What is the best degree to study if you aspire to be a scriptwriter for a series like coronation street?

Question

thanks in advance. x

Answer 1

hi, i don't know where you're located... but anyway i did my undergrad in English and then a post-graduate program in Professional Screenwriting at Niagara College. that was in 2000 and they don't offer the program anymore but i'm sure other colleges must offer something similar. Look into colleges that have Film or Television broadcasting courses. the best thing you can do is take writing and storytelling courses, learn how to tell a story, and then invest in the proper scriptwriting software for your computer (like Final Draft for example) because if your script is in the wrong format, they won't even bother looking at it. practice writing your own episodes of the kind of show you'd like to write for. not all tv shows accept outside scripts, most have staff writers but occasionally some new shows may take spec scripts from non-staff writers. i used to write my own X-Files and sent my scripts in but they recieved so many unsolicited scripts that they didn't even bother to read it, I just got a nice little rejection letter, LOL. if you get a rejection letter and want to know why, try contacting them directly - they will usually have the phone number on the letterhead. i called Chris Carter (creator of the X-Files) to ask him about becoming a writer for the show, or how to become a writer on any tv show... i spoke to his secretary and she offered to book me an appointment to meet with him but i live in Canada and they were in Beverly Hills! the point is, if I was able to I could have met with him. so talk to people in the industry and see what happens. good luck!