Learn screenwriting from a pro with 27 years of experience
The #1 Question Aspiring Screenwriters Ask Is:
How Do I Get My Script Into The Right Hands?
BUT THIS IS THE WRONG QUESTION!
The Question You Should Be Asking Is:
How Do I Write A Script That's So Good...
It Doesn't Matter Whose Hands It Falls Into!
get lifetime access to:
The Showrunner's Guide to Screenwriting Course: everything you need to know to break a story, write a first draft, and do revisions with real world examples of produced shows you know and love.
Showrunner's Guide To Screenwriting, Private Facebook Group, & Workbook
Case Studies Video Series
Personal Essays Video Course: Mining Your Life For Stories
Bonus: Live Q&A Series Archives
Bonus: From Idea To Script Video Series
Bonus: Notes Checklist
Enrollment IS CURRENTLY CLOSED
At this time, enrollment is closed. Registration opens about once a month so we can better serve our students. If you want to enroll in my online screenwriting course, fill out the form on this page.
see what other people are saying about the course
"...150k in film school and first time hearing this good stuff..."
"This applies even if you aren't a screenwriter!"
Brian LundFinance Writer
"I love the lifetime access, that I can rewatch the course, and the community!"
Carol HernandezInstructional Designer
"Nobody has the helpful tools Michael has!"
Jay ManheimerWriter
"I wanted to learn from a working writer/showrunner!"
Trina SnowACTOR
"Nothing but practical and excellent advice! I thought I knew about story, turns out I didn't!"
Will NordhornWriter
"I thought it was going to be a scam! Wow, was I wrong!"
Peter LevineVideographer
"It's like someone gives you a sneak peek into the writers room!"
Neal EberleWRITER
"Game changing! Understanding why stories work or don't work is exactly what I needed!"
Justin VeaWriter
"I found it essential for writers and storytellers!"
Johny EvansWriter
Hundreds of Writers Just Like You Have Taken This Course.
Will You Be the Next Writer To Break Through?
Get Expert Guidance The Way Hollywood Does It.
Instant Access. On Demand Training. For Life.
Enrollment IS CURRENTLY CLOSED
At this time, enrollment is closed. Registration opens about once a month so we can better serve our students. If you want to enroll in my online screenwriting course, fill out the form on this page.
Get 27+ Years Writing Experience
In One Course
The Showrunner's Guide to Screenwriting
Twelve video modules covering story structure, character development, how we break stories in a writer's room, dialogue, selling your pilot, writer's room etiquette, and a lot more.
LEARN how I take a kernel of an idea and determine if there's enough meat on the bones to turn it into a film or episode of television.
LEARN the exact process that showrunners use on a daily basis to transform that idea into a beat sheet, outline, writer's draft, and shooting script.
LEARN how to create compelling act breaks, midpoints, endings, etc.
LEARN how to approach the rewrite process. The kinds of notes to address vs. ignore.
LEARN how to create dynamic and interesting characters.
LEARN how to write dialogue that is fresh and interesting... and not tired and direct.
Everything is designed to teach you the most crucial lessons I've learned in my 26-year writing career.
We've also put together a private Facebook Group so that you can network with other students and a workbook to help you get the most out of your course.
(Available on Mobile, Tablet, & Desktop)
14 case studies:
Real Shows
You Know & Love
Watch as I show you how we broke actual episodes of TV, so that you can do the same.
Not only that, I show you how we came up with the story, and then give you the outlines and scripts for those episodes.
This course includes downloads from hit shows you know and love like King of The Hill, Just Shoot Me, Tacoma FD, Maron, Glenn Martin D.D.S, & More.
Traditional courses teach you how to reverse engineer a script, but I don't know of any others where you get to watch the writer break an episode of TV you can actually go watch.
I also analyze some of my favorite films to show you how I study masters of screenwriting.
(Available on Mobile, Tablet, & Desktop)
Personal Essays Video Course: Mining Your Life For Stories
When you're writing an original piece, you have three challenges:
1. Create compelling characters
2. Invent a story for those characters
3. Figure out how best to tell that story
That's a tall order! This is why I encourage new writers to steal from their own lives. That way, you don't have to create the characters or invent a story because you've already lived it!
Now you can focus on one thing only: how best to tell that story. And that comes down to story structure... which is what I teach!
In this video series, I demonstrate how I draw upon my life and how you can do the same. This will make your writing truly unique and stand out from the rest. (Available on Mobile, Tablet, & Desktop)
(Available on Mobile, Tablet, & Desktop)
I've also included incredible BONUS CONTENT so that you get the most out of your investment.
Q&A Zoom Archives
Pre-Recorded Q&A's w/ course students on Zoom
Over the last year, I expanded the course with several Q&A sessions.
Topics covered include:
- Getting A Showrunner Attached: The economics of why a showrunner may or may not want to get in business with you.
- Selling Your Pilot: The realities of what you need to consider when shopping your idea.
- From PA to Staff Writer: A conversation with Phil Hudson on how he broke into the industry and how he plans to move from production assistant to staff writer.
From Idea To Script Video Series
Watch as I help a student develop a rough idea into a working script
I share the exact process I use every day as a Showrunner and provide this student with priceless feedback.
From Idea all the way through to a finished script, I'd be happy to see if this student was a staff writer on one of my shows.
Take the guesswork out of developing your own projects with a real-world series of lessons.
Notes Checklist
Everyone wants feedback on their script.
But who can you trust? Professional script readers are just people like yourself, hungry to break into the industry. If they knew how to do it, they'd already be working writers.
With this Notes Checklist, you'll ask yourself the same questions that I ask myself when I'm done with a draft.
You'll be able to judge your work critically so that you can further hone your next draft.
What Are You Willing To Do...
To Make Your Dream Come True?
Take Control Of Your Writing Career
Invest In Yourself Today.
Learn Everything A Working Showrunner Expects New Writers To Know
get lifetime access to:
The Showrunner's Guide to Screenwriting Course: everything you need to know to break a story, write a first draft, and do revisions with real world examples of produced shows you know and love.
Showrunner's Guide To Screenwriting, Private Facebook Group, & Workbook
Case Studies Video Series
Personal Essays Video Course: Mining Your Life For Stories
Bonus: Live Q&A Series Archives
Bonus: From Idea To Script Video Series
Bonus: Notes Checklist
Enrollment IS CURRENTLY CLOSED
At this time, enrollment is closed. Registration opens about once a month so we can better serve our students. If you want to enroll in my online screenwriting course, fill out the form on this page.
Greatness requires education and hard work.
Most people don't want to make that kind of effort.
But those who do, have a HUGE advantage over everyone else.
Where Do You Go To Learn?
If you're here, you're serious about the craft of screenwriting.
Whether it's feature or TV writing, the truth is you don't understand story structure and character development at a high enough level.
How do I know? Because I'm a professional TV writer and showrunner. When I'm hiring, I read tons of scripts from new writers. These are writers who are good enough to get representation, yet the vast majority of them do not understand this at all.
In a private conversation with a fellow showrunner, she told me:
"Michael I am working with a room full of paid writers who don’t know story." - A Showrunner
Most Screenwriting Courses are Taught by Professional Teachers
But they're not professional writers. They're just as eager to break into Hollywood as you are, and yet they are teaching you how to write?!
When I moved to Hollywood, I studied screenwriting... but not from a professional teacher. I found a retired TV writer. That's who I wanted to study under -- someone who actually performed the job that I wanted.
Most people think that just because they can hold a pencil, they can write. That's simply not the case. Storytelling is a craft that must be learned. You can learn from me, or you can learn from someone else. Just make sure they know what they're talking about because there's a lot of bad info out there.
Many of my students have said to me, "Why didn't I learn this in film school?" Good question!!!
From Ice Cream Server To Showrunner
I've Spent The Last 27 Years (7 as a Showrunner) Working As A Professional Sitcom Writer
My first job in Hollywood was shoveling fro-yo at a place called "Humphrey Yogurt." I wasn't exactly living the dream, and the pun was humiliating.
I struggled for a long time, wondering how I'd break into the business. Through a friend of a friend, I learned of a retired sitcom writer who was offering screenwriting classes. He wrote on some of my favorite shows, and he definitely struck me as someone who knew his stuff. Thanks to him, my writing vastly improved, and doors magically opened.
Within a few years, I was a staff writer on a new NBC show called Just Shoot Me. I worked there for 4 years, then accepted a job on King of the Hill, where I remained for five years. Then I went to Out of Practice, Rules of Engagement, and Wilfred. The following year, my partner and I became showrunners of a new series on Nick-at-Nite. That's when I put all my hard-won knowledge to the test.
Since then, my partner and I have run two other shows, including the critically acclaimed Maron on IFC. We've sold dozen of pilots, two feature scripts, and are currently Co-Executive Producers of Tacoma FD. I'm lucky to have a pretty full plate.
For years, several pre-WGA writers who I mentor have been haranguing me to start a screenwriting course. But I never had the time. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, bringing Hollywood production to a halt. That gave me the space I needed to create a detailed and comprehensive screenwriting course.
It took me 26 years to accumulate this knowledge. I didn't learn it in film school, nor would it have been taught there. I learned it by working with some of the most talented and successful screenwriters in the business. And now I share it with you.
Michael Jamin, TV Writer, Showrunner, Author
Michael Jamin, TV Writer, Showrunner, Author
I'm Michael Jamin
I'm Michael Jamin. I've sold two feature scripts, over a dozen pilots, and written on hit TV shows like King of the Hill, Just Shoot Me, Beavis & Butthead, Wilfred, Maron, Brickleberry, Out of Practice, Lopez, Rhett and Link's Buddy System, Tacoma FD, and more.
As a showrunner, I'm responsible for hiring new writers. Agents and managers submit their clients work, and I'll read through a stack of scripts. Even though these writers are good enough to get representation, most of their work is mediocre at best. I keep reading until I find a script that has the undeniable attributes I'm looking for. That's the writer who gets hired.
In my course, I teach you what I look for in a script, and how to put those attributes in your own scripts.
Even though I'm primarily a comedy writer, these attributes apply to drama as well. It doesn't matter if you're writing for television, theater, film or books. Story is story.
Your dream is to be a professional writer.
Imagine how much easier it would be if you had my knowledge.
The most common comment people leave on my social media is this: how do I sell my script?
Honestly, it's shocking. They should be asking, "How do I write a great script!" But no one wants to ask that question because that requires work. Or they assume that they already have a great script, but obviously, they don't.
People think that just because they've watched thousands of hours of TV shows, they know how to write one. That's like thinking you can fly an airplane just because you leave next to the airport and have watched thousands of planes. The craft needs to be learned.
Do mediocre scripts sometimes sell? Of course. But there's no demand for it. Every buyer wants a great script. If you can give them that, your odds for succeeding grow exponentially.
Stop begging people to buy your script and focus on the one thing you have control over: the quality of your writing.
Focus on the process, not the goal. When you do, amazing things will happen.
How do I know this? Because a great script is a calling card. Even if it never sells, you can use it as a sample. People will hire you to write something else.
Become a great screenwriter, and you won't have to beg people to hire you.
They'll WANT to hire you because you have what they need.
If you take my course:
I can't promise you will break into the business.
I can't promise you'll make a career as a screenwriter.
But I CAN promise that you will become a better writer. And the better you are, the more in demand you will be.
No one is going to give it to you. You have to do the work. Give yourself your best chance at success by learning how the pros do it.
get lifetime access to:
The Showrunner's Guide to Screenwriting Course: everything you need to know to break a story, write a first draft, and do revisions with real world examples of produced shows you know and love.
Showrunner's Guide To Screenwriting, Private Facebook Group, & Workbook
Case Studies Video Series
Personal Essays Video Course: Mining Your Life For Stories
Bonus: Live Q&A Series Archives
Bonus: From Idea To Script Video Series
Bonus: Notes Checklist
Enrollment IS CURRENTLY CLOSED
At this time, enrollment is closed. Registration opens about once a month so we can better serve our students. If you want to enroll in my online screenwriting course, fill out the form on this page.