Breaking Story for 1 Hour Network Procedural TV Dramas + Interactive Mock Writers' Room

We’ve found ourselves in a true “content gold rush” for television. Over 600 shows were greenlit last year and some industry experts are predicting we may see as many as 1,000 television shows greenlit per year by 2025. Much of the attention in recent years has been on streaming platforms, but it would be foolish to overlook network dramas that continue to not only draw huge crowds, but can stay on the air for many more seasons than their streaming counterparts (can you believe GREY’S ANATOMY has had 17 seasons??). Current ratings for shows like CBS’s EQUALIZER, FOX’s 9-1-1 and NBC’s CHICAGO P.D., CHICAGO FIRE and CHICAGO MED demonstrate just how wildly successful network dramas continue to be. If you’re looking for a long-running and lucrative TV writing career, network dramas could be a powerful opportunity. Now it’s just a matter of breaking in.

The opportunities are plentiful and the prospects have never been more exciting, but if you want to write for network television you need to prove that you have the chops, and this means more than just writing a pilot script by yourself; it means that you can excel in a writers’ room, breaking story with the showrunner and fellow staff writers. TV story breaking is a wholly different process than solo writing and requires a separate skillset. It’s more collaborative, it’s more flexible, and it requires the ability to pitch and defend your ideas. The ability to thrive in a television writers’ room can allow you to find real longevity in your writing career and give you the opportunity to contribute to a lot of exciting new shows coming out of this gold rush.

Kate Sargeant is an accomplished television writer with especially deep experience in network procedural dramas, working on over 100 episodes of network TV on shows like CASTLE, CSI: CYBER, NCIS: NEW ORLEANS and BLINDSPOT. Kate started her career as an actress at the age of eleven, starring as “Emily” in the cult classic film 3 NINJAS, directed by Jon Turteltaub. She has also written, directed, and produced a few of her passion projects including three short films: CHANGING LANES, FACING LIFE, and ANOTHER FOREIGN CONCEPT. In addition, Kate launched an original comedic series that she wrote, directed, and produced called YOU CAN’T DO THAT ON THE INTERNET about our obsession with social media. Most recently Kate served as a Supervising Producer on an upcoming one-hour drama for TBS entitled OBLITERATED.

Over the course of this intimate six-week workshop, Kate will delve into the craft of the network procedural hour drama and then lead the class through a mock BLINDSPOT writers' room, where students will gain experience pitching A, B and C story ideas for BLINDSPOT,  breaking the episode script, and then practice pitching acts to the showrunner. Through both Kate’s lessons and her leading of the writers’ room, you will gain direct, practical and real-world experience that you can take with you as you pursue your own television career.

WHAT TO EXPECT

• **Kate will be available on email during the 8 class sessions to answer any questions you have.**
• This workshop is designed for working and aspiring TV writers of all levels looking to learn about network drama TV writing and how to pitch and work in a writers' room. This is an in-depth, practical, and detailed lab with significantly more content than a standard 90-minute webinar.
• This lab will consist of eight sessions, each roughly two hours in duration. Sessions will vary between presentation style lessons and interactive mock writers' room sessions where all students will have the opportunity to participate.
• Plus, to stay motivated and inspired, you will have access to a private, dedicated Stage 32 Lounge where you can communicate with your fellow classmates throughout the process.
• To see the lab schedule, see below under "What You Will Learn".

PLEASE NOTE: This exclusive Stage 32 lab is limited and will be booked on a first come, first served basis. The opportunity to work this closely and for this long with an experienced writer/producer and an expert in the field is an incredibly unique and valuable opportunity. If you are interested, please book quickly. Once the spots are gone, they’re gone for good.