Screenwriting | Creative Writing Classes in NYC and Online with Professional Writing Instructors

- What's New?

"My writing skills have improved dramatically; I’ve learned to THINK about and SEE screenwriting in a whole new light."

- Anne Lower
Fundraiser/Producer

"Gotham gave me my first glimpse into the world of screenwriting. Armed with that knowledge, I packed up and headed for Hollywood. In less than two years, I went from a student in the Screenwriting I class to staff writer on the highest-rated syndicated action hour of the season."

- George Strayton
Staff Writer
Xena: Warrior Princess

"This course organized my imagination! I went into class with abstractions galore and emerged with a concrete script. The instructor's enthusiasm was instrumental in driving me onward, as was the enthusiasm of the class as a whole."

- Russ Rock
Student

More Student Quotes Here

Browse Faculty Bios

How do you write a screenplay that might get bought by studio or a production company? Write a compelling script that’s impossible to stop reading, vividly cinematic, properly formatted, and realistically produce-able.

Our screenwriting courses will help you meet these criteria, and also guide you in creating characters, building plots, shaping scenes, sharpening dialogue, and, of course, peddling your script. Whether you seek to write big Hollywood movies or low-budget indies, we’ll show you what it takes to get in the screenplay game.

Select a class: Level I, Advanced, One-Day
See also: Letters from Gotham Students

Level I
Screenwriting | 10-week Workshop

Using a balance of lecture, exercise, and feedback on work from the instructor and classmates, this course gives students a firm grounding in all the basics of screenwriting. Everything is presented in a clear, accessible manner.

Begin a feature-length screenplay
Lectures on basics of screenwriting craft
Writing exercises
Present work for critique (two times)

Screenwriting I is for beginners or anyone who wants to brush up on the fundamentals.

View a course syllabus

(3.0 CEU)

Online Classes

Tuition: $399, Returning Students $369. Registration Fee $25.

Each class strictly limited to 16 students, ages 18 and up.

Starts	New Lecture	Location	Time	Special	Enroll
May 8*	Tuesdays	Online	24 hrs. a day	Sample Class
Jun 12	Tuesdays	Online	24 hrs. a day	Sample Class
Jul 10	Tuesdays	Online	24 hrs. a day	Sample Class
Jul 24	Tuesdays	Online	24 hrs. a day	Sample Class
Aug 14	Tuesdays	Online	24 hrs. a day	Sample Class

* You can still enroll in this class!

Advanced
Screenwriting | 10-week Workshop

Focusing on developing projects and receiving feedback from the instructor and classmates, this course helps students sharpen their skills and work toward completion of a saleable screenplay. Writers often repeat Screenwriting II to continue their projects.

Work toward completion of a feature-length screenplay
Lectures and exercises that expand on basics of screenwriting craft
Engage in rewriting
Present work for in-depth critique (two times)

Prerequisite: Screenwriting I or the equivalent.
Which level is right for you? How to Choose a Level

(3.0 CEU)

Online Classes

Tuition: $399, Returning Students $369. Registration Fee $25.

Each class strictly limited to 14 students, ages 18 and up.

Starts	New Lecture	Location	Time	Special	Enroll
May 9	Wednesdays	Online	24 hrs. a day	Sample Class	CLASS FULL
Jul 18	Wednesdays	Online	24 hrs. a day	Sample Class
Aug 15	Wednesdays	Online	24 hrs. a day	Sample Class

Screenwriting | One-Day in NYC

The One-Day Intensives are fun, fast-paced immersions in a type of writing. You’ll get a mixture of brief lectures that hit the high-points and writing exercises that let you immediately try your hand at what you’ve just learned. The one-days provide an excellent overview of their fields, ideal for both the beginner and someone wanting a quick refresher course. Come in to class with a notepad, pen, and desire to learn. By the end of the day, you’ll be a more knowledgeable and skilled writer.

One-Days are for beginners or anyone who wants to brush up on the fundamentals.

One-Day Intensives are offered in NYC on Fridays and weekends throughout the year.

Gotham also offers two and four-week seminars, including: How to Get Published, How to Freelance, How to Blog, Nonfiction Book Proposal, and How to Sell Your Screenplay.

Topics include: plot, character, scenes, dialogue, selling scripts.

New York City Classes

Tuition: $125. Registration Fee $25.

Each class strictly limited to 30 students, ages 18 and up.

Starts	Meeting Day	Location	Time	Special	Enroll
May 18	Friday	555 8th Ave.	10:00AM - 5:00PM
May 19	Saturday	30 W. 16 St.	11:00AM - 6:00PM
May 19	Saturday	30 W. 16 St.	11:00AM - 6:00PM
Jun 24	Sunday	Hunter College W.	11:00AM - 6:00PM