ENC 3402-0001 - Spring 2026 - Goldring

The course explores the art, craft, and cultural consciousness of writing for the screen in the 21st century, with a focus on the TV pilot and the short film. By examining the craft and techniques of scriptwriting, students will learn how historically marginalized, underrepresented, and global voices — encompassing race, gender, sexuality, and disability — are telling new stories, impacting the way content is consumed, and evolving the craft of scriptwriting. First, we will read several scripts from various cultural backgrounds, analyzing the politics of authorship and production, as well as how the current digital media landscape is shaping narrative structure, pacing, and audience engagement. Then, we will engage in scriptwriting exercises to stimulate creativity, as we discuss craft and technique and explore how contemporary writers are redefining character, plot, theme, and genre. We will then conduct a workshop for each of our stories. By the end of the semester, students will have completed either a TV pilot script or a short film script.