The Fundamentals of Screenwriting

Beginner, intermediate, advanced. Screenwriters, TV writers, Playwrights. 
Join us for an 8 week dive into the new fundamentals of screenwriting. No paint-by-numbers approach here. We will learn and practice an approach to visual story telling inspired by the psychology of creativity and storytelling for the screen. Get your questions answered and develop an approach to screenwriting that works for you!

Week 1: Discovering Your Storytelling Voice
  • Introduction to Meditative Writing and the philosophy behind the course
  • Discovering your unconscious themes, wounds, and characters
  • Setting intentions and goals for the course

Week 2: Building Dynamic Characters
  • Understanding the importance of well-rounded characters in screenwriting
  • Developing compelling backstories, motivations, and goals for your characters
  • Exploring character arcs and transformation

Week 3: Creating Engaging Worlds
  • The role of setting and world-building in visual storytelling
  • Constructing immersive and vivid environments
  • Balancing world-building with character development and plot advancement

Week 4: Crafting Dynamic Scenes
  • The art of writing impactful and engaging scenes
  • Exploring the anatomy of a scene: objectives, conflicts, and resolutions

Week 5: Mastering Conflict and Tension
  • Understanding the importance of conflict in storytelling
  • Exploring different types of conflicts: internal, external, and interpersonal
  • Balancing conflict and resolution for a satisfying narrative arc

Week 6: Exploring Themes and Messages
  • Uncovering the thematic core of your screenplay
  • Understanding the role of themes in conveying a deeper meaning

Week 7: Navigating Structure and Formatting
  • Understanding the importance of structure in screenwriting
  • Exploring different structural frameworks: three-act paradigm, sequences, and more
  • Formatting your screenplay professionally and industry-standard

​Week 8: Outlining and Refining Your Screenplay
  • The value of outlining and when one should outline
  • Developing effective outlining techniques for screenplays
  • Refining and revising your screenplay based on feedback and self-reflection
 
​By the end of the course, you'll emerge as a confident and skilled screenwriter, equipped with the knowledge and tools to write impactful and authentic screenplays. You'll have a deep understanding of character development, world-building, scene crafting, conflict, theme, structure, formatting, and outlining. Through the fusion of meditative practices and storytelling, you'll have the ability to create vivid imagery that resonates with audiences on a profound level. 

This is a live, lecture and discussion class. If you want to workshop your script you can do so in the TV/SCREENPLAY ALCHEMY workshop or a private SCRIPT CONSULTATION.

*Syllabus subject to change. 

upcoming workshop

PRICE
$399
Early-bird price (till 7/13/23)

$599 after 7/13/23

DATES - 5 Spots Left
Aug 13th - Oct 8th 2023 (skips Sept 10th)
​
TIME
​12 - 1:30pm ET (NYC)

LOCATION
Online, Live via Zoom
​"I learned more in one session with Jess than I did in four years of NYU film school."
- Jenna, NYU Film Graduate



"Jess always made me feel like I belonged. Her unique ability to adjust her approach based on where the writer is in their journey shows her passion and dedication to actually helping us move forward.
​
I’ve taken other classes, and I know how Hollywood works. Jess finds a way to lift people up as she teaches instead of putting them down."
​- Ellie W, Screenwriter



"These classes have provided a variety of new approaches that work so much more effectively for me than any of the books or MFA classes I have experienced.  I am a weirdo. But Jessica found a way to work with my weird brain so that I can participate in this industry.  Writing, rewriting and pitching and networking are now fun an meaningful, rather than an annoying necessity. "
- JR, Writer
"Jess' unique ability to adjust her approach based on where the writer is in their journey shows her dedication to actually helping us move forward. This class was the first time I ever really felt safe to share. The way Jess handles giving feedback is like therapy for a writer’s soul."
"Jess's classes and meditations have gotten me through some very severe blocks. These are professional-grade tools that short circuit the fear, imposter syndrome, and perfectionism that stands in the way of you doing your best work. I rely on them regularly!"
- Ellie Waitt, Writer
​- Carly Wray (Writer/Producer, Mad Men, Westworld)
"I was amazed not only at the number of tools I learned but the psychology behind them. I've read every book on screenwriting and felt overwhelmed with what I was 'supposed' to do on the page. I was tired of following someone else's path; it felt forced. This class gave me tools I could actually use on all my scripts. Jess helped me understand the psychology of how a reader reads a script vs how an audience watches TV and unconsciously what brings an audience back to a show. This has changed my career."

- SUSAN, TV WRITER