• Home
  • Explore
  • Build
  • Pro Lab
  • Retreats
  • About
  • More
    • Home
    • Explore
    • Build
    • Pro Lab
    • Retreats
    • About
  • Home
  • Explore
  • Build
  • Pro Lab
  • Retreats
  • About
Logo of The Story Farm Pro Screenwriting Labs.

FALL 2026 NOW ENROLLING - DEADLINE AUGUST 31

The Pro Screenwriting Lab


This isn't a workshop. It's not a lecture series. And it's definitely not for writers who are still thinking about getting serious. The Pro Screenwriting Lab is for writers who are ready to do the work - with a structured program, a cohort of peers, and a development process that produces scripts the industry actually wants to read. You will finish your draft. You will rewrite it. And you will come out the other side with material that's ready to be seen.


Finish your next script, including rewrites, with notes and feedback from multiple readers


Start: Saturday, September 5

Fall Lab 2026 - Sept 5 to Nov 21 · Every Saturday, 11:00am–12:30pm CT · Enroll by August 31

The full schedule of class dates and deadlines can be found below.

Pricing: $1395 or 5 payments of $299


The Pro Screenwriting Lab is a 12-week professional program rooted in storycraft, character transformation, and real industry insight - taught by a consultant and executive who has helped writers land reps, options, and deals, and has pitched to nearly every major studio, streamer, and production company for 20 years. Whether you're writing a feature or a TV pilot, developing a new idea or rewriting a stalled draft, you'll be guided through a structured, deadline-driven experience designed to build scripts that actually work and stand out in the marketplace. By the end of the Lab you'll have a finished draft, four complete sets of notes from Max and ISA readers, and 8 total months of support - the most extensive development system The Story Farm has ever offered.


Enlist the Fall Lab


You can email max@thestoryfarm.org if you have questions, or if you wish to reserve your spot in a future Lab


Writers Receive...

  • Online writing classes/group sessions every week
  • Assignment-driven support
  • Peer-to-peer notes and support
  • A graduate school approach for the screenwriter

(Please scroll down to see the schedule and dates for the Upcoming Lab.)

  • Each group session will run for 1.5 hours
  • Recordings will be available
  • Every class will follow online writing class coursework
  • All writers will be on the same schedule of assignments.
  • notes and feedback on your assignments
  • Scheduled submission deadlines and notes post-Lab.

Schedule of Deadlines & Notes from multiple readers and your instructor

  • first-20 pages reviewed and evaluated by Max Timm by week 7
  • Draft deadline of Nov 28 - Deep Dive notes from ISA reader by beginning mid-January.
  • Rewrite deadline of February 13, with notes from Max Timm by March 1
  • Development Slate submission on final rewrite due April 1.

  • Industry education
  • Personal story/voice development
  • Prep and planning for contest and/or fellowship applications
  • Consideration for the ISA Development Slate
  • Follow-up review of Development Slate notes with Max

12-month Inclusion in workshops and events hosted by Max Timm through The Story Farm Circle Community.  Monthly events and workshops include:

  • Logline feedback and reviews
  • Pitch workshops and practice
  • Office hours and a private social media forum (not Facebook!) 

Live retreats available as an upgrade:

  • September 2027 Writing Retreat in Wisconsin - normally $2249, but Lab writers get it for $1549

What you get, plus...

Professional Screenwriting Lab

 

  • Upfront payment of $1395
  • Payment Plan of $299 x 5 months is available (scroll down)
  • 12 weeks of classes, workshops, assignments, and deadlines
  • First 20 pages reviewed and evaluated by Max Timm
  • Two full script reads from ISA readers (at course end) - 1 ISA Deep Dive / 1 Development Evaluation.
  • Full read with written notes from Max Timm on rewrite
  • 12-month membership in Story Farm community which includes monthly live workshops, office hours, and lectures.
  • Full read and consideration for ISA’s Development Slate
  • Dedicated online coursework
  • 40% off The Story Farm Wisconsin Writing Retreat - total of $1549 to attend, and can include this in the monthly payment. (Reg. price for the retreat is $2250)


Whether you’re a screenwriting vet or emerging talent, this lab treats you like a professional-in-the-making. The bar is high, but that’s the point.

Inquire by emailing max@thestoryfarm.org, or click the button below.

*The Lab will be limited to 20 writers.


Pay In Full

Professional Screenwriting Lab - Payment Plan

 

  • 5 payments of $299


Payment Plan

Schedule and calendar

The Plan Ahead

 Month 1 - Build the Foundation

Week 1: Welcome & Diagnostic

• Define your goals (new project or rewrite) and your connection to the story

• Identify your character’s flaw and false belief

• Four Levels of Story Development & Self-Development


Week 2: Concept vs. Premise vs. Execution

• Thorough conceptual development. Learn why 90% of concepts fail to become great scripts

• Clarify: What’s your story about? And why now?


Week 3: Hero, Flaw, and Transformation

• Use Max’s Character Tools to define arc, flaw, want vs. need

• Build your story from the inside out


Week 4: 12-Sequence Structure (3-Act Focus)

• Break your story into scenes and moments that move the story and character development forward.

• Understanding how Act 1 works and why

 

Month 2 - Conflict, Pressure, and Stakes

Week 5: Sequence Breakdown (Acts 2A & 2B)

• Max’s core belief: conflict reveals character

• Workshop sequences 4–6 to add external stakes & internal pressure


Week 6: Opponents, Obstacles, and the World

• Identify the real threat (character, system, self)

• World-building as conflict design


Week 7: Dialogue & Scene Work

• Dialogue is behavior, not conversation

• Scenes must reveal, not repeat, information


Week 8: Building Momentum and Middle Turns

• Further define 2nd and 3rd Act moments that deepen theme and character arc

• Write your first 20 pages in script form - submit to Max for your first review

 

Month 3 – Finalizing Draft & Industry Prep

Week 9: Rewriting as Purpose, Not Panic

• Draft completion plan

• Reassess act structure and character arc with emphasis on Sequences 7 - 12

• Clarify what’s working and what’s getting in the way


Week 10: The Final Sequences

• Finalizing your draft for final deadline submission

• Stick the landing: emotional payoff and thematic closure (3rd Act review)


Week 11: Industry Readiness

• Sharpen your logline

• Write a one-paragraph pitch and a bio that sounds like you

• Prep for submission

Week 12: Final Pitches & Cohort Celebration

• Each writer submits their script for an ISA Deep Dive evaluation

• Closing reflections, Q&A, and what comes next


Deadline Schedule and Review:

  • First Draft deadline of November 28.
  • Rewrite/Resubmission deadline of January 15, 2027, with notes from Max Timm by mid-February 2027.
  • Development Slate submission on second rewrite due March 15. Final notes expected by late-April 2027 (Max will review the notes and Development Slate decision with you.)


Classes, Consulting, Coaching, Support for the Screenwriter

Please reach us at max@thestoryfarm.org if you cannot find an answer to your question.

The Professional Program is for screenwriters with experience - plainly speaking. You do not need to have sold, optioned, or produced material in the past. We do, however, expect you to have completed at least three full projects (TV or Feature) prior to applying. Writers with more than three finished projects, contest accolades, and some amount of professional experience will be preferred. The Story Farm will put emphasis on the amount of time spent and previous education when considering your application. With that said, however, a dedicated writer with a strong voice and willingness to devote their time to to education, improvement, and supporting your fellow Lab writers will be strongly considered.


Yes...but (there is always a but). We have extremely high expectations for Professional Lab writers. If a writer enlists in the Lab, we expect that writer to remain enrolled for the full time period classes and group sessions, and to hit their deadlines. We also expect that the writer remains an active and supportive peer while in the Lab. We are ONLY looking for writers who expect to be pursuing their screenwriting career for the rest of their lives. There are no refunds for this program.


This is where The Story Farm will have to take a strong stance. We do not offer refunds for this program for any reason or at any time. Whether you pay for the Lab upfront in one big lump sum, or if you are paying on a monthly payment plan, there is no refunding of money spent for any reason nor any pro-rating of time. We will not convert what you spent into or for other consulting services. The primary reason for this hard stance is due to holding our Lab writers to the highest of standards. We will devote our time and efforts to developing you and your career, and we expect the same in return. In terms of dropping out of the Lab, yes. You can drop out of the Lab at any time for any reason. The Story Farm will discuss with you your reasons for removing yourself from the Lab before releasing you from your commitment. Again, however, there will not be any refunding of your payment or payments.


The Story Farm does not guarantee that a single writer enrolled in the Professional Program will have their screenplays or TV series read or considered by any industry professional for purposes of market or business consideration. The Story Farm does not act as an agent or manager for, or producer on any of your material. The Lab writer retains all rights to his/her creative material forever. The Story Farm will involve industry professionals when The Story Farm determines the writer and/or the writer's project(s) is ready to be read and considered if and when an industry professional's creative mandate fits the writer or writer's project(s). Our aim within the Lab is to help writers improve their craft, place highly in contests, and/or set up a project with a producer on their own or with the help of the ISA Development Slate if the ISA Development Slate decides to take on the writer's project, however this is not guaranteed. Any service that guarantees industry access to any or all writers is not being truthful to its members or clients.


interested in attending?

Dedicate yourself to education, development, and community. Let us and your fellow peers keep you on track, motivated, and disciplined. Contact Max through the form below if you would like to inquire or have questions. Deadline to enroll in the Fall Lab is August 31, 2026

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

The Story Farm and Max Timm thanks you.


Copyright © 2026 The Story Farm - All Rights Reserved.

Powered by

This website uses cookies. Yum.

We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.

Accept