$995.00
Rule #1 for writing your first draft: “Get the damn thing done.”
- Mine your imagination,
- Organize your writing agenda
- Energize your mission
- Complete your first draft.
Write your first draft in a safe and supportive workshop environment.
Learn a professional approach to use for all future script projects.
Receive constructive feedback along the way from a professional screenwriter-experienced teacher(Tom Benedek) and fellow writers.
Feedback, guidance, encouragement can make the first draft journey(and the pages you write) better.
Description
10 weeks, 10 lectures, 10 writing assignments = one first draft
Write your first draft in a safe, supportive, and inspiring workshop environment led by professional screenwriter and experienced teacher Tom Benedek. Along the way, you’ll receive constructive feedback from both the instructor and a community of fellow writers to help elevate your work.
In this course, you will:
- Mine your imagination for compelling ideas.
- Organize your writing agenda with clear goals.
- Energize your mission to complete your first draft
Class Starts: January 13, 2025
Class Title: Pages I: Writing the First Draft
Class Type: Online
Teacher: Tom Benedek
Class Price: $995
Course Overview:
This 10-week online workshop empowers you to move from FADE IN to FADE OUT. With weekly deadlines, lectures, and assignments, you’ll stay motivated to complete your first draft. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced writer looking for structure, this course will help you refine your craft and bring your screenplay to life.
- Weekly due dates to compel you to knock out script pages
- Lectures to help steer you through the writing process
- Feedback and support from a community of fellow writers
- Weekly analysis of pages from a pro screenwriter and educator (me!)
- Weekly Zoom meetings to discuss your pages
“First drafts are for learning what your story is about.”
— Bernard Malamud
“The first draft is nothing more than a starting point, so be wrong as fast as you can.”
— Andrew Stanton
“Then comes the great leap which is the first draft, I call it ‘the muscle draft,’ where you just muscle it out. You don’t worry about what you’re missing, you just get through it, get to the end.”
— Darren Aronofsky
“Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. That first draft is just spaghetti on the wall.”
— Dennis Lehane
“The first draft, the first structure is really important… Do it fast, don’t get stuck.”
— Oliver Stone
Course Overview
This 10-week online workshop empowers you to move from FADE IN to FADE OUT. With weekly deadlines, lectures, and assignments, you’ll stay motivated to complete your first draft. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced writer looking for structure, this course will help you refine your craft and bring your screenplay to life.
What You Will Learn
- A professional approach to writing a first draft—everything from meeting deadlines to handling page notes.
- Techniques to stay motivated and write even when inspiration wanes.
- How to embrace feedback and use it to improve your work.
- Practical steps to organize your story and finish your screenplay.
Course Features
- 10 weeks of structured content: Weekly written lectures, assignments, and deadlines to keep you on track.
- Weekly Zoom meetings: Engage with your instructor and peers to discuss your progress and share insights.
- 24/7 Online Forum: Connect with a community of writers, ask questions, and receive feedback in a supportive environment.
- Expert feedback: Get personalized analysis of your pages from a professional screenwriter and educator.
Why Take This Course?
Pages I: Writing The First Draft is ideal for screenwriters who need structure, accountability, and guidance to write and finish a complete screenplay draft. It’s perfect for writers who want to:
- Develop a consistent writing routine.
- Gain professional insights into the screenwriting process.
- Create a first draft you can enthusiastically take to the next level.
What past students say:
~ Max Lance, screenwriter – Winner 2017 Academy Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting
“Tom – Thank you for running such an excellent workshop. I learned so much, and it was a really great environment for trying out new ideas and getting honest, supportive feedback.”
~ Erin O’Connor, screenwriter – Miss Virginia(2018) with Uzo Aduba(Orange is the New Black
“Tom has a very incisive understanding of all the ingredients that make a great screenplay. He’s also a first rate writer and a wonderful teacher.”
~ Producer Michael Shamberg – Erin Brockevich, Pulp Fiction, Get Shorty
‘Tom is great to work with – – a wonderful screen and TV writer. He understands how series television is built on the page and knows how to talk about it with students and professionals.’~ Josh Brand – TV Writer-Producer —The Americans, Northern Exposure, Amazing Stories
“Pages I: Writing the First Draft is the best screenwriting workshop I’ve ever taken, hands down. Not only is the approach informative and comprehensive, it breaks down the writing process into manageable chunks from Fade In to Fade Out.”
— Valli Leigh
“Over the years I’ve bought and read many books on screenwriting. None of them got me as far in my goals and understanding as the Pages I: Writing the First Draft course.”–
Dawn LeFever
“Until I took Pages I: The First Draft, I often wondered if I would ever finish a screenplay. Pages I not only gave me the tools and knowledge to craft a screenplay and finish it, it changed the way I think about writing.”
— Katie Cobb
Benefits of This Online Workshop
- Learn anytime, anywhere on your computer, tablet, or smartphone.
- Join a lively, supportive, international screenwriting community.
- Receive expert feedback from an instructor who is passionate about screenwriting, storytelling, teaching.
