The Unexpected Lesson I Learned from John Yorke: Creative Community Building

At the beginning of summer, I joined John Yorke’s 16-week training on story structure, and though it ended a few weeks ago, it’s still keeping me inspired. How?

Now I’m in the alumni area, which connects not only classmates but everyone who has ever taken the course, as well as participants from other programs on the platform.
There are weekly “sit & write” sessions where writers from around the world gather online and focus on their own projects for two hours, as well as monthly interviews with authors, screenwriters and producers. Honestly, it feels like having a lifetime free-flying pass for creative growth.

I came for a course on story structure, but I left with something much bigger: a sense of creative community. It also became a lesson in community building for me. Since I’ve been exploring how creative communities form and grow, it was especially meaningful to witness such a thoughtful example in action. Truly eye-opening, and I’m so grateful to be part of it.

The sessions may be over, but I’m now waiting for personal feedback from my tutor on my feature treatment, submitted as the final assignment. Once I receive it, I’ll share a more detailed review of the training.