ISA Craft Courses

I've been a screenwriter for 20 years (and a teacher of screenwriting for 10 of those years), and who you choose to share your screenplay with for notes is a crucial decision, one I don't take lightly. In the wrong hands, your ideas can get crushed or worse, praised. What every writer needs is that talented person who can help take your work to the next level, no matter how far it's been developed. I've only been working with Max and The Story Farm for a few months, but I already feel like I have a champion in Max - someone who believes in my work and knows how to push me, and the work, forward.

After working with Max Timm for a few years now, I have to say my scripts have never been tighter. Rewriting which can be daunting is much easier when working with someone with such a good eye and ear for story and dialogue. Beginning a new project with his guidance, (and deadlines!) inspires me to keep moving forward with my creative pursuits. I believe with Max, I will end up with a body of work that I can shop with pride.

One of the most difficult challenges for any writer is consistent output. Writing is a muscle that grows and develops as you exercise it. The only way to do that is to keep writing and re-writing over time. I was looking for a coach who would not only help me keep up the pace by giving me deadlines and pushing me to finish projects...but I was also looking for someone to help me not get bogged down on any one area of a screenplay or story. Max is wonderful at giving me notes promptly on the scenes I submit to him. His comments are always spot-on and insightful. He helps me know if I am going in the right direction or if I am straying off the beaten path. Hiring Max is like hiring a personal trainer for your writing. You’ll get much better results than being your own coach.

The Story Farm has been an amazing experience. Max is a fantastic coach, and always willing to push you to go that extra step so that your writing sparkles. I came into the program with an idea for a story and a lifetime of bad writing habits. Max's technique whipped me into shape while helping me find the story I really wanted to tell, and guided me in working out all the details before I ever opened a copy of Final Draft. I wholeheartedly recommend this program to any writer who wishes they could make their 1st draft feel more like a 5th.

I am four months into my year of coaching with Max and it has far exceeded my (already high!) expectations. I’m amazed by how much I have learnt already and by how far forward my projects have moved since we began. Max is such an easy person to work with, and his insights are invaluable – he gives the perfect balance of space for you to reflect and learn for yourself, and very specific notes and suggestions on your scripts. Over the last few days I confidently tackled a huge structural rework of a script, and couldn’t believe how assured I’d become in what I was doing. Of course there’s far more to learn – and I’m looking forward to it! Max has also made a fantastic introduction to a contact of his for me, so now I have a very talented manager too, who can bring my TV work together with other parts of my IP, as I am an established fiction writer and am also venturing into the world of VR storytelling. I can’t recommend the coaching highly enough – it’s like having a personal, tailored MA in screenwriting, a talented script editor and an knowledgeable industry guide all in one!

I'm not one who needs my hand held to get through a project, but Max's style of personal coaching lets me know he's right there when I am looking for a bit more. And, the script development process with Story Farm is supportive, insightful and gets right to the heart of what is and is not working. The guidance has been invaluable.