A Tale Spinning Course
This course teaches you how to write a Kind Comedy — a story with a happy (or at least happy-ish) ending, centered on a good-hearted underdog who fundamentally changes their behavior and, in doing so, earns their version of Heaven on Earth.
If you’ve completed the Fundamentals of Tale Spinning, this course takes the next step: it shows you how to engineer an entire story type, from getting to know your Protagonist all the way to the moral conclusion, using a repeatable, practical method.
This is not about inspiration.
It’s about structure, logic, and consequence - so that you can confidently write inspired stories.
What Is a Kind Comedy?
A Kind Comedy is a story where a good-hearted underdog Protagonist fundamentally changes their behavior and, by doing so, earns their Heaven on Earth in a morally just universe.
This is the most common story type in popular storytelling — and the one most people think they understand.
But while many stories feel like Kind Comedies, very few are built consciously. This course breaks the form down into its essential components and shows you how to design one deliberately, without falling into sentimentality, propaganda, or vague “good vibes” storytelling.
Instead of starting with THE Theme, we start with character logic — and let meaning emerge from behavior.
Before You Begin
Before starting this course, watch these two films:
- Ratatouille (Bird, 2007)
- In Bruges (McDonagh, 2008)
Both are exemplary Kind Universe Comedies that we'll reference throughout.
Spoilers ahead.
You don't need to analyze them deeply yet — just watch with fresh eyes and note:
- Who is the protagonist?
- What makes them an underdog?
- Why does the ending feel earned rather than convenient?
Write down your initial answers. We'll revisit them in Chapter 1.
What This Course Will Teach You
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Understand why Kind Comedies work — and why some stories that look similar fail - the foundation
- Design a Kind Comedy Protagonist with a clear Archetype, Ironic Talent, and Bad Habit, as well as the other Characters needed to tell this story - the characters
- Build a Story World that makes those traits inevitable rather than arbitrary - the context
- Construct the moral engine of a Kind Universe Comedy — not by preaching, but through consequence - THE Theme
- Outline a complete Kind Comedy using a circular, mirrored structure of Sequences and Transition Scenes - the structure
Most importantly, you will finish this course with a complete story outline ready to write.
How the Course Is Structured
This course is divided into two main sections:
SECTION A — The Kind Universe Comedy Setup
You'll design the moral and logical foundation of your story:
- the Protagonist
- the Story World
- the Antagonist and the Muse
- and THE Theme that emerges from behavior
By the end of Section A, you'll know WHO your story is about, WHERE they live, and WHAT lesson they need to learn.
SECTION B — The Kind Universe Comedy Outline
You’ll map the story beat by beat using:
- Transition Scenes (decisions)
- Sequences (escalating consequences)
- a mirrored, circular structure that leads inevitably back to Heaven on Earth
By the end of Section B, you'll have a complete 8-sequence outline ready to turn into a screenplay, novel, or comic.
This is a method — not a menu. Each chapter builds on the previous one, so don't skip ahead.
How to Use This Course
- Work through the chapters in order
- Complete the exercises as you go — they are cumulative
- Don’t overthink early decisions; iteration is part of the method
- If something doesn’t click, the system will tell you where it broke
By the time you reach the final recap, your Kind Universe Comedy should feel not just possible — but unavoidable.
Let’s get into it!