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  • meet Alan
  • writing classes
    • The 30-Day Outline
    • The 90-Day Novel®
    • The 90-Day Memoir®
    • The 90-Day Screenplay™
    • Rewrite Master Class
    • Siren Tales: A Women’s Writing Workshop
    • Story Day
    • Class Information
      • Calendar
      • Classes & Workshops Overview
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    • How to Write a Memoir
    • How to Write a Novel
    • How to Write a Screenplay
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Blog, Dilemma, Memoir, Novel / Fiction, Screenwriting

Writing the Forbidden

“Freedom of speech and freedom of expression are so ingrained in our society we rarely stop to think about it. I can […]

Alan WattDecember 4, 2018
Blog, Memoir, Novel / Fiction, Screenwriting

Backstory

“The past is prologue.” – William Shakespeare When we are stuck, it is inevitably because some part of our backstory is unclear. […]

Alan WattNovember 20, 2018
Blog, Memoir, Novel / Fiction, Screenwriting

Humor in Tragedy

(Image from Life is Beautiful, 1997) If you’re going to write a tragedy, infuse your story with humor. Humor pulls us towards the […]

Alan WattJuly 23, 2018
Blog, Memoir, Novel / Fiction, Screenwriting

Conflating Characters

Sometimes we’ve written characters that don’t belong in our story because their function is redundant. Conflict might arise that don’t add anything […]

Alan WattJuly 13, 2018
Blog, Dilemma, Memoir, Novel / Fiction, Screenwriting

Reframing Your Protagonist’s Goal

“Nothing worth doing is completed in our lifetime; therefore we must be saved by hope. Nothing true or beautiful makes complete sense […]

Alan WattDecember 12, 2017
Blog, First-Time Novelist, Memoir, Novel / Fiction, Screenwriting

How to Become a First-Time Author

The journey to becoming a first-time author is different for everyone. For me, it involved letting go of the idea that I’d […]

Alan WattDecember 7, 2017
Blog, Novel / Fiction, Screenwriting

The Theme of the Story

  Shakespearean plays begin with the chorus telling us what we are about to see. They don’t tell us the whole plot […]

Alan WattSeptember 18, 2017
Blog, First-Time Novelist, Memoir, Novel / Fiction, Screenwriting

Overcoming Writer’s Block

It’s not just first-time writers that get stuck. Every writer, except Stephen King, experiences writer’s block. Writer’s block is often an absence […]

Alan WattJuly 12, 2017
Blog, Memoir, Novel / Fiction, Screenwriting

What is My Title?

Those scant few words on the cover of our book or screenplay can be the most labor-intensive work of our entire manuscript. […]

Alan WattJuly 3, 2017
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Workshops

  • the 90-day novel®
  • the 90-day memoir®
  • the 90-day screenplay™
  • story day
  • rewrite master class
  • 30-day outline
  • siren tales: a women’s writing workshop
  • Tuscany writing retreat
  • envision: creative goal setting
  • writing challenge
  • solo/couples retreat
  • the 90-day novel®
  • the 90-day memoir®
  • the 90-day screenplay™
  • story day
  • rewrite master class
  • 30-day outline
  • siren tales: a women’s writing workshop
  • Tuscany writing retreat
  • envision: creative goal setting
  • writing challenge
  • solo/couples retreat

Creativity is your birthright. Your sole purpose is to build a body of work.

The written signature of Alan Watt, writing teacher

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alanwatt.com
  • meet Alan
  • writing classes
    • The 30-Day Outline
    • The 90-Day Novel®
    • The 90-Day Memoir®
    • The 90-Day Screenplay™
    • Rewrite Master Class
    • Siren Tales: A Women’s Writing Workshop
    • Story Day
    • Class Information
      • Calendar
      • Classes & Workshops Overview
  • writing retreats
    • Tuscany Retreat
    • Solo Retreats
  • writing coach
  • writing resources
    • Al’s Books
    • Videos
    • Audio
    • Other Free Resources
    • Writing Challenge
  • blog
    • How to Outline a Book
    • How to Write a Memoir
    • How to Write a Novel
    • How to Write a Screenplay
    • Story Structure
    • Character Development
    • The Writing Process
    • Writing Techniques
    • Writing Resources & Tools
    • Book Editing
    • How to Publish a Book
  • contact
  • log In
  • log Out
  • Join Free
  • ⠀