Make Your
Stories Stronger
With the Idea Course
from multiple Emmy-winning screenwriter Erik Bork
Hi, I’m Erik.
A few years ago, I wrote a book titled The Idea: The Seven Elements of a Viable Story. Its success led me to create this course to help writers apply its concepts to their scripts, novels or other story media.
It includes 35 self-paced video lessons, weekly live sessions and my feedback on your ideas.
It was inspired by my career writing for projects like HBO’s Band of Brothers (with Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg), and teaching at MFA programs and UCLA Extension’s Writers’ Program.
During that time I’ve read thousands of scripts. In the process I’ve come to see 7 essential elements to the ones that really work. They’re simple but deceptively hard to get right.
Whether you’re a new writer or a pro like Graham Yost (see below), I believe they can help you.
Companies Erik has worked with as a screenwriter:
Get to the heart of the “P.R.O.B.L.E.M.”
- Run your story through Erik’s unique 7 elements test, with 5 lessons on each
- Identify the best central problem, goal, plan and stakes for your story
- Craft a main character audiences can identify with and want to follow
- Figure out how to make your concept as engaging and fresh as it can be
- Leverage originality, authenticity and the real reasons you’re writing it
Before you even think about starting to write a screenplay, I think it’s a must to take this course. Erik teaches unique techniques that allow him, and now his students, to hone in with a laser focus on the strengths and weaknesses of an idea. You’ll end up understanding if your story is worth telling and if it will get industry players excited. I can’t recommend this course enough.
It’s just you and your idea against the world—or so you think, until you take The Idea course from the relatable, inspiring, hella credentialed screenwriter Erik Bork. Get ready for fun and turn on your critical thinking brains as Bork guides you with his masterlist of movies to discover your own idea’s next-level potential.Â
Take this course first. Read Save the Cat later. You will save yourself months or years of time when you learn to evaluate and improve your basic story idea before you even begin writing it.Â
Your Membership Includes:
Logline Feedback
Get Erik’s written feedback on your project ideas/loglines (and questions answered) on the community message boards
Full IDEA Course
Erik’s signature online course with 35 video lessons on his 7 Elements of a Viable Story, plus a detailed workbook
Monthly topic
Vote on a monthly topic then join Erik’s live session to get your questions answered and hear his tips on it
Group Coaching
Get Erik’s feedback on your story in a monthly live video call. Or listen and learn as others do…
Member Focus
A monthly winner gets a half-hour live video consult with Erik on a one-page synopsis – and all members are invited!Â
Movie/TV analysis
Vote on a new movie or pilot for all to watch, then attend Erik’s live video analysis of it – your comments/questions welcome!
1-on-1 consulting
Book private sessions with Erik outside the course at 20% off as long as you’re a member (a $40-$140 value each time)
Private community
Get to know and support your fellow members on the message boards – discuss each other’s writing, challenges and tips
Instructor Guidance
Get Erik’s advice as to which course lessons would be most useful to the specific projects you’re working on, and why
Weekly Live Events
Stay motivated and in touch with Erik
Four times a month Erik hosts a live and recorded video call where you can pitch your idea, get his thoughts on it, ask questions, make comments and listen to him give feedback to others.
Erik’s an expert at figuring out whether an idea is big and bold enough to develop into a movie script, and his course provides a concise and insightful tool for self assessment. It’s an entire college course rolled into small segments that’s perfect for active writers testing their ideas.Â
The beauty of the course is that it provides a step by step process for evaluating your idea in light of many that have been highly successful over time, and does so in a way that develops one’s capacity to vet all such ideas in the future in a much more sophisticated way.Â
Erik’s approach with THE IDEA helps identify problems with a story idea even before you start working on structure, and that’s been a huge help for me in making my scripts more emotionally involving for readers.Â
Monthly
$27
PER MONTH
30 DAY FREE TRIAL
NO CREDIT CARD NEEDED
Yearly
$19
PER MONTH
30 DAY FREE TRIAL
NO CREDIT CARD NEEDED