Screenwriting: a taster
Choose a starting date
Learning modes and locations may be different depending on the course start date. Please check the location of your chosen course and read our guide to learning modes and locations to help you choose the right course for you.
- Start Date: 08 Sep 2025End Date: 08 Sep 2025Mon (Evening): 18:00 - 20:00In PersonLocation: Keeley StreetDuration: 1 sessionCourse Code: HW689Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £10.00
- Start Date: 13 Sep 2025End Date: 13 Sep 2025Sat (Daytime): 14:00 - 16:00OnlineFull fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £19.00
- Start Date: 04 Dec 2025End Date: 04 Dec 2025Thu (Evening): 18:00 - 20:00OnlineFull fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £19.00
Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Centre for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.
What is the course about?
Screenwriting is an ideal way to explore themes, events, and characters, and to re-ignite our imaginations. In this short, one-off taster session you'll have fun and express yourself through guided writing exercises, and try out your skills to produce some original writing.
What will we cover?
Some basic screenwriting principles
Writing exercises to help you to develop a script treatment
Where to find further resources.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
- Discuss a scene from a film or TV episode with confidence
- Produce an original piece of creative writing
- Find resources to help you develop your writing further.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This is an introductory course suitable for anyone who wants to try screenwriting. You should have a good grasp of spoken and written English, and you should feel comfortable learning online.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
- Interactive tutor presentation
- Guided writing exercises
- Group discussion
This course will be delivered online. There will be no work outside class.
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?
No additional costs.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
You can enrol on one of our longer screenwriting course Ways into Screenwriting. Or why not try one of our other introductory creative writing courses, such as Ways into Creative Writing: a Gentle Pace, Ways into Creative Writing, Ways into Playwriting, or Ways into Poetry?
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.
Alan Nixon is one of Britain’s top independent media professionals. His recent productions include directing the award-winning R4 sitcom Reluctant Persuaders. He has been Creative Consultant to broadcasters and renowned independents, including Aardman Animations (Wallace & Gromit), Grant Naylor (Red Dwarf), and Absolutely Productions (Armstrong & Miller / Trigger Happy TV). He was one of the founding controllers of Channel Five, has worked with Alexei Sayle, Victoria Wood, Caroline Aherne and Simon Day, and teaches courses at the BFI, the National Television and Film School, and the London School of Film, Media and Performance.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.