Screenwriting Intensives: The Three Act Structure with Patrick McCord, PhD, Write Yourself Free, 252 Post Road E., Westport
Saturday, June 6th, 10am-1pm $75, $60 WYF Students, $25 High School/College 203-557-4614, tishpatrick@gmail.com
This workshop will offer an intensive overview of what is commonly called “three act structure.” But here’s the real reason to come: We will discuss the Write Yourself Free amplification of the basic TAS, and why, in the drafting process, there are better ways to think structurally about what you’re writing, whether it’s a script or proseSome films we might watch include: Witness, American Hustle, the Coens’ True Grit, and Gattaca.
More about this workshop and Patrick McCord
Why You Need this Workshop and Why it will help All Writers:
Lately, three act structure (hereafter: TAS) has begun to creep out of Hollywood and into discussions about literary works, fiction, memoir, and some nonfiction. The fact is, this three act paradigm is recognizable in Shakespeare (even if his plays have been arbitrarily divided into five acts by editors), and there’s an argument to be made for TAS as an archetype.
But no matter what its origins, TAS is a criterion that will be applied to your script or narrative, so you do need to know what it is. It’s easiest to see when you have a simple map and then watch a movie. We’ll do that.
We will then discuss the Write Yourself Free(SM) amplification of the basic TAS, and why, in the drafting process, you should forget TAS because if you're still inventing, TAS can be as confining as a straitjacket. We'll discuss alternative strategies to free your the formative phases of your draft, and then, when and how to apply TAS as a focusing tool in your revision process. We’ll have some exercises to stimulate your understanding as well. Handouts galore
TAS can be a great tool to have in your toolbox, but don't reach for a sledge hammer when you need tweezers.
Patrick is a fugitive from Hollywood where he learned that his talents were more analytical than presentational. He then went back to school to get his PhD and wrote his dissertation on “Cognitive Narratology in Film and Literature.” As a university professor, Patrick was invited to present a paper on mirror neurons and affect relations, "How the Spectator Feels the Character," at the prestigious Society for Cinema and Media Studies International Conference in London. Patrick has taught screenwriting at two universities and at The Beyond Baroque Foundation in Los Angeles. Before getting his PhD, Patrick sold screenplays as well as teleplays. He is an award-winning poet and published short story author. Before launching his own writing career, he worked in project development at both NY's Circle in the Square and LA's Mark Taper Forum. Patrick was honored to win the prestigious Mitchell Marcus Award in 1991. He is currently Editor-in-Chief of The Editing Company and creator of the Write Yourself Free(SM) method and been teaching in Westport since 2007. His students are already publishing and winning literary prizes.