Patron-Exclusive Class Discounts

Hello, Point North patrons! Thank you so much for supporting Point North Media, and for making all of our podcasts possible. As a thank you, please check out these patron-exclusive discounts on all the Point North Media classes — from learning the complexities of mystery fiction to the deep roots of fantasy and fairytales, to a primer in the skills needed for critical analysis and comprehension, these classes will feed your passion for stories and storytelling!

It may well be said that William Shakespeare needs no introduction: a genius with the written word, a poet of unrivaled skill and influence, the most-performed playwright in history, an inventor of words and phrases which changed the shape of our shared language, a master of the human condition, and much more besides. Shakespeare has been studied and celebrated for four hundred years, but the extent of his talent and genius is still being discovered. In The Globe’s Bard: The Life And Work Of William Shakespeare, I break down the biography, work and influence of the world’s greatest playwright and poet. For more information, click here.

For as long as human beings have been telling stories, we’ve told stories of the realm of Faerie, and the creatures which inhabit it. From the Middle English poem Sir Orfeo to Game of Thrones and Tinkerbell, Faerie stories have been a consistent and powerful part of our shared culture. In this class, we explore the medieval origins of the Faerie-story tradition, and track the evolution of the fairy-tale and fantasy genres which were inspired by those tales. This six-week class is intended for scholars and lovers of fairytale and fantasy fiction. For more information, click here.

In this Critical Reading class, I will teach you my approaches to understanding, analyzing, critiquing and celebrating fiction. Over the course of four weeks, we’ll examine the basics of critical reading, the analysis of poetry, short stories and novels, the functions and purposes of analogy and allegory, the power of symbols, metaphorical language and the intent of both the text and the author. You’ll leave the class with a set of critical skills and a specific vocabulary that will allow you to think and talk critically and positively about literature and popular culture. For more information, click here.

In Watching Our Stories, we’re going to discuss the entire history of television as a medium and a format, the conventions and structures that have emerged and become dominant, the rise and fall of different genres and formats, the ways in which television has and will continue to evolve, and the brave new frontier of post-broadcast television programming. For more information, click here.

In this class, you will learn how to study, understand and analyze the visual elements of cinematic narrative. From shot composition to color and lighting, from the movement of the camera to finer points of editing, you’ll be able to break down individual scenes and sequences and determine exactly how they accomplish their narrative goal and elicit an emotional response in the viewer. How does the position of the camera change our perspective on a character’s strength and capability? How does lighting change the tone and texture of a scene? How did we arrive at the conventions of narrative cinematography, and how is the art continuing to evolve? For more information, click here.

Modern fantasy fiction began to emerge in the 18th century, but its roots run deep, all the way back to the oldest myths and fables. Fantasy fiction reflects our metaphorical understanding of the real world — a world we populated with monsters and magic in an attempt to understand it, and to speak more eloquently of its fundamental truths. In this two-hour class, I will give you a brief history of the genre, discuss its unique strengths and enduring popularity, and then guide you through the process of writing your own distinctive, compelling, magical fantasy novel. For more information, click here.

The roots of modern mystery fiction can be traced back to the English Renaissance, but in the last two hundred years the mystery novel has risen to a pre-eminent position in popular culture. From Arthur Conan Doyle to Agatha Christie to PD James, the genre has surpassed all others in aesthetic and narrative refinement, precision and focus. In this two-hour class, I will give you a brief history of the genre, discuss its unique strengths and enduring popularity, and then guide you through the process of writing your own absorbing and engaging mystery novel. For more information, click here.

From Ancient Greece through medieval stories of courtly romance to Jane Austen and the rise of the modern romance novel, we have always been fascinated by the hopes and heartaches of the well-told love story. In this two-hour class, I will give you a brief history of the genre and its myriad sub-genres, discuss its unique strengths and enduring popularity, and then guide you through the process of writing your own enchanting and satisfying romances. We’ll discuss what defines romance fiction, how romances fundamentally work and reward their readers, the various conventions and tropes of the genre, and how to avoid the pitfalls and obstacles common to the genre. For more information, click here.