Course Introduction

This is a course about the art and craft of scriptwriting. I am convinced that the most difficult part of becoming a writer (any kind of writer) is sitting down and writing. Therefore I am committed to this class forcing you to sit down and write. We will spend time analyzing scripts and talking about format, genre and how-to-market –your script, but the assignments and the layout of the class will all orient you to this: the moments you spend writing are the most crucial learning times for this class.
I am also convinced that there is something unique in scriptwriting that is very unlike writing for any other outlet. Scripts make unique demands upon the audience, create unique constraints in setting, focus attention on character and dialogue, and come to fruition only through collaboration and performance. As a result, our class will focus upon the formal conventions that typically define scripts ~ how are plots structured? How do characters develop? How do I write good dialogue? What staging concerns do I address? How do audience expectations shape the story? How do I communicate my vision to a director, actor, and the many other skilled artisans who must work to make this piece come alive?
While I do not assume that there is any one “right” way to write a script, I know that there are a number of “right” ways to do so. There are also many “wrong” ways which block people in different ways from effective writing. Any beginning playwright or screenwriter should understand and develop the traditions of the craft in order to (eventually innovate with more skill. I will attempt to introduce you to a number of different conventional approaches writing a script. You will have the opportunity to experiment and find “right” and “wrong” habits of writing. This class should help find methods that work for you, but ultimately that task can only be achieved by your own personal trial and error—in other words, by you writing.
The course demands that you focus on one form of dramatic writing to hone your skills, but you may focus on screenwriting or playwriting.