
STORY for SCRIPT DEVELOPMENT
Learn the script-development and story-shaping skills you need to thrive in the HETV drama arena
Learn the script-development and story-shaping skills you need to thrive in the HETV drama arena
A new generation of high-end TV (HETV) shows has transformed how TV drama is made — it’s more ambitious, requiring bigger stories and larger, more complex teams.
Over seven weeks you’ll learn all the story-structure and note-giving skills you need. You’ll become familiar with the key components of narrative set out in John Yorke’s bestselling book Into The Woods and the blueprint that underlies every successful story.
You’ll gain an understanding of five-act structure and what makes stories resonate with TV audiences worldwide, then apply those principles to diagnose and fix script problems within the context of a HETV drama production.
Along the way you’ll develop increased confidence in judging story ideas, distilling a story to its essence, working with writers and the wider team, and the complex art of giving useful notes.
John Yorke has worked with experienced script editor Caroline Young to devise this online CPD course.
Participants who successfully complete the course will receive a certificate of completion evidencing their learning and study hours.
NEXT COURSE
Start date: | 26 April 2021 |
Duration: | 7 weeks |
Skill level: | Intermediate |
Held: | Weekly |
Sessions: | 6 |
Price: | £900 (inc. VAT where applicable) |
Work from our course team


Good script editors are the unsung heroes of television drama – they can quite literally make the difference between a script that works and a script that doesn’t.
- Caroline Young, Course Leader
Story for Script Development is for anyone working in (or who wants to work in) TV drama, including editors, script readers, development assistants, trainee script editors, researchers, storyliners, story assistants, story supervisors and anyone else looking to learn the mechanics of story structure and apply that practical understanding to high-end TV drama.
We teach this course in groups of up to 15 people. You can book as an individual or block-book a dedicated class exclusively for your team.
The course is suitable if you:
- Are a trainee script editor, researcher or story assistant and want to learn how to plan and structure drama scripts
- Want to move into HETV and learn more about the story expectations of the market and audience
- Would like to sharpen your five-act story structure skills and learn how to work with larger scale stories
- Need to understand storylining over a series
- Want to discover why scripts aren’t working — and how to fix them
- Would like to feel more confident in giving notes, including giving notes you’d rather not give
- Want to join a friendly and supportive group of learners
- Can dedicate 5-7 hours per week for the duration of the course
You’ll discover the underlying structure of all successful stories, learn the essential elements every HETV drama needs, and practise applying this understanding to your work in script development.
Throughout the course you’ll study real-world scripts that work — and some that don’t — to help you understand how a knowledge of archetypal story can help you identify and tackle problems, and make your note-giving more effective at all stages of the development process.
Along the way, you’ll be working within a supportive community keen to share their experiences.
We teach this course in our online classroom, which is open 24/7 so you can fit learning around your work, family and friends. You’ll work in a small group of learners so you can discuss ideas, ask questions and share your writing as you progress through the weekly sessions.
Read more on how we teach.
See a full list of the materials and programmes you’ll need to complete this course.
You’ll learn from:
- Short podcasts and videos from John Yorke, Caroline Young and other industry experts
- Q&A session with a guest HETV writer
- Practical exercises and prompts to help you experiment and practise your script skills
- Carefully selected reading and viewing lists
- Live Q&A chatroom sessions with your group and tutor
- The opportunity to share your work and give and receive feedback from fellow writers
- Weekly tutor input and detailed feedback on your script notes at the end of the course from your tutor and John Yorke
Join our alumni
After your course, you can join our online alumni community where you’ll meet our growing network of past students. You’ll be able to.
- Rejoin your classmates in a private forum
- Continue to access an archived version of your course materials
- Meet alumni from other courses and share work for feedback
- Join discussions about screenwriting, script editing and the industry
- Attend live chats with guest writers and industry folk
Mentoring and one-to-one feedback
The John Yorke Story tutor team offer mentoring, script reads and reports. We are happy to quote by job or script, or to arrange a longer mentoring scheme as you work on a specific story idea. We’ll create a package to suit you, so for more information please email learn@johnyorkestory.com
Taking things further
If you’d like to take another John Yorke Story course, we’ll give you a discount. Please get in touch for more details.

This course has been made possible by the support of ScreenSkills, and has been approved as part of an informal or formal continuing professional development (CPD) programme.
You may be eligible for a training bursary for this course. Apply direct to ScreenSkills here, at least FOUR WEEKS before the course start date.
As this counts as CPD training, you may also be able to get funding from your employer to do it. See here for all our latest bursary and funding opportunities.
Price: £900 (inc. VAT where applicable)
Price: £50
(Non-refundable)
Ask Us Anything
WHAT our STUDENTS SAY

The script I’m working on is really dreadful. I thought that at the beginning of the course, but couldn’t say why. Now I realise, when going through the checklist, that the story is missing most of the checkpoints. We have no idea where the protagonist is going or why. I know how to fix this now.
I really have enjoyed the course. The content has been fantastic and the feedback incredibly helpful… I’ve managed to secure a couple of weeks on a production, shadowing with the Script Team in children’s drama, so that I can put some of what I’ve learned into practice.
It has been so fascinating to see just how much changes between a first draft of a script and the final TX.
I’m honored to have learned from such an experienced team. I definitely learned a lot and feel a sense of satisfaction after receiving the notes on my final assignment. I’m out there now applying for more reading jobs.
Our ARTICLES on SCRIPT DEVELOPMENT
Matt Telfer’s top tips on becoming a script editor
Becoming a script editor is many people’s first step in their career in TV and film, but how do you actually get your foot in the door? Story for Script Development tutor Matt Telfer explains the best routes into the industry and how to make the most of it in this special long-read article.
What do script editors do? – Interview with script development consultant Jessica Jones
Script editors are an integral part of developing a writer’s initial idea into a truly compelling TV show or film. In this interview, John Yorke Story’s Katherine Press speaks with script editor and development consultant Jessica Jones about ironing out problems with writers, understanding how stories work and what questions you should be asking your script.
How to master five-act structure
We work closely with all our students, and often go through topics in detail to help them better grasp them. In this one-to-one session, the John Yorke Story team work with a screenwriter as she masters some of the core elements of five-act structure: inciting incidents, moments of hope and despair, and the point of no return.