Writing for television

What is the course about?

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.

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. 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.