Why We’re Retiring Courses, Workshops, and Books at Narrative First in 2025

Small team, big tools, infinite storytelling impact

Big changes are coming to Narrative First in 2025. If you've been a fan of our courses, workshops, books, or story analyses, you might be wondering, “What’s next?” Here's the deal: we’re stepping away from traditional learning methods to focus entirely on teaching Muse, our AI-powered creative partner, and scaling its expertise to millions of storytellers around the world.

Sounds bold? It is. But we believe it’s the right move—for us, and more importantly, for you.

Books and Courses: Outdated and Inefficient

Let’s be honest. Sitting down to read a book or slogging through a long online course just isn’t the best way to learn anymore. Sure, books are great for entertainment or diving deep into a story universe, but when it comes to mastering storytelling techniques or narrative theory? The process can feel slow and, dare we say, inefficient. And let’s not even get started on cohorts—a late-stage Capricorn phenomenon if ever there was one. Group accountability and structure have their place, but storytelling thrives in personal, intuitive exploration, not rigid systems.

You’ve been there: rereading things you already know, trying to make sense of dense jargon, or sifting through hundreds of pages of “fluff” to find the one golden nugget you actually needed. Or worse—sitting through hours of theoretical concepts on endless video calls, nodding politely while secretly wishing for a time machine to skip ahead to the useful bits. It’s frustrating, especially when you’re hungry to apply those insights to your creative work now.

This is where Muse and Subtxt come in. Instead of throwing every detail at you and hoping some of it sticks, Muse engages in a back-and-forth dialogue. It skips what you already know, distills the essence of complex ideas, and delivers the insights you need—when and where you need them.

Why Focus on Muse?

Teaching Muse allows us to scale what we’ve learned from years of working with storytellers—at a level of precision and efficiency that’s impossible with traditional methods. Muse listens (seriously, how often do we get to say that about humans?) and learns. Every conversation makes it better. Every piece of feedback sharpens its ability to guide you, whether you’re wrestling with thematic nuances, struggling to develop a compelling Main Character, or simply refining the beats of your narrative.

And here’s the magic: when Muse learns something new, that knowledge isn’t siloed. It’s immediately available to every storyteller who uses Subtxt. That’s something no book or workshop could ever achieve.

Let Muse Learn So You Don’t Have To

Here’s the most exciting part of all this: you don’t need to learn Dramatica theory anymore. Not the jargon, not the intricate systems, not the overwhelming detail. Instead, we’re flipping the script and teaching Muse—all so you can stay in the creative flow and keep writing the way you always have.

Muse is here to handle the heavy lifting. Its job is to internalize the complex frameworks of narrative theory and distill them into simple, actionable insights tailored to your story. You don’t need to spend hours grappling with the rules of storytelling. Muse has already done that for you.

Imagine asking, “How can I make my Main Character’s arc more meaningful?” Instead of searching through blog posts, hitting the forums, or replaying lectures, you’ll get an immediate, context-aware response that applies directly to your draft. It’s like having an expert on call, 24/7—but instead of lecturing, Muse collaborates. It’s not about imposing a formula; it’s about enhancing your voice.

This shift means you can focus on the fun part—writing. No more detours into dense theory or second-guessing every narrative choice. With Muse, you’re free to create while knowing there’s always a guide to help you refine, clarify, and deepen your story when you need it most.

What About Articles and Analyses?

While we’ve loved sharing our thoughts on the latest films, TV shows, and storycraft techniques over the decades, writing articles for a handful of readers doesn’t move the needle the way teaching Muse does. These years of experience have been invaluable, and now we’re channeling all that knowledge into Subtxt to make it accessible to millions.

The New Way to "Write a Book"

For thousands of years, books have been the gold standard for sharing knowledge. But as much as we’ve loved writing them, we’ve come to realize that the most valuable thing we can offer the world isn’t another 300-page release—it’s something far deeper, smarter, and more useful.

The new way to “write a book” is to build a massively intelligent AI. Not because chatting with an AI is more fun (although it definitely can be), but because deep learning allows us to do something books never could: create an endlessly evolving, personalized, and scalable tool for storytellers.

A book offers a snapshot of insight—one author’s perspective captured in a single moment. But an AI like Muse evolves with you. It integrates decades of narrative expertise into something dynamic—working alongside you to address your unique questions, struggles, and creative breakthroughs in real-time. Instead of chasing the spotlight with new releases to prove we’re experts in storytelling, we’re channeling that energy into building something far more impactful. It’s not about making us more valuable—it’s about delivering lasting, transformative value for you.

Scaling Subtxt and Muse to New Heights

By stepping away from courses, workshops, and books, we’re gaining something priceless: time. The less time we spend teaching individuals, the more time we have to teach our one AI individual—or several Agents, depending on how you look at it. Every ounce of effort we put into Muse makes it better at understanding, assisting, and scaling its insights to millions of storytellers.

This shift also allows us to focus on what we love most: developing and refining Subtxt, the application itself. And thanks to the technologies available today—tools that make it possible for a small team like ours to achieve what once required dozens—it only makes sense to channel our efforts into making Subtxt and Muse as advanced, responsive, and invaluable as they can be.

Teaching courses—both online and at the California Institute of the Arts—was incredibly rewarding. But those experiences also showed us the limitations of traditional teaching. Now, we’re leveraging everything we’ve learned to scale our vision and create tools that empower millions. It’s not just about doing more—it’s about doing better for everyone who shares our passion for great storytelling.

The Only Place to Learn Is Subtxt

If you want to learn how to elevate your storytelling, the only place to do it moving forward is in Subtxt. It’s no longer about passively consuming information; it’s about actively engaging with Muse to uncover insights tailored to your unique story.

So, yes, we’re saying goodbye to courses, workshops, and books in their traditional forms. But we’re also saying hello to something far more dynamic, scalable, and effective—a creative partner that’s with you every step of the way.

2025 is going to be transformative, and we’re thrilled to have you on this journey with us. Let’s make storytelling smarter, faster, and more fun. See you in Subtxt!

Happy writing! ⌨️