Write It Right: The Screenwriting Summer School

This course treats writing as part of a living filmmaking culture. You will test ideas aloud, hear your scenes come alive as they are performed, discuss and refine them through encounter. Peer discussion forms the spine of the week, with writers immersed in the craft through pitching, writing, reading and responding to each other’s work. Alongside this you will meet

• producers who illuminate how scripts travel through development, production and beyond;
• actors and a director who bring industry perspectives into the room.
• Actor-led read-throughs expose the rhythms, tensions and blind spots of your scenes.

Teaching combines dynamic seminars, real-world case studies, collaborative group sessions, pitching workshops and tailored one-to-one mentoring. Across the week, you will actively shape your story’s character, genre and structure while developing the confidence to articulate your ideas with clarity and conviction.

The atmosphere is both supportive and focused — a space that nurtures ambition, values preparation and encourages creative risk-taking. Rather than imposing formulas, the course sharpens your instincts, helping you understand what your project truly needs and how it is likely to be received within the industry. The intensive week-long format means that participants are fully immersed, allowing for sustained attention instead of shortcuts, shared creative community instead of working alone, and meaningful development in place of box-ticking. By the end of the week, you will leave with

• a developed beat sheet or outline,
• a scripted sample scene that shows your skills and
• a confident verbal pitch, grounded in a clearer sense of next steps.

This course suits writers who want serious engagement with their work and with others seeking to get a new project industry ready, as well as writers with experience from other creative writing formats. If you seek a space where your script meets likeminded filmmakers and conversation sharpens your craft, this summer school makes a compelling home.

Participants will be required to send 2-3 outlines of scripts they want to write (max. 2 pages) before the start of the course.

Day 1 – Story, Intent and Possibility

Morning

• Welcome, participant and project introductions
• Framing screenwriting within filmmaking and development
• What makes an idea viable for screen

Afternoon

• The values of storytelling
• Writing session mapping story premise, values and theme
• Group discussion and preliminary feedback

Outcome:
Understand your underlying project aims and realise their potential to let your story connect to professional filmmakers

Day 2 – Key Screenwriting Concepts

Morning

• Screenwriting structure for film and television
• Characters in conflict
• Managing audience expectations with genre

Afternoon

• Writing session: beat sheet and protagonist backstory (TV: characters, setting & story rules, First season episode outline)
• Group feedback on story outlines and characters

Outcome:
Create engaging characters and a narrative momentum along genre expectations

Day 3 – Notes and Collaboration

Morning

• Meet the Director: Working with producers, directors and development executives
• Writing and one-to-one mentoring sessions

Afternoon

• Giving and receiving notes professionally
• Swapping stories: peer feedback
• Structured feedback from tutor, actors and peers

Outcome
Build a community around your project

Day 4 – Scenes, Dialogue and the Script format

Morning

• Writing effective scenes and dialogue
• Formatting and professional presentation
• The table read as screenplay development tool

Afternoon

• Writing session: one or two sample scenes

Evening

• Cultural visit: group cinema screening or guided London film location walk

Outcome
Apply professional screenwriting conventions to grow your screenwriting voice

Day 5 – Pitching and the Industry

Morning

• Meet the Producer: selecting, optioning and commissioning screenplays, Q&A
• Final pitches and group discussion
• Writing and one-to-one mentoring sessions

Afternoon

• Actor-led table reads of sample scenes
• Career pathways and next development steps
• Course close and reflection

Outcome:
Expert and group feedback enabling you to plan practical next steps and to establish project momentum.

*This is an indicative structure of what the course will look like, subject to change.

Q – What emphasis does the course put on creativity vs analysis and structure?

A – In this course we want to reflect on how films and TV are structured to move you and surprise us. We will try to identify how writers have used words to create the seeds that become an emotional experience when you watch the movie.

Q – Will we get a chance to do some directing, camera or editing?

A – No this is a screenwriting course, not filmmaking. Instead you are encouraged to look at films and screenplays to learn how writers inspire the creativity of directors, actors, cinematographers etc.

Q – How does the course offer feedback on my work?

A – There will be a mix of both group and one-to-one feedback as well as a chance to sit down with a director and producer. If you are wanting more guidance, just come and ask!

Q – Does the seminar include any networking or guest speakers?

A – Yes, Carl invites people working in the industry to meet his students. Participants also often become an enduring resource to each other after the end of the course.

Q – Will there be any homework to start before the course?

A – Start working on your film idea, exploring several different ideas before settling on one. Read as many scripts as you can: google (‘title’ and screenplay pdf) that inspire you or feel relevant to your writing project.

By completing this booking, you confirm that you have read and agree to the London Film School Workshops and Short Courses Terms and Conditions (linked below). You have the right to cancel within 14 days of purchase for a full refund unless the course has already begun, in which case your right to cancel may be reduced or lost. After this period, bookings are non-refundable except where the course is cancelled by London Film School. In such cases, liability is limited to a refund of the course fee only. London Film School shall not be liable for any additional costs, including travel or accommodation. All courses are subject to availability and may be amended or cancelled where necessary.​

London Film School shall not be liable for any additional costs, including travel or accommodation. All courses are subject to availability and may be amended or cancelled where necessary.​

Full terms and conditions.