BEYOND THE CONVENTIONS: Writing The Non Traditional Protagonist
When: September 24th 10:00am to 4:00pm
How Long: Available for one year
How much: £47.99
Storytelling has evolved. The flawed protagonist who overcomes on their own outward or inward journey is still a very powerful model. But audiences crave diversity now, and with the proliferation of long form narrative combined with ever increasing viewer sophistication… well a hero on a hero’s journey does start to feel a little lacklustre.
So why not lean into the non-traditional protagonist? Our guess is that you already have. Maybe you are using multiple protagonists, split protagonists, a steadfast protagonist… or no protagonist at all! Maybe you have been writing a non-traditional protagonist but simultaneously trying to shoehorn them into a hero on a hero’s journey quest because you know, that’s what we are supposed to do.
Building this workshop, Bob Schultz has taken a journey of his own – examining the hero’s journey, and then then the types of stories that are NOT best suited to Joseph Campbell’s monomyth model.
Here’s the good news: If you have been struggling to make your protagonist fit this model, maybe it’s time to view your story through a new lens.
Maybe, counter to almost all the books on screenwriting, you are not doing anything wrong – you just need to embrace the non-traditional protagonist in order to write them more authentically, resulting in a story that is better, stronger and more emotionally satisfying.
In this day-long course, we will ignite the contained potential in your story via the hot rod engine that gets your story MOVING. We will:
- Explore and Analyze The 9 Archetypes Of Non-Traditional Protagonist. (Don’t worry. We’ll talk a little about the traditional protagonist, too.)
- Develop The Strategies And beats Each Archetype Employs To Maximize Storytelling Greatness.
- Identify Which Type Of Driving Force YOUR Story Needs To Avoid Pacing Problems.
- Retool your story so you are no longer attempting to knock rounded characters into angular square holes.
- Escape the expected story models to surprise and delight the reader with a fresh take on something archetypal.
Readers and audiences will join you on your journey, and thank you for the opportunity, once you accept a STANDARD protagonist is only ONE exciting option to build the emotional core of your story around. There are so many and THEIR stories feel more essential, fresh and diverse than ever before.
Recent Feedback For This Course
‘Bob’s clarity, detail and energy are now a trade mark of his excellent workshop package.’
Gordon Slack // Screenwriter
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‘I really enjoyed the film choices. Simple yet rich material with great slides, great clips and a positive energy.’
Gianpiero Cognoli // Writer Actor
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‘I’m just buzzing – that was just fantastic!!!!! I have – count them! – three ideas for stories that came to me during the course!!!!!!!! (In context I usually have just one a year!) I learnt so much – and those clips were fantastic. Thanks so much to you and Chris. Am spending today scribbling down those stories. Seriously if I stop coming to the courses call an ambulance because it means I physically couldn’t get to the computer! Honestly these courses just inspire and inform and teach in a way that you can’t bottle. Thanks so much again!’
Varsha Shah // Screenwriter
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Mary Ann Hushlak // Writer and Dancer
‘I found all the workshops I have done with you very insightful and top-notch helpful, but this one was in a league of its own. Talk about astute and able to communicate so that it’s clear, clear, clear. I was able to use the material on a short story I am working on immediately. I don’t readily use the word revelation, but this time, yes, yes, indeed, yes, it was a ‘lightbulb’ moment.’
Abbie Heath // Writer
‘Watching the clips and breaking them down as we went really clarified the process. The whole day was really, really insightful and, most of all, practical. Working through the stages and writing them on the spot meant I moved forward much more quickly.‘
Varsha Shah // Screenwriter
‘I came away with real practical ideas on how to plan and improve my final act. It was so enjoyable! A fabulous, analytical and practical workshop that has transformed my ideas on writing an effective and, most importantly, emotional final act. Thank you!‘
This class is run by screenwriter Bob Schultz. For more than 20 years, Bob has been training screenwriters , helping thousands of writers clarify their stories, reorganise their ideas and build confidence to bring the very best version of any writer, to the opportunities they create.
