Write your own Screenplay!

A study in the content development model of screenwriting

In this 8 week course participants will apply what they learn in the development of their own scripts. Weekly writing deadlines allow writers to work towards a completed draft of a feature film, web-series, TV Pilot or short film. 

There are slide shows, video lessons and in-depth video interviews with professional writers on screenwriting "how to's" and "do's and don'ts" in film and television.

  • From Idea

    The course starts with a very focused look at hashing out your main idea.

  • To Script

    The course then walks you through a variety of techniques on generating character(s) and plot.

  • To Production

    The course concludes with next steps to polish, pitch and produce your project.

Persevering to Create Stories and Storytellers...

Many past participants of this course have gone on to pitch and produce their screenplays. Of course ALL students are welcome and we encourage enrolment from the BIPOC and LGTBQ communities. The course looks at story from various perspectives and understandings including the standardized 3-Act-Story Structure.

Looking at What's Already Out There

The course uses examples from popular media to illustrate how a writer can break a story down, understand its composite parts, and arrange their own original content into required structures for distribution. We work on developing specific components to story and these will comprise The Writer’s Bible. Fluent in all aspects of visual and dramatic writing, Tricia will impart tools and techniques to advance your story to its next stage, be it feature, short, play or web-series.

Story, Character, Theme, Impact

The course will guide you to explore Story, Character, Theme and the World of your screenplay, which lead to an overall impact on the audience. The course is intended to go deeper than just getting you a job as a writer. It pushes you to ask questions, to imagine that your voice, through story, will eventually inspire, challenge, change or entertain audiences and, of course, be marketable.

Instructor

Tricia Collins

Instructor

Tricia Collins is an actor, writer and director. Tricia completed the Bell Media and WGC Diverse Screenwriter's program for television, holds a Master of Arts from Ryerson University's Radio and Television School of Media and a BFA in contemporary theatre from Simon Fraser University. She was a playwright and theatre producer at urban ink productions in Vancouver for 8 years and her plays and films have been presented at festivals across Canada and internationally. Tricia has also created and developed various script development programs for organizations such as the Union of BC Performers, Rogue’s West Acting School, Access to Media Education Society, urban ink productions and more. Tricia is passionate about creating stories that reflect mainstream and marginalized communities. As an actress Tricia has starred in theatre productions across Canada and in the Caribbean. She has acted in a variety of films and television productions in Canada.

Testimonials

“Tricia Collins is a talented writer, a gifted performer on both stage and screen and one of the kindest and most intuitive people with whom I’ve had the pleasure to work. I can’t imagine a better teacher who is both passionate about the art & craft of writing and keenly attuned to the need for all voices to be heard.”

Ernie Barbarash, Writer, Director and Producer (Holiday in the Wild, Pound of Flesh, American Psycho)

“Tricia is a lovely teacher and a genuine soul. She is wise and kind. Her workshop was detailed, informative and created hearty discussions around the table of our diverse "crew". Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned scribe, you will learn something from Tricia. For me, she helped enormously in getting to the heart of the piece I was creating by really breaking it down and thinking about tone and content in a way I hadn't thought of before. I am developing a challenging project because of Tricia and I thank her dearly for it.”

Peri Allan, Actor, Writer and past student

“Tricia Collins can’t make you a writer. No one can do that. But she can make you a better writer. If you have something to say, Tricia’s passion for story and her commitment to the truth of that story will help you tell it the best way you can.”

Chuck Lazer, Screenwriter and Producer (When Calls the Heart, Zixx Level 3, Avonlea)

“It was an absolute pleasure being in Tricia's writing course! The experience was very well-rounded, with wonderful exploratory assignments and in-depth online conversations. The in-class sessions were amazing. Tricia has an innate ability to create a supportive learning environment. I felt free to explore diverse ideas and opinions, which allowed me to make connections that I would have otherwise missed. Through sharing her own experience, she presented interesting concepts and useful techniques that allowed me to appreciate and understand writing in a different way.”

Cherlandra Estrada, Actor and past student

“Tricia brings equal parts insight and irreverence to her teaching- learn the rules, then learn to break them. Tricia's workshop had me re-evaluate my writing process; I left with a stronger foundational understanding of character, story, and structure, across multiple mediums, which has had an incredible impact on my confidence in the work. I'm constantly pulling out my notes from class.”

Stephanie Iszak, Actor and past student

Course Curriculum

Week by Week Lesson Plan

  • 1

    Screenwriting with Tricia Collins

  • 2

    Week 2: Character Development

    • Week 2: Character Development
  • 3

    Week 3: Logline, Theme, Tone

    • Week 3: Logline, Theme, Tone
  • 4

    Week 4: Structure

    • Week 4: Structure
  • 5

    Week 5: Structure and Plot Points

    • Week 5: Structure and Plot Points
  • 6

    Week 6: Plotting and The Scene

    • Week 6: Plotting and The Scene
  • 7

    Week 7: Macro to Micro

    • Week 7: Macro to Micro

  • 8

    Week 8: Ernie Barbarash and Jason Bourque

    • Week 8: Interview with Ernie Barbarash and Jason Bourque

    • Congratulations on completing the course!

    • Get Out S