New Section of Breaking Into Sitcom Writing begins online 6/17

Learn sitcom writing from someone with actual credits without spending a fortune! (And if you are working on a spec sitcom script, please contact me regarding a consultation.)

This six-week, online course will enable students to interact with an industry pro, and will teach fundamentals and flourishes of creating a great sitcom script, how to write great jokes and create comic characters, get an agent, and sell your material.

Here is a description:

Breaking Into Sitcom Writing

Learn from a veteran TV comedy writer how to write professional sitcom scripts and how to break into show business. In this six-week online course, you'll discover the artistic and technical considerations that go into making a great sitcom script. You'll master the art of creating concise, sparkling dialogue and telling your story completely through jokes. You'll get easy-to-follow instructions for using sitcom characters to their fullest, creating powerful storylines, and selling your ideas to existing shows.

You'll pick up tricks of the trade and learn to avoid mistakes that mark you as an amateur. And you'll come to understand what happens to your script once you sell it, what happens in a sitcom writers' room, and what happens during the rewrite and punch-up process. Discover from an insider what it takes to get a job in this expanding and lucrative field!

Syllabus:

Week One Wednesday - Lesson 01 In this first lesson, you'll learn to decipher the credits on a "crawl" and see just who the writers are in a sitcom. (Just a hint: There are more writers involved than meet the eye!) You'll also discover what makes up a sitcom--all sitcoms share certain important characteristics, and if you use these principles as a guiding framework, you'll have a much easier time keeping your story on the right track. You'll also get some practice sharpening your funny bone and enhancing the creative process. So please join us on this first step to breaking into sitcom writing!

Friday - Lesson 02 The difference between sitting in front of your television saying, "I could write that," and actually doing it is knowing how. Today we're going to tackle the most basic and most important elements of creating a sitcom: story, theme, and structure. In this lesson, I'll show you how and why sitcom stories work and how they fit into the broader context of who we, as storytelling people, have always been.

Week Two Wednesday - Lesson 03 In sitcoms, all the comedy--in fact, every story idea--has its basis in character. In this lesson, you'll get a solid understanding of character and learn how to layer this all-important variable on story, theme, and structure. By mixing them together, you'll see just how sitcom stories are created. Is it complicated? It can be. But I'll give you a tool that will make the hardest part of sitcom writing simple.

Friday - Lesson 04 Today we're going to look at the engines that run your story: action and jeopardy. You'll discover how to create action in scenes, how scenes build to acts, and how acts build to full stories. You'll add conflict and tension to your repertoire of sitcom writing tools to create well-paced stories that keep the audience rooting for your hero. And since sitcoms often involve a handful of characters, we'll talk about subplots, which will help keep all your characters involved when the story may not be about them.

Week Three Wednesday - Lesson 05 Dialogue makes up the bulk of any teleplay--yet it differs in every way possible from conversation, which is what it's supposed to sound like. Today we're going to take a look at what dialogue really is and what it must accomplish for the writer, while seeming to sound perfectly natural and funny. It's a lot to ask for, but you'll learn how to look at dialogue differently and use it to best effect.

Friday - Lesson 06 Often, the TV audience will need certain story information--say, about the past or something going on in another location--that you can't show directly. This information is called "exposition," and it's the hardest kind of material to get across in a way that doesn't sound clunky, forced, or amateurish. So today we'll explore ways to include this kind of information that are simple, elegant, and will give your scripts a professional air.

Week Four Wednesday - Lesson 07 As a television writer, you're not alone in your task of delivering a funny, intriguing, and watchable story. You have partners: the actors. In this lesson, we'll delve into that creative partnership and see how to best serve the actors who will be reading your words. You'll learn how to enrich the dialogue and its performance, make the most of text and subtext, and get your story to come across the way you envision it.

Friday - Lesson 08 The one thing you knew about sitcoms before you began this class was that they make people laugh. Just as an opera tells a story in song, so a sitcom tells a story in jokes. Today we're going to take an in-depth look at the art of joke-writing. You'll see how jokes work, learn how to make them funnier still, and discover a range of possibilities you might not have considered to expand your humor repertoire.

Week Five Wednesday - Lesson 09 The collaboration you enter into as a sitcom writer will involve everyone who works on your show. Each script you write needs to tell all the technical people who make the show possible just how it should look, feel, and sound. In today's lesson, you'll learn to professionally format a sitcom script so that just what you want to express will be clear to everyone.

Friday - Lesson 10 How do you go from wanting to be a sitcom writer to watching the first sitcom you've written air on network TV? Today you'll find out! You'll learn how to successfully negotiate all the steps that will get you there: writing a great spec script, negotiating your pitch meeting by creating a winning three-minute pitch, writing an outline that's just what the show is looking for, and creating two great drafts of your script.

Week Six Wednesday - Lesson 11 The journey from page to stage can be a surprising one, so it's best to be prepared. Today you'll see what happens to your finished script once you turn it in and collect your paycheck. We'll start by going inside the Writers' Room and taking a look at the rewrite and punch-up process. Next, we'll walk over to the rehearsal stage to learn about the rehearsal process and what the writer's job is in it. And last, we'll go to the final filming of the show, where sitcom writers polish until the very last moment.

Friday - Lesson 12 In our final lesson, we'll explore the steps you'll take to safeguard your work against plagiarism, including registering it with the Writers Guild. You'll also learn how to get an agent--or at least get your work into the hands of someone who can actually give you an assignment. Then you'll see what's involved in trying to get a job. And we'll wrap everything up by looking at the kinds of personal attributes it takes to be a successful sitcom writer.

To register, please go to :

http://www.ed2go.com/cgi-bin/ed2go/newcrsdes.cgi?course=bsw&title=Breaking^Into^Sitcom^Writing^&departmentnum=PW

Student Reviews:

"Identifying the different types of jokes...really helps build a sort of comic palette - different things to try and blend until you've got something great."

"I did learn plenty of things about the very special process of creating sitcom scripts that I am confident will help me in future writing."

"I found it enjoyable, and informative. I think I got a lot from it, which will help me as a writer."

"I have learned a lot. You really helped me visualize being in a sitcom writer's shoes."

"I loved the course and especially Mindy's complete coverage of the television writing industry, with anecdotes. I received a lot of helpful information, especially for an introductory course."

"Interesting and valuable information. Whether or not I ever write a sitcom it can only enhance my other freelance writing projects. Mindy is a wonderful instructor."

" I think out of all the online classes, this has been the most challenging, but it has been fun as well."

"I thought that the class was very informative. Mindy was prompt in answering any questions that we had and in offering suggestions to improve our scripts."

"I want to thank you for your help, guidance and inspiration. You have a great attitude and it shows in how much you love the world of sitcom."

"Loved Chapter 3. The way good character structure can take you by the hand and lead you right to a story is fascinating. It's like working a jigsaw puzzle. These valuable building tools are priceless. Woohoo~"

"Thank you for putting this course together. It has been very helpful and I've learned so very much. While it won't be an easy road, I know I'll make it! "

"Your personal anecdotes shared with us added to the credibility you brought to this online classroom. Your detailed critiques of our writing attempts were well-analyzed and delivered promptly,"

"I loved the course and especially Mindy's complete coverage of the television writing industry, with anecdotes. I received a lot of helpful information, especially for an introductory course."

"Interesting and valuable information. Whether or not I ever write a sitcom it can only enhance my other freelance writing projects. Mindy is a wonderful instructor."

"I found it enjoyable, and informative. I think I got a lot from it, which will help me as a writer."

"Great class! I learned so much. I feel I am much more prepared to put out a sitcom script and be taken seriously than I was before. Thanks."

"I would like to say thank yo for giving such great lessons and tips on creating a solid sitcom script. I will take what I learned here and hopefully create a great spec script."

"I've enjoyed working online with Mindy more than in-class professors where I paid more money. I wish I had more time to go deeper with her."

"Mindy is a true talent. Her teaching style is easy to follow and extremely informative. I learned a GREAT deal. I would recommend this class to anyone interested in knowing more about sit-com writing. "

For complete information, and to register, check the course description at:

http://www.ed2go.com/cgi-bin/ed2go/newcrsdes.cgi?course=bsw&title=Breaking^Into^Sitcom^Writing^&departmentnum=PW