The King Arthur Story 
• Myth-Drama and Comic Myth 
• Superman, Frankenstein & Samurai 
• The Top 2 American Myths 
• The Horror Myth 
• The Lone Warrior & The Gangster 
• Destructive Myths 
• How the New Myth Works 
• The New Story Structure 
• The 5 New Myth Heroes 
• The 10 New Myth Stories 
• The Eco & Rejuvenation Story Beats 
• How to Write Your Life Journey 
• The Epic Comedy Story Beats 
• The New Love Story 
• The Epic Horror Story

Sitcom

The best comedy writing in the entertainment industry is done on sitcoms. But sitcoms are NOT about stringing together a lot of jokes. They are comic short stories, and they have a unique, highly structured form. The trick is knowing the sitcom story structures that actually produce the laughs, writing comedy from character, and playing with the ongoing web of comic oppositions.

The SITCOM COURSE is one of Truby's Writers Studio's most popular, because it shows you all the elements of character, structure, scene and dialogue of this popular form. No other book or course has the depth or breadth of this class. Students range from those trying to break in with a spec script to those established pros who want to learn how to create their own sitcom.

Table of contents:

• How Sitcoms Work 
• The 7 Steps to a Great Sitcom 
• The 8 Key Sitcom Characters 
• Setting Up the Sitcom Predicament 
• Creating the Comic Opposition 
• Scams, Disguises & Comic Nightmares 
• How the A Sitcom Structure Works 
• How the A + B Sitcom Structure Works 
• How to Break Down A Show 
• The 4 Kinds of Sitcom 
• The Anti-Sitcom & Serious Sitcom 
• Pitching Your Idea 
• How to Write Sitcom Scenes 
• Visual Gags & Funny Lines 
• Writing on Staff 
• Elements in Emmy-Winning Scripts 
• Set Ups in 2 Great Sitcom Scripts 
• Pay Offs in 2 Great Sitcom Scripts 

Story Development

Most writers’ second draft is worse than their first. That’s because most writers, and the producers, story editors and executives who work with them, don’t know the right techniques and order for rewriting.

The STORY DEVELOPMENT COURSE takes you step-by-step through John Truby’s powerful techniques for rewriting your script, from first draft to final sellable product. This is a must course for writers, producers, story editors, executives and directors who want to turn a solid script into a winner.

Table of contents:

• Obsolete Development Tools 
• The Deep Structure Story Beats 
• Story Beats in Three Films 
• The Key Script Weaknesses 
• Weaknesses of Opponent, Plot & Dialogue 
• How to be a Script Reader 
• The Ideal Development Process 
• Fixing the Hero, Opponent & Plot 
• Techniques of the Polish 
• Popping the Close & the Dialogue 
• Working With the Writer 
• Adapting Novel to Script 
• Breaking Down the Weaknesses 
• Breaking Down Weaknesses 2 
• Techniques for Restructuring 
• Developing Comedy 
• Developing Comedy 2 
• Developing Comedy 3 

TV Drama

One-hour TV Drama is the other major written form on TV besides sitcoms, and is a very lucrative and creative one for writers. Year in, year out, the best dramatic writing is found on television. The challenge for writers is to write great scripts under impossible deadlines.

The TV DRAMA COURSE is designed to make you a professional TV writer, able to work on the staff of any show on television. The course teaches you how to break down a show so you can write a great spec script. You also learn the different story beats for the various genres of 1-hour TV, how to include Emmy-winning elements in your story, how to write on staff, when to break the "rules" and much more.

Table of contents:

• Why Write Television 
• How to Break Down Any TV Drama 
• Comedy Detective & Crime Story Beats 
• Single Hero Drama Story Beats 
• Multi-Character Drama Story Beats 
• Pitching Your Idea 
• Best Sequencing for Writing Your Script 
• How to Write Drama Scenes 
• Good Dialogue & Rewrite Checklist 
• Survival Tips for Writing on Staff 
• How A Real TV Season Works 
• How A Real TV Season Works 2 
• Elements in Emmy-Winning Scripts 
• The 22 Story Steps in TV Drama 
• The Tricky Middle in 2 Great Scripts 
• Payoffs in 2 Great Scripts