"I would like to welcome you as an aspiring writer to this enormously important and timeless human tradition where you will be in a chain of people stretching back through the ages of shamans, magicians, above all, writers who have done so much to actually shape the development of the human story and of human history that you can become part of that marvelous tradition and play your own part however small, however large in this marvelous enterprise of expanding the things that humans can do, can say, can accomplish.
And more importantly, the number of ways in which they can talk about that stuff, the number of things that they can say, and the number of ways in which they can say it."
1. Alan's introduction [7 mins]
Welcome to Alan’s world. Where magic and storytelling intertwine, and good writing is valued over public opinion.
2. Writing as enchantment [6 mins]
Delve into the history of writing modifying consciousness from stone-age magic and the bardic tradition to you, now, typing away.
3. Becoming a writer [4 mins]
Everybody can (and probably should) write. The first step is to develop yourself by cultivating an aesthetic and political viewpoint.
4. Four weapons [12 mins]
Learn about the four classical elements you should master as a writer – coins, sword, cup and wand.
5. Learning to read [8 mins]
How to read anything and everything with a critical eye and come away with learnings on effective writing techniques.
6. Imagination - Fire of the gods [8 mins]
Alan talks about mining your imagination for story gold without getting caught in a cave-in at the pit.
7. Language as Technology [9 mins]
Just how powerful are words? Understand how language is our foremost technology and makes up the entirety of our conscious awareness.
8. The Neurology of Writing [11 mins]
Discover how writing affects the brain and how a little wordplay can spark synapses in a very satisfying way. Just ask Shakespeare.
9. Hemingway vs Baudelaire [9 mins]
A consideration of the pros and cons of simple, plain English versus decorative, decadent language.
10. Fascinating rhythm [13 mins]
Develop your literary ear by learning to identify and employ rhythmic elements in your writing.
11. Inventive language [9 mins]
A few tips for keeping your reader engaged with innovative writing, and an introduction to the masters of literary invention.
12. Structure [10 mins]
Get your imaginative tale in order with a three-act structure and the perfect narrative format for your story.
13. Genre [8 mins]
Alan talks about getting to know the tropes of different genres so you can mix them up and break the rules.
14. Mode [11 mins]
Witty, horrific, satirical? Past or present tense? First or third person? With a slight shift you can change everything.
15. Time and Timing [8 mins]
Explore how time passes within the narrative and in the process of reading as well as how to employ pace, comedic timing and time travel.
16. Misdirection [14 mins]
How to delightfully deceive and betray your readership and have them thank you for it.
17. Character [20 mins]
Inhabit your characters with conviction to convince your readers they are real people. Here’s how.
18. Extreme character [16 mins]
How to make fantastical, impossible, detestable, reprehensible characters realistic and relatable.
19. Place [18 mins]
Learn about how place will help you develop your story and the psychology of your characters.
20. Creating place [15 mins]
Tips for creating new worlds, including a close-up look at how Alan built Neopolis from the pavement up.
21. Period [17 mins]
Using memories, historic details, speech and slang to immerse your readers in the time of your story.
22. Considering media [7 mins]
Comics, screenwriting for film or television, novels, theatre, poetry, song-writing – a lot of writing skills can be used across disciplines.
23. Comic cuts [23 mins]
‘The Orson Welles of comic books’ (The Times) tells the truth about the comics industry and the extraordinary power of comics as a medium.
24. Screen gems [23 mins]
Acquiring a cinematic vocabulary helps you write for film and television and learn skills for all types of writing. Here’s where to start.
25. Words, music and performance [12 mins]
See how writing for music is a great way to practice metre and rhythmic language, while performance gives you invaluable immediate feedback.
26. Future media [5 mins]
Looking ahead to writing and creating new worlds for virtual reality stories. What possibilities of consciousness might that bring?
27. The need for progress [8 mins]
Don’t get stuck in a rut. Alan talks about mixing up your writing, trying new things and dipping a toe in the avant-garde.
28. Forward movements [5 mins]
A look at literary innovators like Sterne, Woolf and Proust and how what was once radical has become part of the writer’s everyday tool kit.
29. Approaches to the future [10 mins]
Techniques you might want to try in your experimentation of progressive writing methods and interesting speculative fiction ideas.
30. Lost in the funhouse [14 mins]
A small warning about going too far and tips for creating progressive writing that is still entertaining and accessible.
31. The evolution of writing [3 mins]
How far writing has come, where it could go next and how you, as a writer, are joining a transformative human tradition.
32. Permission to write [4 mins]
Everyone can write; everyone should write. Alan shares a story about an atypical storyteller.
33. Extroduction [3 mins]
A new word coined just to say goodbye, fare well and send you on your merry way to write a better world.