At least that’s my contention. Go check out this TikTok I just posted and comment/like etc if this resonates with you! Because I realized this is the heart of what I’m teaching here. Fuck Structure

As part of building this community, I'm updating the About page. Just curious which of these two vibes with the most people and would make you feel like, "Hell yeah, I need to sign up for that!" I was debating and debating, then I thought... I know a whole group of people with opinions! Let's hear it! Which would you prefer if you were landing on the About Page for the first time, and why? VERSION A: ✍️ The Writer’s Forge Stop forcing structure. Learn to create unforgettable characters that get noticed by agents and managers who can take your career to the next level. Most writers stay stuck because they’ve been taught structure-first. The beats look right… but the script feels dead. It’s missing a beating heart — characters that feel real, alive, primal as hell, and hit the reader on a gut level. The kind that make an industry reader flip back to the title page and think: “Who tf wrote this?” I’m J. David Stem (Shrek 2, Jimmy Neutron, Rugrats, Disenchanted). Studios hired me for 25 years to rebuild scripts from the inside out. Now I help writers do the same inside The Writer’s Forge. 🔥 Hot Seats — clear, honest feedback 🎯 Accountability — write with momentum 💬 Emotional Authorship — build characters reps care about If you’re serious about leveling up, get in here. $5/month for now — jumping to $50 soon. Let’s get to work. VERSION B: Stop writing in isolation and start thinking and acting like a professional. I’m J. David Stem, a $2.5B box office screenwriter and script doctor. Inside The Writer’s Forge, I teach serious writers to level up their craft with confidence — supported by a community that actually shows up and grows together. Get instant access to: 🔥 LIVE Story Hot Seats — real fixes, real clarity, coached by me 💪 Emotional Authorship — create characters actors actually want to play 🎯 Rewrite Rescue — diagnose what’s broken and fix it with professional precision 🎤 Pitching & The Business — insights from my former agent and working TV writers

I know it's been quiet this week, but there's a lot moving in the background and I'd love your input. I'm lining up guest writers to come in, talk shop, and answer your questions — including Phil Stark, screenwriter-turned-therapist and author of How to Be a Screenwriter. He wrote Dude, Where's My Car? and spent years on That 70s Show, so he'll have plenty to share. I want to start having guest writers and agents and such in regularly. How's Phil sound as one to kick it off? Also I dig deeper into how to run this community well, I've been exploring the Skool "Challenge" feature — and I think we might have something here. A December Challenge built around pages, word count, or scene output could be a great way to get momentum. But only if it's supportive, collaborative, and genuinely fun — not another source of pressure. We all put enough weight on ourselves already. So before I build anything, I want your take on this: Would a December writing challenge help you? If yes, what would make it feel motivating instead of stressful? Drop your thoughts below. I want to hear from you — and I want to shape this with you, not at you.

Let's say 12 noon today, Pacific Time! I've been running around like crazy this past week, time to catch up with what's going on with everybody and get clear on our goals moving forward in December!

December is a month when too many writers go to war with themselves. We look at the year, decide we “didn’t do enough,” and suddenly want to finish strong with some massive push… right as the holidays knock every routine sideways. Then the guilt kicks in. Not writing enough. Writing too much and missing family moments. Either way, we lose. But if you shift the mindset, December can be a powerful month — not because you grind harder, but because you get clearer and more present. My daughter just headed back to NYU after Thanksgiving. We had a great visit. I was genuinely present, and I’m grateful for that. Now I’m back at the desk setting my December goals — for the work and for my life — and I want this community thinking the same way. Here’s the frame: 1️⃣ Pick one North Star for your creative work. Something meaningful enough that hitting it would feel like a real win. A draft. A rewrite milestone. A character breakthrough. One thing that moves your story forward. 2️⃣ Pick one North Star for your life. Something simple but intentional: being present with family, slowing down your mornings, protecting one night a week from screens, finishing the year grounded instead of frantic. Not everything — just one thing that matters. 3️⃣ Break both goals into small, doable moves. Weekly checkpoints. Daily actions that fit inside December, not some fantasy sprint version of it. Write a page. Make a call. Take a walk. One beat at a time. 4️⃣ Grant yourself the grace to hold both. You can honor your work without disappearing into it. You can show up for your people without abandoning your creative life. This isn’t a tug-of-war — it’s a rhythm. So here’s the invitation: What are your December goals — for writing AND for your life? Drop them below. Name the big ones that really matter to you. Then break them into small moments you can actually execute. If you want help shaping them, tag me — that’s what I’m here for. Let’s close the year intentional, grounded, and present on both fronts.