Course Details

Controlling idea is the single most important creative element, essential for building the structure of any story, whether it's a fairy tale, a stage play, a screenplay, a magazine article, or a novel. The idea determines the texture of every episode within a narrative, as well as coordination of the episodes, every turning point, and especially the design of the climax. Ultimately, the controlling idea can be described as an author's personal message to the reader, expressed through every building block of the story. The quality of any creative work can be estimated by the efficiency in technical realization of the controlling idea. This class provides an advanced method of developing intellectually and emotionally compelling stories.

In the course of three hours, students will consider the various aspects of the controlling idea, and the most effective techniques of its expression. This is a beginners' class for educated writers.

In this seminar you can expect to learn:

• How to deduce a controlling idea from the material in development
• How to use the controlling idea for generating the material for a story
• How to structure a story, using the controlling idea as a creative instrument
• How to express your personal message through story climax
• Where to discover rich, original, and useful controlling ideas
• How to avoid didacticism and banality in storytelling
• How to recognize and understand controlling ideas in literature, film, and works of art in various media.

By the end of class, students can expect to have: 
Skills for structuring a virtually unlimited number of stories from scratch; deep understanding of story structure; and ability to appreciate controlling ideas in the works of literature and art.

Instructor Bio

Dmitriy Ventsimerov is head of story development department at the New York-based film production company Insight Images. Feature screenplays, created under his supervision (WWII Drama/Spy Thriller Reward and Sports Drama Marathon), have received rave reviews among agents, critics, producers, and distributors at the Cannes Film Festival in 2005, and are currently in production in the US and Europe. He has also edited several novels, a number of screenplays, and hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles, and for many years has been working as a freelance creative writing tutor. His clients and students include published fiction and non-fiction writers, as well as TV, film, and advertising industry professionals.

Dmitriy Ventsimerov's Courses