Studying at York
Scriptwriting I - TFT00017C
Module summary
This module aims to start students experimenting with their own scriptwriting, via a course which teaches foundational skills in key areas of the craft. It combines this with analytical exploration of exemplary practice by leading writers, as well as exploration of methods for workshopping and commenting upon scripts in progress. As with other first year modules, a principal aim is to ensure that analysis informs practice, and vice versa.
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Spring Term 2022-23 to Summer Term 2022-23 |
Module aims
to introduce you to core playwriting skills, especially in creating characters, in crafting dialogue, in plotting a scene, and in imagining dramatically effective stage visuals;
to explore, in a variety of major works, the solutions playwrights have found to these challenges;
Module learning outcomes
Subject content
The acquisition of key scriptwriting skills, via practical experiment
The exploration of comparable techniques at work in classic playscripts from a range of periods and in a range of styles and genres
Academic and graduate skills
Ability to write stage dialogue and plot a scene
Ability to analyse the craft skill at work in well-executed scripts
Ability to analyse the relationship between the writer's and the actor's input in realised performances of scripts
Ability to investigate materials from the past systematically and imaginatively
Ability to absorb, and put successfully into practice, unfamiliar and challenging approaches
Ability to produce logical and well-structured arguments supported by relevant evidence
Ability to communicate complex ideas effectively and to a high standard in writing, orally and through IT
Ability to manage time effectively and meet deadlines in appropriate fashion;
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Special assessment rules
None
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Module feedback
Written feedback on formative assessment, oral feedback from the tutor on the first draft of the summative assessment, peer feedback throughout the module. Our aim with formatives is to return feedback within two weeks of submission, while, with summative essays, we aim to provide feedback within the 20 working day return period specified by the university.
Indicative reading
P. Castagno, New Playwriting Strategies: A Language-Based Approach to Playwriting (2001)
L. Catron and Mary Luckhurst, The Elements of Playwriting (1993)
l. Egri, The Art of Dramatic Writing (2007)
S. Smiley and N. Bert, Playwriting: The Structure of Action (2005)
V. Taylor, Stage Writing: A Practical Guide (2002)