Do you want to write a script for television? What do you write and where do you start? Through exercises and examples, this course will assist you in developing your own projects.
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.
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.
This is a step by step guide to writing for popular television and offers guidelines for students to apply their own ideas to scripts.
What will we cover?
• Generating ideas • Genres and key conventions • Writing a successful outline • Structuring a TV script • Spec scripts and pilots • The Writers’ Room: learning to write collaboratively.
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
- Develop original ideas for scripts and produce new writing - Discuss and analyse excerpts from screenplays/television scripts with confidence - Give and receive constructive feedback on work-in-progress with sensitivity, insight, and confidence - Identify the key features of a television script and apply knowledge to own writing. - Identify the different genres of television scriptwriting and the key conventions of each genre - Analyse the interpretation of scripts by directors/actors on screen with confidence - Present all or part of a pilot script in standard industry format.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
The course is designed for students who want to start writing drama for TV and are willing to engage in exercises and share their efforts. An ability to write and speak fluent English is essential.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
Interactive tutor presentation, writing exercises, group discussion and analysis of scripts and clips, tutor and peer feedback. Students will be expected to complete short writing assignments for homework and are encouraged to watch a variety of episodic television shows to help embed concepts.
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. Please bring writing materials.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
You might consider Developing screenwriting or Advanced screenwriting. Please refer to the online prospectus entries for these courses for further information.
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.
As a screenwriter, Bob Schultz has focused on high-concept stories told on a budget, finding success writing on spec, working for hire, ghostwriting, and providing consultation for independent producers in Los Angeles, New York, and London. His screenwriting portfolio includes more than 20 credits either produced, in production, or in development, and his series of Christmas shorts (Advent) will release throughout December 2025. Beyond screenwriting, Bob has cultivated a significant body of prose fiction work, with award-winning stories published in American newspapers including The Ravena News-Herald, the Greenville Record, and The Paper (Fort Pierce, Florida), international magazines (Script magazine, Daily Grindhouse), and short story anthologies (most recently Twisted, Volume 3: The Final Chapter, 2024). His latest anthology of short stories (The Athenaeum Club Mysteries) is set to be published in the winter of 2025, and his first novel (Operation: Coronation) in early 2026. Bob has served as an instructor and mentor at colleges and universities in the USA, England, and Sweden, as well as worldwide at festivals, conferences, and through private instruction.
Neil ArkseySee moreSee less
Neil Arksey has had a number of novels for children and young adults published by Penguin Random House. His writing has been shortlisted for and won a number of prizes. He was also part of the team that created the highly successful Little Robots TV pre-school TV series for the BBC as well as writing Kipper the Dog and other TV series for younger children. As screenwriter, story editor, consultant, head writer and series producer, Neil Arksey has been responsible for over a thousand episodes of TV drama. In the UK, he has worked on shows such as Crossroads, Family Affairs, Doctors, Mile High, and River City. And abroad, amongst other projects, he was head writer on Finnish TV drama Salatut Elämät, (Secret Lives) and series story producer on Jóban Rosszban, a hospital drama set and based in Budapest. Neil has also worked in script development for Freemantle and Global Drama Productions. He co-produced dark indie feature film, Run To Ground. In addition to working as a writer and producer, Neil has taught writing at several universities, colleges and film schools.
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.
product
https://www.citylit.ac.uk/writing-for-television310661Writing for televisionhttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/w/r/writing_for_television-square.jpg259259GBPInStock/Courses/Courses/Writing/Writing for stage and screen/Writing for stage and screen/Courses/Writing/Courses/Writing/Writing for stage and screen228515911358113605122851358113605Do you want to write a script for television? What do you write and where do you start? Through exercises and examples, this course will assist you in developing your own projects.352549224Writing for television259259https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/w/r/writing_for_television-square_10.jpgInStockEveningTueKeeley StreetAvailable courses11 weeks or longerWeekday2026-04-21T00:00:00+00:00Beginners, Some experienceApr 2026WritingHW089259259Writing for television259130259Bob Schultzwriting-for-television/hw089-2526Do you want to write a script for television? What do you write and where do you start? Through exercises and examples, this course will assist you in developing your own projects.0000-Available|2026-04-21 00:00:00This is a step by step guide to writing for popular television and offers guidelines for students to apply their own ideas to scripts.Do you want to write a script for television? What do you write and where do you start? Through exercises and examples, this course will assist you in developing your own projects.• Generating ideas<br/>• Genres and key conventions<br/>• Writing a successful outline<br/>• Structuring a TV script<br/>• Spec scripts and pilots<br/>• The Writers’ Room: learning to write collaboratively.- Develop original ideas for scripts and produce new writing<br/>- Discuss and analyse excerpts from screenplays/television scripts with confidence<br/>- Give and receive constructive feedback on work-in-progress with sensitivity, insight, and confidence<br/>- Identify the key features of a television script and apply knowledge to own writing.<br/>- Identify the different genres of television scriptwriting and the key conventions of each genre<br/>- Analyse the interpretation of scripts by directors/actors on screen with confidence<br/>- Present all or part of a pilot script in standard industry format.The course is designed for students who want to start writing drama for TV and are willing to engage in exercises and share their efforts. An ability to write and speak fluent English is essential.Interactive tutor presentation, writing exercises, group discussion and analysis of scripts and clips, tutor and peer feedback. Students will be expected to complete short writing assignments for homework and are encouraged to watch a variety of episodic television shows to help embed concepts. <br />
<br />
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 <a href=" https://www.citylit.ac.uk/expectations-for-participating-in-writing-courses" target="_blank">expectations for participating in writing courses at City Lit</a>.No additional costs. Please bring writing materials.You might consider Developing screenwriting or Advanced screenwriting. Please refer to the online prospectus entries for these courses for further information.<br/><br/>All students are invited to join us at <a href="https://www.citylit.ac.uk/latelines">Late Lines</a>, our regular performance night for City Lit writers. Students are also encouraged to submit their work to <a href="https://www.citylit.ac.uk/betweenthelines">Between the Lines</a>, our annual anthology of creative writing. For the latest news, courses and events, stay in touch with the Department on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/citylitcreativewriting">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://www.twitter.com/citylitwriting">Twitter</a>.Writing for stage and screenWriting for stage and screenvirtual2549245Writing for television259259https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/w/r/writing_for_television-square_11.jpgInStockEveningThuKeeley StreetAvailable courses11 weeks or longerWeekday2026-04-23T00:00:00+00:00Beginners, Some experienceApr 2026WritingHW618259259Writing for television259130259Neil Arkseywriting-for-television/hw618-2526Do you want to write a drama script for television? What do you write and where do you start? Through exercises and examples this course will assist you in developing your own projects.0000-Available|2026-04-23 00:00:00This is a step by step guide to writing for popular television and offers guidelines for students to apply their own ideas to scripts.Do you want to write a drama script for television? What do you write and where do you start? Through exercises and examples this course will assist you in developing your own projects.- The structure of a television episode<br/>- The development of characters<br/>- The plotting and planning of a storyline<br/>- Writing a synopsis and treatment<br/>- Dialogue writing.- Show an understanding of the basic themes of dramatic story lining<br/>- Further develop your own project outside of the course.The course is designed for students who want to start writing drama for TV and are willing to engage in exercises and share their efforts. An ability to write and speak fluent English is essential.In-class exercises; discussion; PowerPoint presentations; original material hand-outs and samples including storylines and episode extracts; DVD and video clips. Students should watch television drama to apply what they have learnt and discussed in the class. <br />
<br />
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 <a href=" https://www.citylit.ac.uk/expectations-for-participating-in-writing-courses" target="_blank">expectations for participating in writing courses at City Lit</a>.Pen and paper.You might consider Developing screenwriting or Advanced screenwriting. Please refer to the online prospectus entries for these courses for further information.Writing for stage and screenWriting for stage and screenvirtual259259130HW089,HW618NONETue,Thu21/04/26 - 30/06/2619:40 - 21:4019:4021:4011 sessions (over 11 weeks)1111 weeks or longerEveningWeekdayKSKeeley StreetBob Schultz,Neil ArkseyBeginners, Some experienceAvailable courses2026-04-21T00:00:00+00:00,2026-04-23T00:00:00+00:00Apr 2026Writing259259Writing for televisionwriting-for-television/hw089-2526,writing-for-television/hw618-2526Do you want to write a script for television? What do you write and where do you start? Through exercises and examples, this course will assist you in developing your own projects.,Do you want to write a drama script for television? What do you write and where do you start? Through exercises and examples this course will assist you in developing your own projects.0000-Available|2026-04-21 00:00:00This is a step by step guide to writing for popular television and offers guidelines for students to apply their own ideas to scripts.Do you want to write a script for television? What do you write and where do you start? Through exercises and examples, this course will assist you in developing your own projects.,Do you want to write a drama script for television? What do you write and where do you start? Through exercises and examples this course will assist you in developing your own projects.• Generating ideas<br/>• Genres and key conventions<br/>• Writing a successful outline<br/>• Structuring a TV script<br/>• Spec scripts and pilots<br/>• The Writers’ Room: learning to write collaboratively.,- The structure of a television episode<br/>- The development of characters<br/>- The plotting and planning of a storyline<br/>- Writing a synopsis and treatment<br/>- Dialogue writing.- Develop original ideas for scripts and produce new writing<br/>- Discuss and analyse excerpts from screenplays/television scripts with confidence<br/>- Give and receive constructive feedback on work-in-progress with sensitivity, insight, and confidence<br/>- Identify the key features of a television script and apply knowledge to own writing.<br/>- Identify the different genres of television scriptwriting and the key conventions of each genre<br/>- Analyse the interpretation of scripts by directors/actors on screen with confidence<br/>- Present all or part of a pilot script in standard industry format.,- Show an understanding of the basic themes of dramatic story lining<br/>- Further develop your own project outside of the course.The course is designed for students who want to start writing drama for TV and are willing to engage in exercises and share their efforts. An ability to write and speak fluent English is essential.Interactive tutor presentation, writing exercises, group discussion and analysis of scripts and clips, tutor and peer feedback. Students will be expected to complete short writing assignments for homework and are encouraged to watch a variety of episodic television shows to help embed concepts. <br />
<br />
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 <a href=" https://www.citylit.ac.uk/expectations-for-participating-in-writing-courses" target="_blank">expectations for participating in writing courses at City Lit</a>.,In-class exercises; discussion; PowerPoint presentations; original material hand-outs and samples including storylines and episode extracts; DVD and video clips. Students should watch television drama to apply what they have learnt and discussed in the class. <br />
<br />
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 <a href=" https://www.citylit.ac.uk/expectations-for-participating-in-writing-courses" target="_blank">expectations for participating in writing courses at City Lit</a>.No additional costs. Please bring writing materials.,Pen and paper.You might consider Developing screenwriting or Advanced screenwriting. Please refer to the online prospectus entries for these courses for further information.<br/><br/>All students are invited to join us at <a href="https://www.citylit.ac.uk/latelines">Late Lines</a>, our regular performance night for City Lit writers. Students are also encouraged to submit their work to <a href="https://www.citylit.ac.uk/betweenthelines">Between the Lines</a>, our annual anthology of creative writing. For the latest news, courses and events, stay in touch with the Department on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/citylitcreativewriting">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://www.twitter.com/citylitwriting">Twitter</a>.,You might consider Developing screenwriting or Advanced screenwriting. Please refer to the online prospectus entries for these courses for further information.Writing for stage and screenWriting for stage and screenconfigurable
159113605Writing for stage and screenhttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/writing/writing-for-stage-and-screen/writing-for-stage-and-screen-11/2/285/13581/13605/1591/Courses/Writing/Writing for stage and screen/Writing for stage and screen
