Creative Writing for Film and Theater

Learn the basics of scriptwriting for stage or screen, exploring everything from character development, plot, and dialogue to metaphors and symbolism

• Introduction
• The Fundamentals of Stage and Screenwriting
• Writing the Script
• Bringing the Script to Life
• Final project

From raw human emotion to relatable universal experiences, films and plays mirror the essence of what it means to walk this earth. Screenwriter, actor, and dramaturge Gina Stevensen has dedicated an entire career to crafting purposeful, character-centered narratives that capture the depth of reality on stage and on screen. A self-proclaimed rule follower with a free spirit, Gina embraces the rhythm of story structure to pave the way for authentic, unbridled expression⁠—an approach that has earned her numerous recognitions such as the 2021 Kernodle New Play Award.

In this online course, grasp the fundamentals of scriptwriting and then veer off the beaten path to express your stories the way only you can. Explore practical structures to develop your characters, plot, and dialogue, later unleashing your imagination with metaphors and symbolism. Put your stories in the spotlight with scripts that speak to any audience.

• About Me
• Influences
• The Central Dramatic Question
• Characters and Plot
• Sharpening the Dialogue
• Using the Imagination: Metaphors
• Choosing the Form
• Your Connection with the Story
• Developing the Primary Characters
• Exploring Through Dialogue
• Rewriting and Rehearsal 1
• Rewriting and Rehearsal 2
• Ideas for Sharing
• Creative Writing for Film and Theater