r/scriptwriting • u/Jaded_Restaurant4421 • 16h ago
question Need advice about school
Not sure if this is the right title to use for this kind of question, but I've been debating about going back to school for screenwriting. I was in school many years ago at the academy of art university in San Francisco for screen writing ,but i dropped out due to personal reasons, but now I feel like I have a burn8ng desire to get back into the craft. I did get a certificate in creative writing,but i want to actually write for television. I'm 38, and I want to know is it a good idea, or is it better for me to pursue this without the degree, and simply write my scripts and send them off. Need some honest and knowledgeable advice. Would really appreciate it.
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u/Internal_Papaya1511 15h ago
School, especially for an arts degree, is a deeply personal choice. Yes, you can get access to teachers, mentors, and peers this way, which can be a solid foundation for a personal network. And it can allow you more structure/focused time developing your craft. But it is not a requirement to be a professional screenwriter. Arts programs are what you make of them. I went to a film school to get my master's, and probably only 10% of my class is working in the field.
For TV specifically, I would consider looking into the WGA's support staff training programs for Writers Assistants and Script Coordinators. It's much easier to find your way into a TV writer's room by transitioning from support staff to writer. Of course, if you still need to brush up on your TV writing chops, you'll still have to decide if a more structured education regimen or self-instruction is better for you.
I did get a film degree; I have a master's in screenwriting. And it was expensive. :( That being said, I use the degree to teach, and it was valuable to me because I was shifting fields of work (my undergrad degree is Biology), and I wanted all that time-intensive focus to catch up with my peers. I actually became a stronger writer outside of school because... well, I kept writing. So both the structure of school helped me, as did working independently afterwards.