a group or online class for writing TV drama?

May 16, 2023 6:21 PM

I've accepted I'm never going to get this written by myself.

So there's a historical story that I think would make a terrific TV drama. It's a true story, set in a visually arresting setting, with a strong female lead; a conniving, ambitious royal family; a (historically accurate) multiracial cast of main characters; twists, turns, backstabbings, sex, murder, etc. Its arc (the main character's life) divides naturally into three seasons. It could make great TV.

I have sat down to try to write it. I have written some scenes. But I have no experience in TV scriptwriting, and not enough discipline to keep at it without someone to keep me honest. I also need someone I can bounce ideas off of and get guidance from. I did take a screenwriting class in college decades ago, and I've read a couple of books. But I need someone to whom I can be accountable, and who will help me with specific challenges. And I'm sure I'd benefit from seeing how other people are working as well.

My dream is to get it written -- at least a season of it. (I understand that getting it produced is a whole different dream, and I know that's not realistic. Luckily it's not my dream.) But just to have it written would be huge for me. Do you know of any online classes or groups a person like me could enroll in?

posted by fingersandtoes to Writing & Language (7 answers total)

How would you feel about getting it written as a graphic novel, then potentially selling the rights to that? Not that I have an in to that world; I just think that graphic novels can be a good way to get story ideas into the world, and also to demonstrate that they can be visual, and to sort of plan/show a story with actors... I guess I think it will be easy for a producer to look at a graphic novel, if it's good, and visualize it as a TV show. Then the producer can hire a pro writer to take it the rest of the way.

Anyway, there may be some free-spirited graphic novel writers out there who would collaborate with you.

It might be a good idea to get some idea about how to write this kind of thing -- story arcs, number of primary/secondary characters, etc. -- but maybe not force yourself to wait as long as "becoming a skilled TV writer" might take.

I think maybe Shonda Rhimes has a Masterclass class, but:

there's a famous movie script writing book called "Save the Cat" -- as in, every writer will have heard of it, and the basic guidelines are sound. I don't remember whether it covers serialized scriptwriting, but there are several related books. If you start by looking at "Save the Cat" -- it's worth reading even if it only covers movies -- you'll probably end up with enough knowledge to choose your next book intelligently.
posted by amtho at 6:58 PM on May 16, 2023

Sorry if this doesn’t directly address the question, but... a season is pretty ambitious! Maybe to start with you could think in terms of finishing a pilot? Not only because it’s a less daunting task but because it will force you to distill the most compelling elements of your idea. Also, it’s a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation, but having a solid pilot could help entice collaborators for further episodes.
posted by staggernation at 8:47 PM on May 16, 2023 [2 favorites]

I've tried, and failed, to write some screenplays, so I have the tiniest possible amount of experience. I've only attempted movies, not TV shows.

Save The Cat is indeed a good book, but it's actually mostly about story structure as it applies to films, which is useful but not aimed toward serialized visual storytelling. Movies tend to get broken down into three acts. Do your three projected seasons lend themselves to a three act structure? Do you envision an American broadcast season of 20-ish episodes per season, or a streaming/British season of nine to 12 episodes per season? You seem to have a good idea of your story, so I'd suggest, if you haven't already, outlining the whole thing. Break at least the first season down into the number of episodes you want, and write a little one or two sentence squib about what you want to happen in that episode.

Then, sit down and write. Even if you don't plan to seek production, try to write a compelling first episode. That would be your pilot. Introduce your story's world, the main characters, the seeds of the story itself. Make people want to see the next episode (or read the next script at least). You probably won't get it right the first time, but your goal is to get something written. (Sorry, I am full of writing advice. I can't stop myself.)

You say you've read some books, but you don't say if you've read any scripts, which is one of the best things you can do to learn screenwriting (besides, you know, actually sitting down and doing it). There are tons of websites from which you can download TV scripts. A simple web search for "tv series scripts" should give you some fresh reading material.

To more directly answer your question, I've been a member of the Internet Writing Workshop on and off for literally decades. Writers exchange manuscripts for critique via email, and the only cost is the time you put in helping other people as they help you. I have no idea how active their screenwriting critique group is, but it might be worth exploring. In my experience, IWW members are honest, helpful and kind, and there are actual published authors who hang out there.

You might also check out r/screenwriting on Reddit. You might find some resources there.

Finally, I want to leave you with a bit of writing about screenwriting that never fails to inspire me, David Mamet's Memo To "The Unit" Writing Staff. Mamet breaks down the three questions that must be asked of every scene, the things that must be avoided, and most of all emphasizes that writing is fundamental to everything that the viewer sees.

Memail me if you'd like.

I hope this helps a little. Good luck.
posted by lhauser at 9:20 PM on May 16, 2023

Agreed with the note to focus on the pilot for now. You want a class that teaches you to write a compelling pilot that will set up your world. UCLA extension has some classes that would fit the bill. Writing pad does as well.

Also I wanna prep you: this could take years and that’s ok. The first class you take may be more lecture based and you may not write much at all. The second class may only give you an outline of the pilot. The third may be a rough draft that only half works. This is normal. Enjoy the journey as much as possible.
posted by Pretty Good Talker at 6:37 AM on May 17, 2023

For what it's worth ... Masterclass has a module where Aaron Sorkin gathers writers into a mock writers room and they work toward creating a new episode of the West Wing (one that's never aired). It's a multi-episode thing that I found fascinating. And, I guess, if you're going for TV drama, you could do worse than watching how Sorkin does it.
posted by lpsguy at 3:47 PM on May 17, 2023

Hi there! I'm a screenwriter (in the guild, on strike). Hit me up on DMs if you would like to schedule a call to chat about your project.
posted by Mournful Bagel Song at 4:34 AM on May 19, 2023

Script University offers courses in screenwriting for television.

https://www.screenwritersuniversity.com/courses/beginning-television-writing
posted by cocoagirl at 5:39 AM on May 21, 2023