Instructor Jorjeana Marie is the Los Angeles Times bestselling author of Improv for Writers (Penguin Random House/Ten Speed Press) and a staff writer on the Emmy nominated Tab Time with Tabitha Brown. She is the magical rabbit “Trikini” on Disney’s Mickey Mouse Funhouse and Mickey Mouse and the Roadster Racers (she also wrote on both shows). You may recognize her voice from Nickelodeon, Disney, PBS or for narrating over 400 audiobooks for authors including Meg Wolitzer, Nina La Cour, Jacqueline Woodson, R. L. Stine, Elizabeth Gilbert. Kate DiCamillo and Gayle Forman. Winner of a prestigious Audie, a SOVAS, and more than a dozen Earphones awards, Jorjeana has been named one of the best YA voices by AudioFile Magazine year after year. Publishers Weekly calls her “Pitch Perfect”. Paste Magazine named her one of their favorite narrators and Audiofile Magazine calls her characters “Hilarious!” She is the voice of The New Nancy Drew Diaries and AudioFile says “Jorjeana Marie captures the essence of what makes Nancy Drew such a timeless fictional icon”.

Learn more about Jorjeana in our Meet the Teaching Artist series. 

Unlock the creative potential within you by applying the transformative techniques of improv to your writing, regardless of your genre or experience level. In this dynamic and supportive 4-week class, you’ll discover how improv can ignite new ideas, break through writer’s block, and breathe fresh life into ongoing projects—all without the need for performance. 

Throughout the course, you’ll be encouraged to take risks, embrace spontaneity, and push the boundaries of your creativity. By the end, you’ll not only have new material to work with but also a toolkit of improv techniques that you can apply to any writing project in the future. You’ll have a deeper understanding of how to become an "idea machine" and leave each session with new pages written.

COURSE OUTLINE:

Week One: The 10.5 Rules of Improv for Writers

We’ll start by diving into the foundational principles of improv and how they translate to the page. Each rule will be explored through a combination of discussion and writing exercises designed to put theory into practice:

Week Two: Idea Generation, Parts One & Two

Improv is a powerful tool for sparking new ideas. In the first half of this week, we’ll explore methods used in improv to generate story ideas, characters, and springboards for new narratives. In the second half, we’ll draw inspiration from the creative practices of visionaries like Ray Bradbury, Albert Einstein, and David Bowie, using their techniques to fuel your writing.

Week Three: Character Development

Characters are the heart of any story. This week, we’ll delve into creating new characters, deepening existing ones, and exploring archetypes—all through the lens of improv. Through exercises that encourage you to embody your characters (in writing, not performance), you’ll gain new insights into their motivations and behaviors.

Week Four: Worldbuilding and Settings

Settings can be as vivid and integral to your story as the characters themselves. This week, we’ll focus on creating immersive worlds and environments that enhance your narrative. You’ll design and populate your own world in real time, setting the stage for future stories, scripts, or even entire series.

COURSE TAKEAWAYS:

A Toolkit of Improv Techniques: Students will leave the class with a set of practical improv techniques that can be applied to their writing process, helping them generate ideas, develop characters, and enhance their storytelling across any genre.

New Material and Story Ideas: By the end of the course, each student will have produced new written pages, including fresh story ideas, characters, and settings that can be further developed into larger projects.

Enhanced Creative Confidence: Through engaging exercises and a supportive environment, students will gain confidence in their ability to think on their feet, take creative risks, and trust their instincts in their writing.

A Personalized Approach to Worldbuilding: Students will have crafted their own unique worlds and settings, equipped with rich details and characters, ready to be expanded into complete stories, scripts, or novels.

ONLINE COURSE STRUCTURE: