Writing Classes

TV writing classes I’m teaching for the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program:

SPRING and SUMMER 2022:

Nada. But check back later regarding Fall!

And here’s what you missed in WINTER 2022:

One-Hour TV Intensive I and One-Hour TV Intensive II (SCRIPT X 421.3N and X 421.4N)

(Formerly known as “Beginning Writing for the One-Hour Spec I and II”)

Each is an advanced remote-instruction workshop that meets online via Zoom for three hours on five consecutive Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.
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Intensive I: Come up with an idea for a “spec” episode of an existing one-hour dramatic TV series, plot out its structure into a concise “beat sheet,” and expand your beats into a full story outline. Learn how professional TV writers brainstorm, collaborate, and “break” stories in the writers’ room. Ten class meetings: Tuesdays and Wednesdays from January 11 to February 9, 2022, 6:00pm to 9:00pm Pacific time.

Intensive II: Starting with your outline from Intensive I, write a complete rough draft (“zero draft”) teleplay, get constructive feedback, and begin revising that teleplay into a solid professional work sample. Ten class meetings: Tuesdays and Wednesdays from February 22 to March 23, 2022, 6:00pm to 9:00pm Pacific time.


ALSO WINTER 2022:

One-Hour TV IV (SCRIPT X 422.4)

(Formerly known as “Writing the One-Hour Pilot II”)

This advanced remote-instruction workshop meets online via Zoom for three hours on ten consecutive Thursday evenings.

You enter this course with your original one-hour dramatic TV series concept and your “beat sheet”/rough outline for your first episode (pilot) story and your first 10 or so pages of a rough ‘zero draft’ pilot teleplay — all of which you’ve already developed on your own or as part of a previous course.

In this course, you continue writing script pages and complete a ‘zero draft’ teleplay of your pilot, and you develop a series ‘pitch document’ (aka “series bible” or “series format”) as well as a three-minute verbal pitch for your series! Ten class meetings: Thursdays from January 13 to March 17, 2022, 6:00pm to 9:00pm Pacific time.


All classes provide notes, feedback, and help on students’ works-in-progress in a constructive and supportive workshop setting that mimics the freewheeling creative collaboration of a professional TV writers’ room, whiteboards and all.

Questions? Email me: