John Yorke's Story for script development

A practical online CPD course with a proven track record in training the next generation of script editors. Based on BAFTA-winning John Yorke’s bestselling book on story structure, Into the Woods.

A new generation of high-end TV (HETV) shows has transformed how TV drama is made — it’s more ambitious, requiring bigger stories and larger, more complex teams.

John Yorke has worked with experienced script editor Caroline Young to devise this online CPD course.

Story for Script Development is for anyone working in (or who wants to work in) TV drama, including editors, script readers, development assistants, trainee script editors, researchers, storyliners, story assistants, story supervisors and anyone else looking to learn the mechanics of story structure and apply that practical understanding to high end TV drama.

Who it's for

The course is suitable if you:

• Are a trainee script editor, researcher or story assistant and want to learn how to plan and structure drama script
• Are responsible for making high-end TV drama, including editors and series producers
• Want to move into high-end TV and learn more about the story expectations of the market and audience
• Would like to sharpen your five-act story structure skills and learn how to work with large-scale stories
• Want to understand storylining over a series
• Need to discover why scripts aren’t working — and how to fix them
• Want to get better at collating and presenting notes, including giving notes you’d rather not give
• Need to gain experience and confidence in working with writers

What it covers

Over seven weeks you’ll learn the skills to thrive in this booming arena:

• Discover all the story-structure and note-giving skills you need.
• Gain an understanding of five-act structure and what makes stories resonate with TV audiences worldwide
• Apply those principles to diagnose and fix script problems within the context of a HETV drama production.
• Develop increased confidence in judging story ideas, distilling a story to its essence, working with writers and the wider team, and the complex art of giving useful notes.

Bursary applicable

There are ScreenSkills bursaries available to cover some or all of the costs of this training course - including travel, accommodation, subsistence, care or disability access support to attend this course. To find out more about the support you may be eligible for, click the button below:

Apply for a bursary

About this listing

This training course is not funded or commissioned by ScreenSkills, but has been reviewed to ensure it is meeting agreed standards such as industry-led diversity targets, appropriate business insurance, and evidence of previous quality training provision.