“The best way to learn anything is to DO it,” says instructor Kate Montgomery. “In this fun, informative 3-session boot camp, you’ll throw yourself into the process right away. With an interactive mix of lecture, discussion, screenings, and group and individual writing exercises, you’ll learn and apply the basics of professional screenwriting."
During class, along with story structure and screenplay format, we’ll focus on the essentials that set a great script apart:
- How to hook your audience right away
- The difference between a good scene and a great scene
- How to use layered, unpredictable characters to drive a strong story
- The essential role of subplots and supporting characters
- The need for Set Ups & Pay offs, Surprises & Cliffhangers
- Crafting dialogue that feels natural and moves the story forward
- How to make a TV series “binge-worthy”
- How to get your script read, even if you don’t have an agent
In a lively and encouraging online environment, you’ll experience the fun of crafting characters on the fly and what it's like to “spit-ball” in a “writer’s room”. You’ll also learn how to kick-start your screenwriting practice by setting and meeting your writing goals, with some tricks to help you stay inspired along the way.
*This class provides course materials you can keep to reference later, and students are eligible for a significant student discount on FinalDraft software, which is widely recognized as the industry standard.
About The Writing Salon's Online Zoom Classes
You will be able to participate in live class meetings via Zoom videoconference. To attend classes, you'll need a phone, tablet or computer and access to the internet. You can participate in the class from wherever you'd like, whether on your living room couch or in your office. Before your class meets, you'll receive an email from The Writing Salon with more information about Zoom and your remote class. If you have any questions about remote learning, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at hello@writingsalons.com.
- Live Zoom Meeting: Wednesday, March 05, 2:00pm-4:30pm
- Live Zoom Meeting: Wednesday, March 12, 2:00pm-4:30pm
- Live Zoom Meeting: Wednesday, March 19, 2:00pm-4:30pm
Kate Montgomery was not only warm and inviting, she was 100% prepared, providing stacks of carefully considered handouts while also maintaining a flexibility to follow the rhythm of our group. Her knowledge in the field was undeniable and her enthusiasm for discussing and dissecting students' ideas was balanced by honest notes and critiques. I hope to be signing up for another class of hers soon.
It was a wonderful class! Kate really helped us understand the structure of a screenplay and had great tips on how to get the creative process of writing started. I’d love to be able to take a continuation of the course at some point . . . Thanks for the great experience!
Now, this may sound like a cliche, but Kate inspired me to make time in my life for what I really want to do: write stories. And that’s hard, I’m a cynical Eastern European, hard to impress and convince. But now I’m going to spend a couple of hours each week to write something down, and if she’ll invite me I’ll go to all her events and workshops, pitch my story ideas, and do my best to create amazing work. She is incredibly charismatic, and it feels great to be around her. But the whole inspiration part is what makes her a standout teacher.
Kate is terrific. Her passion and energy for her art is clear. She was anecdotal, forthright, engaging, and informative. She drew us out of our writerly shells and had us creating on demand. It was fun. While the interactive screenplay activity engaged us, it also taught me some new tricks. When I take away something from a workshop, and put it into my writer’s toolkit — it’s a win-win for me.