an any-level workshop in screenwriting
shaping personal narrative through story structure
What is an ending?
What is an ending?
In this workshop, we’ll ask that question a lot. What makes a good one, and what makes a great one? Why do we need endings? Not just for our story, but for ourselves. What do they do for us, both in life and in fiction? What craft of ours — or natural inclination within us — allows us to reach an ending? Is an ending simply the logical culmination of a very well set-up beginning? Or is it just where the middle stops?
To start us off, I posit that an ending — or at least a good one — is the final emotion of a carefully crafted arc of emotional manipulation. In this course, we’ll take a look at this arc’s craft — story structure — and how it applies to screenplays, the worst form of literature, but also the most accessible. We’ll investigate the nature of stories and our impetus to craft them by drawing on our lived experience, and in doing so, give shape and resolution to our own emotions. By the end, you will feel accomplished and maybe a little freer and lighter.
TL;DR - I’m gonna make you use your real life to teach you story structure, and you’re gonna get a screenplay out of it
offered spring 2025 in Mooresville, NC
exact dates and location TBD based on student availability, but likely Saturday afternoons starting January
enrollment capped at 13 so you get the attention you deserve <3
Projected course cost: $800*
*potential di$counts for students, early sign-ups, and referrals :)
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I am over 18
I have a laptop
I love movies and/or TV and/or books
I feel I have a story in me
I want to learn how to tell it
I’m tired of not believing in my abilities
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A finished, feature-length screenplay
Practical knowledge of what makes a story effective
Applicable techniques to write any future story, review, ad, post, etc.
A deeper understanding of myself and why we tell stories
One-on-one story consulting and feedback from a working professional
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Hello! My name is Ryan Craver, and I’m a filmmaker currently developing a TV series with *** [redacted, but they’re big!]. My feature film and TV projects have received support from the Tribeca Film Institute, SFFILM, the Sloan Foundation, and the Davey Foundation. I was a 2023 MacDowell fellow, and I’m currently a narrative features programmer for the New Orleans Film Festival. I received my MFA in screenwriting/directing from Columbia University in 2020, and over the past eight years of living in NYC, I’ve pitched, sold projects, made award-winning short films, and learned a lot about what makes a story compelling. A Mooresville native (my last gig in this town was on the MHS drum line!), I feel compelled to share my hard-earned knowledge and help writers at any stage of their lives or careers. I know the power of story, and more importantly, the power of having given shape to your own.