Course Schedule & Class Breakdown 

SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Learning, Reading, Watching, Listening

Week 1 – January 31^st – HELLO!

Intro & Basics of TV Writing

Learning Writerduet

Start thinking about your show idea/premise.

Week 2 – February 7^th

Assignment: 3 TRUE stories from you, written out

One – kid, Two – JHS/HS, Three – College +

Read and then watch pilot episodes for:

Chernobyl & The West Wing (HBO/Max – FT), The Bear (Hulu – FT)

Readings:

A. Documents on proper script writing (see course documents)

B. Inside The Writers Room Chapter 3 (How to Make Your Writing Personal) and Chapter 5 (Finding Your Voice)

Week 3 – Feb 14^th

Assignment: Scenes

Read and then watch pilot episodes:

House (Amazon/Peacock – FT), Grey’s Anatomy (Hulu – FT),

San Junipero or USS Callister (Netflix – NO FT)

Readings:

A. Brown – Chapter 5 & 6

B. Save the Cat – Parts 1 & 2

Week 4 – February 21^st

Assignment: Scenes

Viewing & Reading: Some Kind of Wonderful (paramount+, amazon, MGM+)

Readings:

A. Truby, The Seven Key Steps of Story Structure Chapter 3

B. John August’s DC documents

Track A- Weeks 5-14

Week 5 – March 6^th
Assignment:
Idea/ premise/research
Viewings:

Readings:
A. Truby, Chapter 2 – Premise
B. TBD
Week 6 – March 13^th
Assignment: Characters 
Viewings: TBD
Readings:
A. The Protags Journey
–   Character Arc (19-33)
–   Disunity (2 pages)
–   Deconstruction (55-58. 62-63
–   Reconstruction (75-76, 82-85)
–   Unity (95-96, 101-102,
B. TV Writing on Demand
–   Chapter 7 – Character Empathy v. Sympathy
C. Writing the Pilot
–   Characters (31-37, 45-51)
Week 7 – March 20^th
Assignment:
Beat Sheet – one or two words/sentences.
Viewing: TBD
Readings:
A. TV Writing on Demand
–   Chapter 5 (Story Tentacles)
B. STC Beat Sheet
Week 8 – March 27^th
Assignment: TV episode week/Beat Sheets
Viewing: TBD
Readings:
Soul of the City – Pilot
Week 9 – April 3rd
Assignment:
Outline 
Viewing: TBD
Reading: TV Script
Week 10 – April 10^th
Work Week
Week 11 – April 17^th
Assignment: Write Acts 1, 2 & 3
Viewing: TBD
Reading: Script
SPRING BREAK
Week 12 – May 1^st
Assignment: Completed Pilot draft 1
Viewing: TBD
Reading: TBD
Week 13 – May 8^th
Assignment: Pitches/Logline/Pitch Deck or Story Bible
Viewing: TBD
Readings: TBD
Week 14 – May 15
Assignment: Pitches/Logline/Pitch Deck or Story Bible/Draft 2

Track B: – Weeks 5-14

TRACK B
Week 5 – March 6^th
Assignment:
Beat Sheet/Outline
 
Viewing:
 
Readings:
A. Truby, Chapter 2 – Premise
B. STC Beat Sheet
 
Week 6 – March 13^th
Assignment: Write Acts 1 & 2
 
Viewing: TBD
 
Readings:
A. The Protags Journey
–   Character Arc (19-33)
–   Disunity (2 pages)
–   Deconstruction (55-58. 62-63
–   Reconstruction (75-76, 82-85)
–   Unity (95-96, 101-102,
B. TV Writing on Demand
–   Chapter 7 – Character Empathy v. Sympathy
C. Writing the Pilot
–   Characters (31-37, 45-51)
 
 
Week 7 – March 20^th
Assignment:
Write Acts 3 & 4 of your script
 
Viewing: TBD
 
Readings:
C. TV Writing on Demand
–   Chapter 5 (Story Tentacles)
D.   STC Beat Sheet
 
Week 8 – March 27^th
Assignment: TV episode week/Beat Sheets
 
Viewing: TBD
 
Reading:
Soul of the City – Pilot
 
Week 9 – April 3^rd
Assignment:
Finish draft 1
 
Viewing: TBD
 
Reading: TV Script
 
Week 10 – April 10^th
Work Week
 
Week 11 – April 17^th
Assignment: Draft 2
 
Viewing: TBD
 
Reading: Script
 
SPRING BREAK
 
Week 12 – May 1^st
Assignment: TV show assignments due
 
Viewing: TBD
 
Reading: TBD
 
Week 13 – May 8^th
Assignment: Draft 3
 
Viewing: TBD
 
Reading: TBD
 
 
Week 14 – May 15
Assignment: TBD