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How To Tell One Story online writing course

 NEXT SIGNUP WINDOW:
August 1-8, 2025
(25 spots available)

brendan leonard teaching Freeflow Institute writing workshop 2024

HOW TO WRITE YOUR FIRST STORY IN JUST 6 WEEKS

This online course from Brendan Leonard, former columnist for Outside, author of 12 books, award-winning filmmaker, and creator of the Semi-Rad newsletter read by 15,000+ subscribers every week, will get you over the hump to create a narrative essay in 12 quick lessons you can finish in less than 30 minutes each. At the end of the course, you’ll get personalized feedback on your story from me.

Price: $249

EVERYONE HAS A STORY TO TELL.
BUT HOW DO WE TELL THEM? 

Have you always wanted to write, but haven’t gotten started? 

Would you like to figure out how to write more regularly?

Do you dream of getting your work published, or starting a regular newsletter or Substack?

How To Tell One Story is my online writing course that will get you over the hump to start writing.

Throughout the six-week email course, you’ll produce one short-form narrative essay, and learn how to take what you’ve learned and keep writing—instead of wishing you could.

In just six weeks, you can finally take your story from idea to finished narrative. You’ll stop procrastinating, gain real techniques for structuring, drafting, and polishing, and you’ll actually finish a story you’re proud of.

Over the past 20 years, I’ve written hundreds of stories, from feature-length magazine pieces, to narrative essays, to short films—taking something from idea to publication is what I do. In this course, I’m sharing what I’ve learned.

Through the 12 emails and short videos, you’ll learn:

  • How to get (and keep) a reader’s attention
  • How to take your experiences and build a narrative
  • How to demystify the structure of stories
  • Techniques and tips to remove obstacles from your creative process
  • How to become a writer without upending your entire life
  • How to have fun doing it

NEW FOR 2025:
Personalized story feedback: Upon your completion of the course, when you have a story draft ready, I’ll review it and send you notes on what you’ve written (not a grade—there are no grades in this course!). Stories must be sent to me within two weeks of the final course email (#12) landing in your inbox, and I’ll get back to you within two weeks of receiving your story. 

Get started now, for free. 

GET LESSON 1, WHAT STORIES ARE WORTH TELLING, NOW:

In just 30 minutes, you’ll know if that story you have in your head is worth telling (and get some stupid-simple next steps for getting your story down on paper).

Fill out the form below to get instant access to the First Lesson for free.

 

Hey! I’m Brendan Leonard.


I’m a former columnist for Outside Magazine, and my writing has appeared in National Geographic Adventure, Alpinist, CNN.com, Runner’s World, Climbing, Men’s Journal, Backpacker, Adventure Journal, and many other publications. I’ve written a dozen books and directed several award-winning adventure films. 

Since 2019, I’ve been teaching a one-week writing workshop for a dozen students, and I’ve always wanted to make it more accessible and more affordable. So I developed this online course so anyone can learn to write the best version of their story or stories—even if you can’t show up for a week of trail running and writing. 

I share lessons I’ve learned from 20 years of experience in a changing media landscape, 12 of those years running my own “brand” and writing directly for my own audience of 15,000+ subscribers. I’ve worked hard to figure out where and how to reach people, how to get their attention, and tell the stories I feel are important.

Through my online writing workshop, you’ll learn the foundational principles I use to craft stories that entertain, inspire and, hopefully, make people laugh. It’s my hope that this course will demystify storytelling for everyone who completes it, and embolden you to start writing your own stories, whether your dream is to see your work in a renowned publication, or just create some stories you want to share with your family and friends.

Here’s a Detailed Overview of the Course:

#1: What Stories Are Worth Telling? (3-minute read + 10-minute writing exercise)

#2: What Is A Story, Anyway? (3-minute read + 10-minute writing exercise)

#3: Show, Don’t Tell (6-minute read + 20-minute writing exercise)

#4: Your Opening Line(s) (4-minute read + 15-minute writing exercise)

#5: How Do You Find Your Writing Voice? (6-minute read + 15-minute writing exercise)

#6: Structure (5-minute read + 20-minute writing exercise)

#7: Let’s Talk About People Talking (6.5-minute read + 20-minute writing exercise)

#8: Using Humor (5-minute read + 15-minute writing exercise)

#9: Your Shitty First Draft (4-minute read + 1-2 hour writing)

#10: Endings (4-minute read + 30-minute writing exercise)

#11: Condensing And Polishing (5-minute read + 30-90-minute editing exercise)

#12: When Is It Done? (8-minute read, 15-minute exercise)

THIS COURSE IS FOR YOU IF:

  • You have a story idea (or ideas) but aren’t sure how to begin
  • You’re new to storytelling and need guidance on the fundamentals
  • You’ve been thinking about your story for months (or years) but haven’t written it down
  • You want a step-by-step framework, plus a steady stream of exercises/assignments to keep you motivated and on track

Or maybe…

  • You’re already writing but want to elevate your work to the next level

HERE’S WHAT PAST STUDENTS HAD TO SAY

“I really loved this course. Brendan makes you feel like you can do it. Writing about an experience opens up other stories just waiting to be written.”

—Sandra M.

“Brendan’s writing course breaks down the steps of how to write a well-crafted story into easygoing bi-weekly lessons. Given his experience and body of work, it was great to get a peek behind the professional creative writer’s curtain with digestible tips and tricks to get beyond the intimidating blinking cursor on a blank screen.”

—Brie C.

“If you’re looking for the little nudge to sit down to write, this course is perfect. I’m an engineer trying to be better at writing family stories and this course broke down the writing process into manageable pieces.”

—David P.

“Creating art like writing can feel overwhelming and anxiety-inducing for me, but having the simple, focused structure of this course’s goal and content made it so much more achievable. The scaffolding of these lessons and the clarity of each exercise helped me actually finish a piece of nature writing I’d wanted to write for ages.”

—Suzanne N.

“This course was a really fun way to learn more about the craft of writing. Brendan’s lessons are extremely kind and encouraging, and I surprised myself by ending up with a mostly polished story by the end of the six weeks. Tons of helpful tips, and very enjoyable!”

—Ingrid D.

“I was feeling stuck and overwhelmed in my writing, and these lessons broke writing one story down into bite-sized chunks. The course is clear, supportive, and effective – all without taking itself too seriously.”

—Emma H.

“The How To Tell One Story course gave me the permission to believe I might actually be able to write “one story.” It was accessible, lively and encouraging, offering a calendar for progress that provided structured assignments with gentle discipline for growth and success.”

—Kim S.P.

“The freeing and overwhelming truth of writing is that there are no rules. Brendan Leonard knows this well. Thankfully, he’s written through enough adventures to help students like us avoid some, but not all, of the common pitfalls, rabbit holes, and mental blocks. Brendan’s course empowered me to hold writing less tightly, which has led to some of my best work.”

—Peter Bromka, alumnus of Brendan’s Freeflow Institute writing workshop,
published in The Best American Sports Writing 2021, Runners World, and Outside Run 

 

HERE’S WHAT’S INCLUDED:

  • 12 lessons, sent directly to your email inbox on Mondays and Thursdays
  • Each Lesson Contains:
    • A short video from me (Brendan)
    • A detailed text description of the lesson
    • A couple funny and useful sketches to illustrate the concept
    • Helpful links to further reading and resources
    • A short writing exercise to help you get writing your story or thinking about writing
  • A free digital copy of my book, Make It: 50 Myths and Truths About Creating
  • A free copy of How to Self-Publish a Book for $125 (or Less)
  • Free downloadable resource bundle on traditional publishing vs self-publishing
  • Lifetime access to all the course content
  • Get all the course updates, new lessons, and bonus content FREE
  • No-Risk, Money-Back, 100% Satisfaction Guarantee

 

SIGN UP NOW, GET INSTANT ACCESS

Once you sign up, lessons will be emailed to you at 5:00 a.m. on Mondays and Thursdays. They live in your email inbox, so you can access them anytime, and go at your own pace.

So if you’re ready to stop waiting for “someday” to get here, let’s get started.