Workshop: “Story First” | Writing Your First Screenplay with Bev Chukwu

Description: So you want to write movies. For whatever reason, writing screenplays can seem both exciting and nerve-wracking for emerging and seasoned writers alike. Those who didn’t grow up reading screenplays – that’s most of us – look at a script and immediately become daunted by format and structure. The thought of abiding by so many rules can feel liberating for some but overwhelming to many, especially to women and non-binary folk, who are often still getting used to having their voices heard. I created this class to eradicate the notion that writing screenplays is “hard” and to instead remind people that story always comes first. Your voice is your voice, no matter the medium. Let it be heard, or, in this case, let it be seen.

In this 4-week class, I first bring students into the core of their script ideas. That means the first week is all about owning your idea and seeing what resonates with others on an emotional level. From there, the second week is all about formatting, structure, and general screenwriting lingo. Having your story in your head will make absorbing screenwriting tools that much easier. The third and fourth weeks of this class are dedicated to executing what you’ve learned into a tangible outline and the first act of your very own screenplay.

At the end of this course, you’ll have everything you need to finish your script and tools,

guides, videos, etc., that you can take with you into the foreseeable future.

Registration is Closed

Max Participants: 10

Cost: This workshop is provided for free with support from our donors. Donations are appreciated.

*Note: Registration does not guarantee attendance. 

*10 attendees will be selected by drawing and notified by March 29, 2024. 

* Torch workshops are open to BIPOC womxn writers.

Beverly “Bev” Chukwu is a Nigerian American writer, director, and script consultant. Her producing projects have screened at the Women in Horror Film Festival, Cine Las Americas, AGLIFF, and more. Bev’s screenplay, PRINCE OF LAVENDALE STREET, was the feature winner in the 2021 BlueCat Screenplay Competition, and her video essay “Sometimes Black” is now used as educational material at the University of Texas at Austin. She has spent over seven years working in various mental health arenas and nearly a year providing behavior therapy to neurodivergent youth and adults. Bev has received fellowships from the Black List x WIF Episodic Lab, Google’s YouTube Originals Black Voices Creator Program, and the James A. Michener Center for Writers, where she also received an MFA in screenwriting and fiction. Bev continues to advocate for filmmakers as EA to the Head of Film and Creative Media at the Austin Film Society and through her relationships teaching for the Writers League of Texas, Austin Bat Cave, and other local non-profits.

Torch Literary Arts is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization established to publish and promote creative writing by Black women. We publish contemporary writing by experienced and emerging writers alike. Torch has featured work by Colleen J. McElroy, Tayari Jones, Sharon Bridgforth, Crystal Wilkinson, Patricia Smith, Natasha Trethewey, Elizabeth Alexander, and others. Programs include the Wildfire Reading Series, writing workshops, and retreats.