Write Your
Best Screenplays

Create the work that you’ll be remembered for

with Ela Thier

Are any of these you?

You have ideas for stories that you’re excited about but you never seem to get started.

You get started, but few (or none!) of the scripts get finished.

You know that writing is rewriting, but you’d rather get a root canal than deal with the revision process.

You’ve written and completed scripts that you’re proud of. So why are they not getting traction? (The most painful one!)

Or maybe you’re an actor wanting to write your own material, but you know that if the writing doesn’t wow, neither will the performances.

You’re some combination depending on the day…?

Maybe you tried some of these?

Books
Free stuff online
Courses, classes, workshops
Will power & discipline
Time management systems
Taking time off… or dreaming about it
Writing groups, consultants, accountability partners…

And you’re still not the writer that you know you could be.

Not living up to your potential is painful.

Especially when you know that your work would make a difference to people.

What if…

Writing became a casual part of your daily habits?

What if inspiration felt like a faucet, and you could turn it on any time you wanted to?

What if writing didn’t drive you to isolation but drove you, instead, to a bustling community where shy people rule (because everyone does)?

What if the revision process became a form of relaxation?

After gobbling up every book and class in reach, after climbing out of years-long writing blocks, after writing dozens of scripts – great ones, whatever ones, bad ones, and after training thousands of writers, I devised the course that I wish I had when I needed it.

Ready to write scripts that your readers can't stop thinking about?

Introducing:

Write Your Best Screenplays

Eliminate writing blocks.
Wow your reader by finding those scripts that only you could write.
Build a supportive network of writers who will pull you back in when you fall off the wagon.
Write scripts that stick out of the pack by maximizing the emotional impact of your work.
Learn everything you need to know about story structure, with an approach that feeds rather than stunts the creative process.
Become an expert script consultant with powerful story tools.

30-day money back guarantee

If you watch at least one module but not more than half the course, and it doesn't meet or exceed your expectations, request and receive a full refund. No questions asked.

lifetime, on-demand access

Work through the course at your pace and on your schedule. Binge watch now or take your time. Refer back to the course as many times as you need it. Many alumni go through it with every script. When I get stuck, I still go back to it myself and use the exercises in my own writing.

The script I developed with Ela's training landed me a literary agent at CAA and an Oscar-winning producer. This year I was brought in by Disney to work on a feature and feel equipped because of the tools she's given me. To say the least, I recommend Ela to everyone I meet. I feel like I'm Sampson and she's my hair.

Shane Andries

Although I attended a world-renowned film school, my career began once I found Ela. In addition to story structure, Ela taught me how to write from a personal place. After adopting and using her writing tools for two years, I was invited to write my own TV show for MNET, the largest TV network in Africa. Since then I went on to premiere my debut feature film at Sundance. Studying with Ela was a life-changing experience.

Ekwa Msangi

Your course has changed me. I now write daily, and have someone local who I meet and write with regularly. People notice that something about me has changed and ask, but the change is internal. I’m more in tune with myself and with my own mind, and I’m more creative than I’ve been in a long time. With everything that’s going on in the world, it’s easy to think that this doesn’t matter, but it actually matters even more now.

Ann guido

curriculum

Modules include short video lectures (5-20 minutes each), writing exercises, and PDF cheatsheets.

1. End writing blocks

8 UNITS
Free your creativity. I use the exercises in this module almost daily.

2. Find your voice

7 UNITS
You don’t write hit movies by figuring out trends. You write those characters and stories that only you could write. Get the treasure map to find them.

3. Support & Community

4 UNITS
A writing life is all about the long game. Build the networks and support that you need to persist and stay the course.

4. Emotional Impact

10 UNITS
There are common ingredients to hit movies and shows that have nothing to do with structure. Write scripts that stick out of the pack with insights that you won’t find in any class or book.

5.Storytelling

5 UNITS
Learn the most important things that you need to know about storytelling in less than 30 minutes. These insights alone will instantly make you a more powerful storyteller.

6. Story Foundation

12 UNITS
Once you identify the “DNA” of your story, you can then extrapolate the rest of the script with ease. Discover an organic approach to story structure that respects the creative process.

7. Character

6 UNITS
OMG those cheesy stories where a character has some flaw and then at the end: boom! They have some epiphany and say some syrupy thing… Don’t be that guy. This module will offer an easy tool to creating a gradual and compelling arc.

8. Plot

7 UNITS
When The Hero’s Journey is used properly, it offers you the dashboard you need to fine tune and shape your story. I summarize and demonstrate how to use this tool when you write entirely by inspiration.

9. Story Analysis

4 FILMS
Become your own best script consultant. I analyze two features and two short films in very different styles and budget levels, using the tools that I teach in this course. See these tools in action!

10. Revision Process

4 UNITS
What if revising a script felt like a frolic on the beach? In this module I offer tools to creating story maps that make this adventure… adventurous!

The Tools in Action

The tools in this course are appropriate for features, shorts, pilots and series. Throughout the course I explain how I might use these story tools differently depending on the medium.

I demonstrate use of these tools by analyzing two feature films, two short films, two pilot episodes, and a regular episode. I span the range of comedy, drama, budget levels and nationalities, to demonstrate the universality of the story tools that we use.

Bonus Units

Creative writing prompts; sample scripts (my own!); recommended resources for further study; tips to running writing groups; lectures on writing descriptions, exposition, dialogue, etc.

If I think of it, it’s either there or on its way there.

Community & Support

writers don't let writers go it alone

IFS STUDIO MEMBERSHIP

Write in our virtual coffee shop

ONE YEAR FREE MEMBERSHIP WHEN YOU PAY IN FULL.

ONE MONTH FREE MEMBERSHIP when you join with a payment plan.

Become addicted to writing, my friend.

Our co-working format will keep you focused and working, but without the isolation. Even our shiest writers end up with connections.

Facilitated writing sessions twice weekly. 24-7 member run collective rest of the week; work around your schedule – and mood!

LIVE MONTHLY SESSIONS

Join our live class.

Join a live session, led by myself or one of our amazing writing coaches.

Meet fellow writers, ask questions, and laugh your way through practicing the storytelling tools inside the course.

Private forum

Lifetime access

Use our private forum to share wins, goals, rely on peers and moderators for accountability, or ask questions as you work through the course.

It works like a Facebook group, but it’s not on facebook.

annual WRITING RETREAT

(virtual) join every year

Receive an invite to our annual writing retreat every Summer. No additional cost, this bonus is a gift to our students. This is a virtual retreat (by Zoom).

You can join from anywhere, though you will be on camera, so you’ll need good WiFi and a shirt 😉

Flexible, partial attendance is welcome. Write with us all weekend, for a single hour, or for any amount of time that you wish.

Since enrolling in Write Your Best Screenplay, my writing has improved ten times fold, not just in how I write, but in how I look at the writing process. Ela provides you with challenging, yet simple and easy to follow exercises ...along with techniques that help you get into the mind of your character and their story. I’ve taken many screenwriting courses in the past, but ...by following Ela’s methods, I’ve elevated my writing to a whole new level. Enrolling in her course has proven to be the best decision I’ve ever made for myself as a screenwriter.

PATRICE ESCOTO

When Ela offered her course online, I jumped at the opportunity, knowing I'd be able to review the material and exercises whenever I wanted. Within two months I went from never writing to writing consistently every day.

If you are stuck in any way, like I was for years, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Write Your Best Screenplays. It just may change your life. It has mine.

JAYNE MAGINOT

In over twenty years of working in the industry as a development executive on both studio lots and independent films, I've never met someone as sharp in story development as Ela.

WENDY SAX

As an actor, studying writing with Ela made me realize that I don’t have to wait for anyone to give me the roles that I deserve. I'm now confident enough to be able to say that I’m a writer.

ROCÍO MENDEZ

Our world would be a better place if your script gets written.

$ 197

WRITE YOUR BEST SCREENPLAYS (lifetime access)
Bonus Vault (lifetime access)
Private forum (indefinitely)
Monthly live sessions (indefinitely)
BONUS: Annual Weekend Writing Retreat
ONE MONTH FREE: The IFS Studio

$ 997

WRITE YOUR BEST SCREENPLAYS (lifetime access)
Bonus Vault (lifetime access)
Private forum (indefinitely)
Monthly live sessions (indefinitely)
BONUS: Annual Weekend Writing Retreat
ONE YEAR FREE: The IFS Studio
SAVE $363 when you pay in full

save $363

30-day money back guarantee

If you watch at least one module but not more than half the course, and it doesn't meet or exceed your expectations, request and receive a full refund. No questions asked.

lifetime, on-demand access

BEST REASONS not TO JOIN THIS COURSE

No Time!

If you don’t have time now, you won’t have time later. You’ll never have time.

We keep looking for those giant swaths of time away from the world, but these never come.

DEDICATE 10 MINUTES A MONTH to this course, and a year from now your writing life will be utterly transformed.

To meet our most significant goals, we must take one baby step at a time, but we must keep on stepping.

Too Expensive!

These prices are per year, as of 2019. Multiply these numbers by 4 to figure out what a degree would cost.

YOUR INSTRUCTOR

Find my films at ElaThier.com and IMDb

My name is Ela Thier. I’ve written countless scripts, many of which have been produced (links below the photo). I’m proud to have received major awards and positive reviews in industry publications. I’m also proud of the hundreds of pass letters that didn’t stop me.

I’ve been through the doubts and the blocks, and dug myself – with much help – out of that ditch, and (cut to: years later) became a prolific writer who loves her scripts. I’ve written boring scripts, ok scripts, and eventually, step by step by step, while practicing and studying (cut to: many years later), I arrived at scripts that led to standing ovations. Over the years, I’ve developed an approach to writing that leads me to my best works – consistently.

Training writers has been a profound part of my journey. Since 2006, I’ve guided thousands of screenwriters and filmmakers, as I developed the course that I wish I had had.

I love writers. I love our courage. I love what we contribute to our societies. I don’t love our invisibility, our financial hardships, the harsh criticisms we receive with little actual help, and the resulting insecurities that we wear like battle scars.

Thank you for having the courage to live a creative life. Everyone is better off because you persist.

Ela Thier

FAQ'S

Is the title of this course hype? Can a course really promise me my best scripts?

Yes and no. This course contains all the tools that I use to arrive at unique and exciting scripts that I’m totally in love with.

But – a course can offer tools and encouragement, it can’t offer experience. That part is on you. I’m giving you the treasure map, but you have to do the work of finding the treasure.

Take these tools, use them day after day, script after script, and you will arrive at your best screenplays. I’m here to offer guidance, and to tell you that you can do this. I’m certain that you can.

I have no writing experience – will this course go over my head?

This course is definitely for you. Why not adopt healthy habits as a writer from the start; it’ll save you years of unnecessary trial-and-error and a few writing blocks along the way. Might as well skip all that and get to the good stuff.

As you gain experience, you’ll want to re-watch certain sections of the course because you’ll hear different things and understand them more deeply.

I’m an experienced writer – will I learn anything new?

Positively. Although the course launches new writers, more experienced writers get more out of it.

Wouldn’t it be nice to enjoy the revision process rather than write yourself in circles? Yes please! Wouldn’t it be great to abandon formulas, find your best work that is unique to you, and know how to stay fresh and inspired through every step of the process?

Lastly, the module on maximizing emotional impact will lift your work to new heights. I’ve never taken a course or read a book that tackles what I offer in that section.

Anything I need to prepare?

In the second half of the course, where I go through the nuts and bolts of story structure, I reference Shrek (the first one) and Whale Rider. I also reference the pilot episodes of 30 Rock and Breaking Bad.

You should watch those in order to follow the sections on structure, but there is no rush. The first half of the course doesn’t require anything other than showing up and doing the exercises.

When does it start? What is the format? How long does it take?

This is an online course, so you can work through it at your own time and pace.

The course is delivered as a series of video lectures, organized into short and descriptive units for easy reference.

Each of the modules that I describe in the outline above includes several lectures, most of which are 5-20 minutes in length. The speed control feature will allow you to watch these at a faster or slower pace.

Altogether there are roughly 50 lectures in the course. All of them include PDF’s with bullet points for review.

In addition to the lectures, each module also includes several exercises, some of which can be done repeatedly. There are certain writing exercises that I’ve been doing over and over again for years – every time I work on a script.

You can binge watch through the course over a weekend or two, or you can work and rework through it for months… or years.

As your writing improves, you’ll hear and understand things differently, and will likely find yourself rewatching at least some portions of the course.

I still go back to this course and use it in my own writing.

How long do I have access to the course?

Lifetime! Or as long as the internet and I exist.

I have a Master's from USC and a BA from NYU. I've read ALL the screenwriting books. I've worked in feature development in Hollywood. Bottom line: ELA KNOWS HER S#IT. She's truly a master of the craft ...and she makes the method super accessible to anyone, newbies and veteran writers alike.

But the best part? She really gets how writers operate and has a process that will have you saying goodbye to writer's block and hello to your next screenplay. Do not miss this!

JAMIE JENSEN

As a former literary agent at Gersh, I would recommend your course to any writer who is starting out, switching mediums, or an experienced writer looking to add weapons to their arsenal and write more memorable scripts.

SONYA PABLEY

Best writing course I have ever taken in my life; much more fruitful and comprehensive than most of my writing classes in film school. Finally, someone who teaches practical means and not vague concepts!

TAKASHI HORIE

I'm an actor, and on one particular film set, I thought that the script stood out as exceptionally strong. When I complimented the writer she said that her script was great because she studied writing with Ela Thier. I've since then studied with Ela myself and was recently awarded a screenwriting Fellowship from the New York Foundation for the Arts, based on my first feature script.

NABIL VIÑAS

lifetime, on-demand access

30-day money back guarantee

If you watch at least one module but not more than half the course, and it doesn't meet or exceed your expectations, request and receive a full refund. No questions asked.

3 sessions with Ela Thier taught me more than an entire semester of an expensive film school.
– PAYAL SETHI

One of the best things I’ve ever done to advance my creativity and craft.
– BEVERLY BROOKS

When I read the testimonials on Ela’s website, I said to myself: “No one is that good.” And I was right. Ela is infinitely better than good.
– STEVE KLAUSNER

Ela’s techniques turn her students into writing athletes. It’s the difference between despair and glee at the keyboard.
– JOSEPH SPAID

Ela’s workshop not only changed me, but I can even see her influence on filmmakers who haven’t taken her class but are learning from her students! Ela doesn’t just care about art – she cares about artists, and has the tools and know-how to empower artists at all levels.
– CAMERON KELLY

Simply the best writing teacher I’ve ever met!
– INNA BRAUDE

Ela is like the fairy godmother of screenwriting.

– SATTIE PERSAUD

For any writer with any amount of experience. Ela will provide you with tools to dig you out of any pit, as you employ structure without losing the soul of a script.
– MELISSA BERG

The workshop was immeasurably helpful even in my defining and shaping a documentary …I shuffled the cards I had in a different way. And now the funders are happy!
– STEPHANIE DANIELS

A huge eye-opener. I’m now obsessed with my script and looking forward to working on future scripts – instead of agonizing over the process. Thank you.
– MATTHEW JARRETT

Ela’s words are like manna to a writer’s soul. She enunciates feelings I’ve had about writing forever. Absolutely top-notch.
– IAN KELLY

Ela is outstanding, a rare find, a unicorn.
– MATHILDE DRATWA

Write Your
Best Screenplays

30-day money back guarantee

lifetime, on-demand access

Community & Support

writers don't let writers go it alone

(virtual) join every year

Our world would be a better place if your script gets written.

6 month payment plan

one payment of

30-day money back guarantee

lifetime, on-demand access

No Time!

Too Expensive!

YOUR INSTRUCTOR

Ela Thier

FAQ'S

lifetime, on-demand access

30-day money back guarantee