Developing your screenwriting

What is the course about?

This is a practical course that develops your grounding in the craft and terminology of screenwriting. Writing exercises, group discussion and presentations by the tutor will teach you the key skills in greater depth, including structure, character and dialogue. At the end of the course you should have produced a short screenplay and an outline for a full-length project.

What will we cover?

- Writing a successful outline
- Developing complex characters and dialogue
- Revisiting story, plot development, and structure
- Revising your script
- Industry standards for formatting.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

- Identify the key features of a successful script outline/treatment
- Write an outline/treatment for an original feature screenplay or television script
- Analyse the interpretation of scripts by directors/actors on screen with confidence
- Present all or part of a script in standard industry format.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

This is an intermediate screenwriting course suitable for those who have completed Ways into screenwriting at City Lit or an introductory screenwriting course elsewhere. An ability to write and speak fluent English is vital.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

Interactive tutor presentation, discussion and analysis of scripts and clips, peer and tutor feedback, writing exercises.

All writing courses at City Lit will involve an element of workshop. This means that students will produce work which will be discussed in an open and constructive environment with the tutor and other students. The college operates a policy of constructive criticism, and all feedback on another student’s work by the tutor and other students should be delivered in that spirit.

For classes longer than one day regular reading and writing exercises will be set for completion at home to set deadlines.

City Lit Writing endeavours to create a safe and welcoming space for all and we strongly support the use of content notes in our classes. This means that learners are encouraged to make their tutor and classmates aware in advance if any writing they wish to share contains material that may be deemed sensitive. If you are unsure about what might constitute sensitive content, please ask your tutor for further clarification and read our expectations for participating in writing courses at City Lit.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

Please bring writing materials.

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

If you would like to continue developing skills at the intermediate level you are welcome to enrol on another term of Developing into screenwriting. Information from the tutor concerning other courses will also be offered.

All students are invited to join us at Late Lines, our regular performance night for City Lit writers. Students are also encouraged to submit their work to Between the Lines, our annual anthology of creative writing. For the latest news, courses and events, stay in touch with the Department on Facebook and Twitter.