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Idea Overview:
I’m a writer and story editor who manages a community for aspiring fiction writers. The Fiction Studio community benefits from a multipurpose virtual space where they find support, like minded people, learning content, valuable information and, most importantly, a culture that holds them accountable while keeping them motivated. Fiction Studio provides hands-on workshops through which participants learn by producing work, entering challenges and competitions, and by building a portfolio. Wouldn’t you like it if every learning activity you entered gave you immediate results? Get in touch to help me make Fiction Studio a must have for fiction writers.
Who might use it/where it might be used?:
Fiction Studio is for both aspiring writers who want to learn writing techniques and for authors that want to leverage their careers. It is also a space which actors, directors, and producers can use to learn the craft of writing in order to do their jobs more efficiently. Fiction Studio is a virtual community powered by Mighty Networks and accessible from anywhere.
The Market (B2B, B2C or Both):
Business to Consumers (B2C)
Sector the idea belongs to:
Gaming
Is there a similar idea to be found?:
Yes, in my research I found websites which also offer information and education to writers and authors. However, these are websites and not communities and have very little to no personal interactions with their customers. The same is the case for the virtual course/learning content providers I found. Most courses are on demand and have no personal interactions with students or hold them accountable in any way. In person course providers tend to be very expensive and I didn’t find any that gave effective career advice. Lastly, I did find many free communities for writers but most of them were unorganised or lacked any sort of management at all. The few that looked efficient were only focused on the writing but not at all in career progression.
Why you think there is a demand for your idea?:
After attending countless creative writing courses, to include a BA in Creative writing, I found myself and my peers were frustrated and none the wiser. We had dabbled in the craft of writing but we were still unaware of how to write efficiently or let alone start a career as a writer. So I decided to take matters into my own hands. What I discovered were eye opening writing techniques and marvellous opportunities that were never mentioned by any of my course providers. Fiction Studio is here to be a space where writers truly develop their craft and find representation.
Who would be the ideal customers?:
My ideal customers has already participated in creative writing courses and has tried and failed at completing writing projects. They might have failed because they haven’t mastered the craft yet or because they procrastinate due to the difficulties they find on the way. Writing is a passion and a frustration to them and they need guidance in order to write effectively and consistently.
They might by an aspiring writer who dreams of publishing a book, or having their writing turned into a television show or film. They might also be an actor or media professional who wants to use writing to leverage their career. Lastly, marketing and sales professionals might be interested in learning effective story telling to yield better results from their projects/sales leads.
What ideas do you have to reach these customers?:
I’ve been building my community by talking about Fiction Studio at networking events, pitching sessions, film/tv/theatre/literature festivals, and in other writing communities. I’m also in the process of starting a Youtube channel where I’ll post interviews with industry professionals such as agents and producers. I plan to also run Instagram and Twitter pages where I’ll share information about upcoming competitions and events, snippets of my Live Streams and interviews, along with calls to action for people to join Fiction Studio. Lastly, I’ll run a free, pre-recorded webinar which I’ll advertise in google and social media channels.
How far have you developed this idea?:
I’ve been working on the idea behind Fiction Studio for two years now. During this time I’ve participated in two entrepreneurial programmes at Birkbeck University where I shared and developed my thoughts. In Pioneer 1.0, I educated myself about startups and business practices while I also networked and pitched my idea several times. In Pioneer 2.0, I had 1-2-1 mentorship sessions which lead me to fully turn my idea on its head and find a more efficient business model. I also participated in a business pitch competition and won first prize with Fiction Studio.
What – if any – feedback have you had for this idea so far?:
I’ve had great feedback about my USP which is a more hands on and results based approach to teaching fiction writing. I won the Birkbeck Pioneer 2.0 award based on this business model and have attracted a lot of attention to the community because of this approach. The people that are already part of the community find my lessons challenging in the best sense of the word and they see great value in producing work during the lessons and not just after.
What supporting material – if any - would you like to add to your proposal?:
https://fictionstudio.mn.co
3 comments to “Fiction Studio”
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Mario L Castellanos - August 23, 2022 at 9:50 am
Another target that may prove to be the most lucrative are marketeers. Their reason to join is it’s vital they learn to write compelling short stories and catchy phrases in order to interest their target market, you and me.
Eduarda Liz Klaser Colvara - September 10, 2022 at 9:35 am
Hi Mario,
thank you for the feedback! I hadn’t thought of that but now that you mentioned it I’ll definitely run some tests with that target audience.
Jake Shaw - December 1, 2022 at 8:14 pm
I may have missed it, but is the ‘Studio’ a physical location? If it is I can see this working. Creatives forced into a hot house collaboration environment. Run ove a couple of weeks forcing the writer to come up with the goods and have it rapidly critiqued by their peers.
I can see that as premium offering at a resort location.