“We’re all puppets. I’m just a puppet who can see the strings.” – Dr. Manhattan, Watchmen

Alan Moore is a legend. I’ve always been a big fan of his work adapted to movies: Watchmen (even bought the illustrated hard-cover comic series book after watching the movie) and V for Vendetta, being the most prominent. When I found out about this course on BBC Maestro, I didn’t hesitate to start watching it. Through this course, Moore helps us see the ‘strings’ of storytelling – the underlying mechanisms that make writing powerful and transformative.

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About this course

Before taking this course I had never conceptualized the idea of writing being such a powerful tool in changing people’s minds and being part of the history of humanity. According to Moore, all human modernity exists thanks to the creation of writing. Writers in the early days were considered magical beings, capable of transmitting thoughts and communicating through distances. Writing made all modern human inventions possible, and the accumulation and spread of ideas a normal everyday advent.

That’s how he introduced the idea of writers being similar, or even the same, as wizards, sorcerers or magicians. To me this is already a transformative concept, but he goes beyond and builds on that concept to explain different areas of writing using esoteric objects such as tarot cards and natural elements.

I don’t want to give you more spoilers than that, but take my word that this class will bring a new perspective in how you write and our true purpose as writers.

While this unique approach to teaching writing through mystical concepts might seem unconventional, Moore structures the course in a way that makes it accessible to beginners and experienced writers. If you’re someone interested in the craft of storytelling, there’s something valuable to be learned from his perspective.

The course is organized into six comprehensive sections, each building upon this foundation while providing practical tools for developing your writing:

1. Origins – Covering the fundamentals and history of writing, including its connections to magic and enchantment
2. Language – Focusing on the use of language, including technical aspects like rhythm, style, and inventive language use
3. Story – Exploring story structure, genre, mode, timing, and misdirection techniques
4. Cast & Setting – Discussing character development, world-building, and period setting
5. Variety of Forms – Examining different media formats including comics, screenwriting, and performance
6. Progressive Writing – Addressing the evolution of writing and the importance of continual development as a writer

BBC Maestro Platform

This is a no-brainer. BBC Maestro provides you with an intuitive experience, where you can easily navigate and find courses on different topics. In a way, finding the content you want will feel very similar to other streaming services. The recording quality of the classes are also up to the same standard as any BBC high-end production. It doesn’t feel like you have to put much effort into watching or following the classes. Also, some classes I listened to while walking on a treadmill and it was very comfortable to follow along since the audio clarity is amazing.

The only downside is that I couldn’t download the classes for my weekend getaway, it’s something you can do only using the app which is not available in Brazil (currently available in UK, Ireland, US, Australia, Canada, Portugal and The Netherlands). Good thing that I actually had wifi in the farmstead so I could enjoy some light studying before going to bed.

Is it possible to learn on BBC Maestro?

“All the whores and politicians will look up and shout ‘Save us!’…and I’ll look down and whisper ‘No'” – Rorschach, Watchmen

Moore takes a direct approach to teaching. He doesn’t offer quick fixes or easy solutions, but rather challenges us to dig deeper into the craft of writing. BBC Maestro offers a more relaxing approach to studying, without quizzes, projects, or assignments. While they don’t provide traditional courses and topics to be studied and they aren’t supposed to be academic by any means, it doesn’t mean you’re not learning. At least, all advice given in the Alan Moore classes is very actionable and useful for any writer. Even more experienced writers might benefit from his course.

Additional Materials

Every course comes with a beautifully-made pdf containing all notes and topics covered in the course. They are divided in chapters for each lesson and embellished with quotes, pictures, and illustrations. This pdf makes for a great learning companion and also handy for reviewing what you’ve learned.

Pricing and Value

Each BBC Maestro course is available for a one-time payment which gives you lifetime access to the course content and materials. Given the production quality, expert instruction, and comprehensive course materials, I find this to be a worthwhile investment for anyone serious about learning from industry masters.

This post is sponsored by BBC Maestro. All opinions are my own.