8d (edited) • General discussion
Welcome to The Writer's Forge
The Forge isn’t a class.
It’s not a PDF.
And it sure as hell isn’t some self-anointed guru handing out formulas.
There are no shortcuts.
Think of The Forge as a dojo:
• A place to train.
• To sweat.
• To break lazy habits.
• To get your ass kicked and come out sharper.
We don’t just build scripts here.
We build writers.
Who I Am (and why I’m doing this)
I’m J. David Stem. For 20+ years I’ve made my living as a screenwriter: Shrek 2, Rugrats, Jimmy Neutron, The Smurfs, Are We There Yet?, Disenchanted, Mission Hill. $2.5 billion at the box office, plus an Emmy nomination and a Cable Ace Award.
It’s been an incredible ride.
But don’t get it twisted — I wasn’t a prodigy. I made every mistake you’re making now:
• Jumping into drafts too soon because the idea felt “so good it would write itself.”
• Stalling out by page 30.
• Rewriting the same dead script, clinging to broken pages I’d “worked so hard on.”
We call that Polishing a Turd.
Polite society calls it Putting Lipstick on a Pig.
But we know better.
I built The Forge because if I’d known then what I know now, it would’ve saved me years of struggle. Some of those great ideas might have become great scripts. Instead, they sat in my attic until they burned in the Pacific Palisades fire.
Out of the ashes, new things rise.
That’s what The Forge is about.
Who I’m Looking For:
The Forge isn't for dabblers.
It’s for writers who:
• Know the loneliness of the page… and keep going anyway.
• Are willing to bleed on the page — to get past clever, past safe, into something primal and human.
• Can take real notes, not empty cheerleading.
• Show up, rewrite when it hurts, hit deadlines, and genuinely want each other to succeed.
If you’re looking for quick fixes or “Save the Cat” shortcuts, The Forge isn’t for you.
But if you’re ready to train like a pro, this is where you belong.
My Mission:
Here’s my commitment -- I’ll bring every hard-won lesson I’ve learned in 30 years of writing at the highest level.
I’ll teach you how to forge scripts that are undeniable.
Scripts that cut deep.
Scripts that act, as Kafka said, like an ax to the frozen sea within.
And here’s what I ask in return:
• Show up.
• Sit in the hot seat.
• Do the rewrites.
• Meet the deadlines.
• Support each other with honesty, not fluff.
This is how we forge each other.
This is how we rise.
Why It Looks Quiet in Here
Yes — it’s sparse right now. That’s because this isn’t some prefab course with a thousand faceless names. We’re building this together, from the ground up.
I’m not looking for tourists who want to dump a script, grab notes, and leave.
I’m looking for writers who care about the work.
Who want to go deep.
Who want to forge themselves — and the writers around them.
Writing is lonely. Hours at your keyboard, wrestling with doubt.
The Forge is where we take that solitude and make it shared.
Where we learn from and push each other.
And see how far this road can take us, together.
If you’re here now, you’re not just joining.
You’re part of the foundation.
The Call:
If you’re ready to be challenged —
if you’re ready to stop playing small and finally step your game up —
Pick up the hammer.
Step into the fire.
Forge ahead.
Your first month is free. No credit card. No catch.
After that, founding members lock in at a rate that will never be offered again. Once we prove what we’re building here, the price goes up.
Right now, let’s get to know each other. Let’s see if my years of hard-won experience can help take your writing to the next level.
I’m confident they can.
There’s not much here yet. Because we’re building this together.
I’ll be posting videos about the Writing Life. But the real fire will come from you — putting your ass in the Hot Seat, where your pages will rise from the ashes: sharper, stronger, alive.
That’s where the real magic happens.
It’s hard. It’s humbling. It takes real work.
This isn’t for everybody. And that’s exactly the point.
But if you feel this and think… FINALLY!
You’ve found your tribe.
Welcome to The Forge.
As one of us, here’s your first commitment:
• Read the 10 Iron-Clad Rules for a Writing Life.
• Then make a post introducing yourself: who you are, where you are on your writing journey, which Rule you struggle with most, and which feels most natural to you.
Forge your work.
Forge yourself.
Forge ahead.
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Welcome to The Writer's Forge
skool.com/the-writers-forge
Real mentorship from a $2.5B screenwriter. Hot-seat feedback. 10 Iron-Clad Rules. First month FREE. We are building a true Writing Community here!
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