Course Overview

Write a complete short screenplay over this eight-week online short course, learning the core principles that underpin effective screen storytelling. Each week you’ll explore a different element of the craft, from building compelling characters and shaping a clear narrative arc to writing efficient scenes that move the story forward. 

You’ll take your idea from a simple concept through to a polished draft, discovering how to outline your structure, develop your beats and write visually for the screen. Alongside practical exercises, you’ll examine examples from film and television to understand how professional writers create tension, momentum and emotional impact. 

Supported by our Writing for Script and Screen master’s programme and developed by Dr John Finnegan, a screenwriter and academic with more than twenty years of experience in the screen industries, this fully online course is suitable for beginners as well as experienced writers seeking a structured refresher.