Description via Writing Pad:

You have a killer beat sheet for your TV Pilot, but when you sit down to write, everything turns to mush: vague characters, huge data dumps, clunky dialogue, and scenes that go nowhere. If this sounds familiar, successful writer Alicia Carroll (Freeform’s The Watchful Eye, Peacock’s Bumper In Berlin, NBC’s Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist) can help. In this ten-week TV Draft Writing Workshop, you’ll get Alicia’s help crafting an amazing outline and writing scenes that have a complete beginning, middle, and end that pack a serious punch.

You’ll learn to how to open your pilot, capture the imagination of the reader, write with a clear voice, and introduce your main character like a pro. By the end of the class you should have major chunks of your pilot written and the confidence to finish it with flair. Emmy not included.

Prerequisites: Beat sheet for a 1/2 hour or hour-long comedy, drama, or dramedy finished in TV 1, TV Drama 1, or TV Comedy 1 at Writing Pad. No projects that have not been vetted in a Writing Pad TV 1 class.

Session 1: Begins Feb 27th, 2024 (5:30 PM - 8:30 PM): REGISTER

Description via Writing Pad:

Writing a TV pilot is a tall order for anyone and without firm footing, your feet are as good as clay.

Fortunately, whether you’re writing a thriller set in outer space or an angsty teen romance set on a Montana ranch there’s a set of basic principles that will help you consistently arrive at “the end.” In this one-day structure clinic, successful TV writer Alicia Carroll (Hulu, Peacock) will help you apply the toolset of the scribe to root your story in a clearly defined genre, give it a rock-solid spine, and compelling arcs that launch your pilot firmly into series.

Through inspiring lectures, fun writing exercises and Q & A, you’ll learn how to craft an irresistible spine that will never lead you astray. By the end of the class, you’ll have all the necessary tools at your disposal to put your TV series on firm footing! Topics include: Act breaks, ABC Stories, reversals, twists, arcs, weaves, cliffhangers, blows and more.

Note: This class will be limited to 25 students and is primarily a lecture class with some in-class exercises but not everyone will get to share their writing for feedback due to the seminar format.

Session 1: January 13th, 2024 (10:30 AM - 1:30 PM) REGISTER

Session 2: Begins February 10th, 2024 (10:30 AM - 1:30 PM) REGISTER

Session 3: Begins March 2nd, 2024 (10:00 AM - 1:00 PM) REGISTER

Session 4: Begins May 4th, 2024 (10:00 AM - 1:00 PM) REGISTER

Session 5: Begins June 1st, 2024 (10:00 AM - 1:00 PM) REGISTER

Description via Writing Pad:

Have you always dreamed of writing the next “Ted Lasso” or “Succession”? If so, then this one-day Online Dramedy workshop is the class for you! Alicia Carroll (THE WATCHFUL EYE, BUMPER IN BERLIN, ZOEY’S EXTRAORDINARY PLAYLIST) explains the parameters of the Dramedy format and shares her secret recipe for creating shows that both audiences and execs will adore. She’ll teach you how to balance humor with heart without letting things get too cringey. Alicia will help you unearth a lively cast of characters, an irresistible franchise, and meaningful theme. By the end of the class, you’ll have a treasure trove of TV Dramedy writing tools. Experienced and beginning writers welcome.

Begins February 12th, 2024 (5:30 PM - 8:30 PM) REGISTER

Coming Soon!

As part of a “Story Foundations” series, the first workshop deals with conflict: how to lean into it to make our characters and world richer in the development of a series, and how to infuse it into your scene work in the draft phase. Students will come away with an understanding of how to incorporate conflict as part of the series structure and story-breaking process and apply conflict principles within act structure and scene work. (Elements of this class are the foundation of class 3 which is dialog).

If you’d like to be on the waitlist for when registration opens, fill out this form, and you’ll be the first to be notified when the class is scheduled!

Character: Are our characters really just fragments of ourselves? We will dig into the foundations of a great character, understanding their psychology and behavior, as well as how to chart out their emotional arcs over the course of a film or series and how to figure out what they really want. Students will come away with practical tools and exercises to help deepen their characters and brainstorm new characters to populate the worlds of your series or film.

If you’d like to be on the waitlist for when registration opens, fill out this form, and you’ll be the first to be notified when the class is scheduled!

Dialog: We will dig into the dialog in dramatic writing, scene work, tactics, and character voice. We will build upon the ideas of Character and conflict and work through a few exercises to experiment with how our characters speak and how they can use their voice to further the plot. Students will come away with a toolbox of writing exercises as well as frameworks to help them make character decisions a breeze in the future!

If you’d like to be on the waitlist for when registration opens, fill out this form, and you’ll be the first to be notified when the class is scheduled!

Genre & Analysis: What are the conventions of the genre you're writing in? What about the sub-genre? We will explore genre as a social contract with the audience and dig into the major genres in TV and Film, the conventions of each, and how to consider genre when approaching your own material. We will then build on what we have learned to work through how to break down any film or television script to understand better the narrative arcs, genre conventions, characters, and structure. This will give you the tools to write a spec script if you'd like, or look at any genre, break down its basic elements, and replicate it for your own work as you grow into your own voice and style as a writer.

If you’d like to be on the waitlist for when registration opens, fill out this form, and you’ll be the first to be notified when the class is scheduled!