Start Date
6 December, 2025
Saturday, 10am - 4pm.
Overview
Spend a day learning the craft of screenwriting with Adam Simpson, a working professional who writes for primetime TV drama. This one-day intensive introduces you to the essential tools of the trade, offering a fast-paced, inspiring and practical guide to writing for film and television. Whether you're a complete beginner, a curious creative, or an emerging writer looking to sharpen your skills, this session is designed to get you thinking like a screenwriter from the very first minute.
You’ll explore the fundamentals of script format, character development, story structure, and the unique visual language of the screenplay. Through real examples from Adam’s own broadcast work and well-known (and lesser-known) films and shows, you’ll gain insight into how screen stories are built, how scenes are shaped, how to write dialogue that crackles with subtext and intent, and the everyday realities of being a working screenwriter. Adam’s a firm believer that the way to encourage writing is to take away the fear and the mystique. With that in mind, there’ll be short exercises, plenty of discussion but no jargon. Expect practical advice drawn from years in the writers’ rooms of some of the UK’s best-loved TV dramas. By the end of the day, you’ll leave with a clear understanding of what a screenplay is, how to start writing one, and how to develop the habits, mindset, and confidence to keep going..
Syllabus
A practical, inspiring day with a working screenwriter
Session 1: What Even Is a Screenplay?
We begin with the absolute basics: what a screenplay is, what it’s for, and how it functions as a visual storytelling tool. You’ll explore the golden rule of ‘show, don’t tell,’ learn the importance of formatting, and discover why a script is more blueprint than book. Includes a breakdown of scenes from produced work.
Morning Break
Session 2: The Shape of Story
We dig into structure: why stories need shape, and what that shape looks like. You’ll be introduced to key beats like intention, obstacle, inciting incident, Act 1 and Act 2 plot points, the midpoint, the Act 3 climax, and the ‘obligatory scene.'
Lunch Break
Session 3: Characters Who Drive Plot (and vice versa)
This session focuses on character development: how to create compelling protagonists, build character arcs, and link intention and obstacle to plot. You'll explore how want vs. need creates inner conflict and how strong characters generate story.
Afternoon Break
Session 4: Writing Dialogue that Works
Learn how to write dialogue that does more than just fill silence. We’ll look at rhythm, subtext, and how speech can reveal (or conceal) character. There’ll be short, practical writing exercises and analysis of great scenes from TV and film, including some from Adam’s own broadcast work.
Session 5: What Now?
We finish with a look at next steps: good writing habits, how to keep going, the reality of working in the industry, and how to develop your craft further. Q&A time included, plus suggestions for watching, reading, and writing exercises beyond the course.
Please note that the ‘last date available to book’ date is only a guide. We reserve the right to close bookings earlier.
In order to avoid disappointment, please be sure enrol as soon as possible. Registrations will not be processed until the following day if received after 3pm.
Course Lecturer: Adam Simpson
Represented by Alexandra Cory and Julia Wyatt at Berlin Associates, Adam is a playwright and Royal Television Society Award-winning screenwriter. His TV drama, One More Unfortunate, was short-listed for the Red Planet Prize. The subsequent stage adaption was performed nationwide. His next play, Saved by the Bell Jar, was shortlisted for the Bruntwood International Prize for Playwriting and is in development with BBC Radio Drama North and the Liverpool Everyman. He has penned episodes for continuing dramas across multiple platforms and has written for Jimmy McGovern’s MOVING ON for BBC1. Adam’s first episode, BEATEN, was Sunday Times Critic’s Choice. He’s written extensively for the Guardian and worked with both the Guardian and Faber on The Secret Teacher Book. Adam is currently writing for Waterloo Road (BBC1) and Hollyoaks (C4, E4) as well as working on original projects and a new, Liverpool-based Netflix drama.
Courses fees: Full fee £55.
Back to: Continuing Education