Narrative in Theory and Practice
DAY: TBD, Wednesdays, 6pm to 8pm - keep checking back to see when the next session opens!
Instructor: Vincent Warren
This course is designed to give you an inside-out understanding of how narratives function, and the means and opportunity to put those concepts to work in your own comics. Each student should come prepared with an idea for a narrative comic or script they’d like to write and develop. Time will be split between lectures, in which we will explore and discuss the principles of storytelling (such as character, drama, structure, etc.), and workshops, in which each student’s story will be read and discussed. The goal of the class is for each student to produce a refined script based on an idea that they are passionate about, and in doing so, develop a “narrative toolkit” which they can apply to their future work.
The concepts we discuss in the course are universal to storytelling regardless of form or medium. The instruction is focused on promoting a working understanding of the building blocks of a strong narrative, both by examining existing works and observing each other’s processes. Rather than a series of blanket “all stories do this” axioms, we aim to show you how to intelligently use techniques and tropes to strengthen the particular stories you wish to tell. Beyond length requirements, you will be free to develop any story you wish, though it should not be a story you have already written, or attempted to write.
This class is ideal for creators looking to improve their writing and storytelling, regardless of their level of experience.
Materials: Students should bring a notebook and writing tool for note-taking, and should have access to a computer for producing script pages to bring to class. For the sake of format normalization, I recommend everyone use CeltX, a free scriptwriting program with a comic template.
CeltX download link: http://celtx.en.softonic.com/
Schedule
Week 1: Introduction, What is a Story?, Formatting
Week 2: Pitches Part 1, Drama
Week 3: Pitches Part 2, Character
Week 4: Structure and the Writing Process
Week 5: Reading and Discussing Your Scripts: (Rough Drafts) Group 1
Week 6: Reading and Discussing Your Scripts: (Rough Drafts) Group 2
Week 7: Discussion and In Class Work Time Finalizing Scripts Group 1
Week 8: Discussion and In Class Work Time Finalizing Scripts Group 2
Week 9: Discussion and In Class Work Time Finalizing Scripts - final day
Week 10: Final Scripts
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PRICE: $350 for 10 week course
For more info or to RSVP today, please contact the International School of Comics:
EMAIL: [email protected]
PHONE: 312-265-0982