Reel to Real: What Fiction Writers Can Learn from Screenwriting with Michael Costaris— June 7

Take your fiction writing to the next level by applying the principles of screenwriting.

In this course, you'll refine your dialogue, develop compelling character arcs, and construct a strong narrative spine—all while learning how cinematic techniques can elevate your short fiction.

While screenwriting is its own distinct art form, certain principles can enhance prose writing, making it sharper and more engaging. Readability is key when facing the slush pile—just as Hollywood executives are known for their impatience, readers and editors are quick to move on. This course will teach you how to adapt screenwriting strategies to make your fiction as immersive and unputdownable as possible.

What students will learn:

• Mastering Story Structure: Learn the three-act structure and the 15 key turning points that shape compelling screenplays—and how to apply them to prose fiction.

• Show, Don’t Tell Across Mediums: Explore the differences between visual storytelling in film and prose fiction, and learn how this can make your prose stand out from the slush pile.

• Exposition: Nothing drags a story down more than backstory. Learn how to reveal backstory organically and compellingly without derailing momentum.

• Characterization: Craft characters that feel real immediately. Reveal through what they do and say and keep your story moving.

• Perfecting the One-Sentence Pitch: Develop a strong logline—a concise, compelling pitch that distills the heart of your story into a single sentence.

• Keeping the Pages Turning: Learn pacing techniques from screenwriting to maintain momentum and keep your fiction engaging and readable.

What students will gain:

• A polished outline and compelling logline for a new or existing work of fiction.

• Two completed writing exercises designed to sharpen your exposition skills.

• A slide deck detailing the core principles of screenplay structure and how they can be adapted to fiction writing for ongoing reference.

Additional info

This workshop will be recorded for the convenience of those unable to attend live. The recorded session will be emailed to participants the following day.

About the Instructor

Michael is a writer, editor and screenwriter from Toronto, Canada. In the past year his fiction has appeared in The Baffler, Toronto Journal, X-Ray, Apricity and many more. He is currently a fiction editor at The Adroit Journal.