alanwatt.com

What It Is

AlanWatt.com is the writing-course website of L.A. Writers' Lab and Alan Watt, centered on creative writing training built around the promise of “finishing a first draft in 90 days.” Its courses include The 90-Day Novel, The 90-Day Memoir, The 90-Day Screenplay, Rewrite Master Class, 30-Day Outline, Story Day, women’s writing workshops, plus 1-on-1 coaching, editing services, writing resources, a blog, and a Tuscany writing retreat.

Key Aspects

In terms of course focus, this is not a broad education platform; it is highly focused on writing training for novels, memoirs, screenplays, and story structure. Its method emphasizes combining the “wildness of the imagination” with the “rigor of structure,” making it suitable for writers who need to move a long-form project forward within a relatively short timeframe. As for delivery format, the site clearly refers to online writing classes and workshops, with fixed dates, PST times, and five-hour workshops, and it also lists 1-on-1 coaching. However, it does not specify whether each course is live, recorded, or hybrid. There is no visible information about accreditation or certificates, so these should not be regarded as professional certification courses. Based on the site content and target market, the teaching language appears to be English.

Instructors and Pricing

The main instructor highlight is Alan Watt himself. He taught screenwriting at UCLA in 1998, founded L.A. Writers' Lab in 2002, and has published several books on writing. The 90-Day Novel has been described as a #1 Amazon book in the writing category, and he also has experience as a novelist, screenwriter, director, and film-festival award winner. The site also features testimonials from multiple bestselling authors, screenwriters, and award-winning writers. On pricing, the captured text does not provide specific prices, packages, or refund-policy details, so value for money can only be assessed conservatively.

Pros and Cons

The strengths are its clear positioning and strong sense of progression: formats such as 90 days, 30 days, and 5-hour workshops make it easy for writers to choose a suitable path. It also offers courses, coaching, editing, and writing retreats, covering multiple stages from idea development to rewriting. The downside is that key information is not transparent enough: pricing, payment methods, certificates, class size, feedback frequency, and whether recordings are available for replay are all undisclosed. For users in China, writing in English and participating across the PST time zone may raise the barrier to entry.

Best Fit and Access from China

It is best suited to people who want to complete a first draft of a novel, memoir, or screenplay in English and are willing to follow structured writing training. It may also suit writers who already have MFA or publishing experience but want to rebuild their approach to story structure. The available text does not make it possible to judge access from China, and payment methods are not specified. If access or payment is restricted, alternatives include MasterClass, creative writing courses on Coursera/edX, Chinese-language writing bootcamps, or screenplay workshops.