Make Your
Stories Stronger

With the Idea Course and Online Community
from multiple Emmy-winning screenwriter Erik Bork

Hi, I’m Erik.

After the success of my book The Idea: The Seven Elements of a Viable Story I decided to create an online space to help writers apply its concepts.

In it, I give advice and feedback on loglines and synopses and conduct a weekly live session on writing topics of interest to our members.

It also includes a self-paced 35-lesson video course that expands the book’s “7 Elements” into 5 targeted lessons each, to strengthen any story.

Check it out for 30 days with no credit card required – look at some lessons, join a live session, post on the discussion boards.

And let me know what you think.

THE IDEA - Graham Yost quote

Companies Erik has worked with as a screenwriter:

Get to the heart of the “P.R.O.B.L.E.M.”

  • Use the course lessons to run your story through the 7 elements test
  • Optimize the central problem, goal, plan and stakes for your story
  • Create a main character audiences can identify with and want to follow
  • Make your concept as engaging and fresh as it can be
  • Explore and express what’s authentic to you – the real reasons you’re writing

Before you even think about starting to write a screenplay, I think it’s a must to take this course. Erik teaches unique techniques that allow him, and now his students, to hone in with a laser focus on the strengths and weaknesses of an idea. You’ll end up understanding if your story is worth telling and if it will get industry players excited. I can’t recommend this course enough.

- Kirsten L.

Actor/Screenwriter

It’s just you and your idea against the world—or so you think, until you take The Idea course from the relatable, inspiring, hella credentialed screenwriter Erik Bork. Get ready for fun and turn on your critical thinking brains as Bork guides you with his masterlist of movies to discover your own idea’s next-level potential. 

- Kieran K.

Award-Winning USA Today Bestselling Fiction Writer, St. Martin's Press

Take this course first. Read Save the Cat later. You will save yourself months or years of time when you learn to evaluate and improve your basic story idea before you even begin writing it. 

- Nancy E.

Screenwriter/Educator

Your Membership Includes:

Logline Feedback

Get Erik’s written feedback on your project ideas/loglines (and questions answered) on the community message boards

Full IDEA Course

Erik’s signature online course with 35 video lessons on his 7 Elements of a Viable Story, plus a detailed workbook

Monthly topic

Vote on a monthly topic then join Erik’s live session to get your questions answered and hear his tips on it

Group Coaching

Get Erik’s feedback on your story in a monthly live video call. Or listen and learn as others do…

Member Focus

A monthly winner gets a half-hour live video consult with Erik on a one-page synopsis – and all members are invited! 

Movie/TV analysis

Vote on a new movie or pilot for all to watch, then attend Erik’s live video analysis of it – your comments/questions welcome!

1-on-1 consulting

Book private sessions with Erik outside the course at 20% off as long as you’re a member (a $40-$140 value each time)

Private community

Get to know and support your fellow members on the message boards – discuss each other’s writing, challenges and tips

Instructor Guidance

Get Erik’s advice as to which course lessons would be most useful to the specific projects you’re working on, and why

Weekly Live Events

Stay motivated and in touch with Erik

Four times a month Erik hosts a live and recorded video call where you can pitch your idea, get his thoughts on it, ask questions, make comments and listen to him give feedback to others.

Erik’s an expert at figuring out whether an idea is big and bold enough to develop into a movie script, and his course provides a concise and insightful tool for self assessment. It’s an entire college course rolled into small segments that’s perfect for active writers testing their ideas. 

- Barry F.

Lawyer/Screenwriter

The beauty of the course is that it provides a step by step process for evaluating your idea in light of many that have been highly successful over time, and does so in a way that develops one’s capacity to vet all such ideas in the future in a much more sophisticated way. 

- Maggie R.

Screenwriter/Musician

Erik’s approach with THE IDEA helps identify problems with a story idea even before you start working on structure, and that’s been a huge help for me in making my scripts more emotionally involving for readers. 

- Joe P.

Professor/Screenwriter

Monthly

$27

PER MONTH

30 DAY FREE TRIAL

NO CREDIT CARD REQUIRED

Yearly

$19

PER MONTH

30 DAY FREE TRIAL

NO CREDIT CARD REQUIRED

Clip from “Punishing” Lesson 1

Clip from Live Session on “Top 5 Script Must-Haves”

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