Next Workshop:-
DECONSTRUCTING DRAMA ONE-DAY WORKSHOP
Saturday October 15th, RFH 10.00am – 5.00pm
This is a one-day workshop on how to approach writing drama. We’ll cover:-
* What makes a viable idea?
* Why some ideas work, and others don’t
* How your choices impact on the whole of the production
* The importance of structure
* What characters does your story need?
* What makes them real?
* Why you need sub-plots and what they can do for you
* Plotting scenes
* How to create realistic, idiosyncratic dialogue for each character
* What dialogue needs to do and how to write it
Cost:- £85
Please contact me at secretofcomedy@gmail.com to reserve a place.
NEXT COURSE
DECONSTRUCTING DRAMA
Saturday June 18th, RFH 10.00am – 5.00pm
This is a one-day workshop on how to approach writing drama (not necessarily comedy, despite the title of this website!) We’ll cover:-
* What makes a viable idea?
* Why some ideas work, and others don’t
* How your choices impact on the whole of the production
* The importance of structure
* What characters does your story need?
* What makes them real?
* Why you need sub-plots and what they can do for you
* How to create realistic, idiosyncratic dialogue for each character
* What dialogue needs to do and how to write it
COST: £85
Please contact me at secretofcomedy@gmail.com to reserve a place.
NEXT COURSE
I’ll be giving my popular half-day Basics of Drama Writing course on March 5th, from 2 – 6pm at the Royal Festival Hall.
It’ll cover the basics of how to approach drama writing for every type of medium – film, TV, theatre and radio, including:-
What makes a viable idea? – Why some ideas work, and others don’t
The importance of writing for the medium, and what each different medium requires
The difference between story and plot – Does the story have legs? – How to pace the plot
Characters and Characterisation – What characters does your story need? – What makes them real?
Sub Plots – Why you need them and what they can do for you
Dialogue – How to create realistic, idiosyncratic dialogue for each character – What dialogue needs to do
The cost is £50.
My testimonials can be found on this site, and also at http://scriptwhizz.com/reviews
Please write to secretofcomedy@gmail.com to reserve a place
NEXT COURSE
Saturday 6th February 2 – 6pm / Royal Festival Hall, Southbank, London
Half-Day Basics of Drama Writing Workshop
This will cover the basics of how to approach drama writing for every type of medium – film, TV, theatre and radio, including:-
What makes a viable idea? – Why some ideas work, and others don’t
The importance of writing for the medium, and what each medium requires
The difference between story and plot – Does the story have legs? – How to pace the plot
Characters and Characterisation – What characters does your story need? – What makes them real?
Sub Plots – Why you need them and what they can do for you
Dialogue – How to create realistic, idiosyncratic dialogue for each character – What dialogue needs to do
Cost: £50
My testimonials can be found on this site, and also at http://scriptwhizz.com/reviews
Please write to secretofcomedy@gmail.com to reserve a place
NEXT COURSE
Saturday 5th December / 2 – 6pm / Royal Festival Hall, Southbank, London
Half-Day Basics of Drama Writing Workshop
This will cover the basics of how to approach drama writing for every type of medium – film, TV, theatre and radio, including:-
What makes a viable idea? – Why some ideas work, and others don’t
The importance of writing for the medium, and what each different medium requires
The difference between story and plot – Does the story have legs? – How to pace the plot
Characters and Characterisation – What characters does your story need? – What makes them real?
Sub Plots – Why you need them and what they can do for you
Dialogue – How to create realistic, idiosyncratic dialogue for each character – What dialogue needs to do
Special Black Friday Weekend rate of £40! (My usual half day rate is £50).
My testimonials can be found at http://scriptwhizz.com/reviews
Please write to secretofcomedy@gmail.com to reserve a place
ONE DAY WORKSHOP – BASICS OF DRAMA WRITING FOR TV, FILM, THEATRE & RADIO
This is another outing for my popular one-day Basics of Drama Writing course on
Saturday 12th September at the Royal Festival Hall, from 10.30am – 4.30pm.
The day deals with the nuts and bolts of what’s needed to write convincing drama, starting from the initial approach towards each particular medium.
Here’s the link to a few testimonials:- https://secretofcomedy.com/testimonials/
This is what will be covered on the day:-
What makes a viable idea? Why some ideas work, and others don’t
The importance of writing for the medium What each different medium requires
The difference between story and plot Does the story have legs? – How to pace the plot
Characters and Characterisation What characters does your story need? – What makes them real?
Sub Plots Why you need them and what they can do for you
Dialogue How to create realistic, idiosyncratic dialogue for each character – What dialogue needs to do
The cost of the course is £85. Places can be reserved by writing to secretofcomedy@gmail.com
ONE DAY WORKSHOP – BASICS OF DRAMA WRITING FOR TV, FILM, THEATRE & RADIO
This is another outing for my popular one-day Basics of Drama Writing course on Sunday 19th July at the Royal Festival Hall, from 10.30am – 4.30pm.
The day deals with the nuts and bolts of what’s needed to write convincing drama, starting from the initial approach towards each particular medium.
Here’s the link to a few testimonials on my website:-
This is what will be covered on the day:-
What makes a viable idea? – Why some ideas work, and others don’t
The importance of writing for the medium, and what each different medium requires
The difference between story and plot – Does the story have legs? – How to pace the plot
Characters and Characterisation – What characters does your story need? – What makes them real?
Sub Plots – Why you need them and what they can do for you
Dialogue – How to create realistic, idiosyncratic dialogue for each character – What dialogue needs to do
The cost of the course is £85. Places can be reserved by writing to secretofcomedy@gmail.com
ONE DAY COURSE ON DRAMA WRITING FOR FILM, TV, THEATRE & RADIO
This has become a very popular one-day course on how writing drama for film, TV, theatre and radio differs, and it will take place on Saturday 16th May at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank, from 10am – 4pm.
Here’s what will be covered on the day:-
* What makes an idea viable or otherwise for each medium?
* Why some ideas work, and others don’t
* The importance of writing for the medium, and what each medium requires
* The difference between story and plot, and how to pace them
* What characters does your story need?
* What makes them real?
* Why you need sub-plots and what they can do for you
* How to create realistic, idiosyncratic dialogue for each character
* What dialogue needs to do and how to write it
There will also be time to discuss any other topics of interest.
Cost: £85
Please contact me at secretofcomedy@gmail.com for a place.
CHARACTERISATION THROUGH DIALOGUE
This one-day workshop is on Saturday 18th April from 10.30am – 4.30am at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank. It’s suitable for novices and the more experienced writer alike.
No matter what the medium – film, theatre, TV, radio – your characters have to come across as real, three-dimensional people, with believable depth. The importance of dialogue in establishing who they are cannot be overstated (not forgetting the other paramount functions of dialogue of course, such as moving the story on and cutting to the core of your characters relationships with each other).
The workshop will cover vocabulary, syntax, idiosyncrasies, swearing (that’s the characters, not me!), shorthand and…silence, which is equally as important as sound on occasion. There will be plenty of discussion, copious examples and exercises, and heaps of opportunity to ask questions.
Cost: £85
Please contact me at secretofcomedy@gmail.com for a place.
ONE DAY DRAMA WRITING COURSE
I’m giving a one-day Basics of Drama Writing course for film, TV, theatre and radio on Saturday 31st January at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank, from 10am – 4pm.
Here’s what will be covered on the day:-
What makes a viable idea?
Why some ideas work, and others don’t
The importance of writing for the medium, and what each medium requires
The difference between story and plot
Does the story have legs?
How to pace the plot
Characters and Characterisation
What characters does your story need?
What makes them real?
Sub Plots
Why you need them and what they can do for you
Dialogue
How to create realistic, idiosyncratic dialogue for each character
What dialogue needs to do and how to write it
There will also be time to discuss any other aspect of interest.
COST: £85
Please contact me at secretofcomedy@gmail.com for a place.
NEXT COURSE
This course will be run slightly differently from my other ones: as four separate days, which can be attended either on an individual basis, allowing for a kind of ‘pick and mix’ experience, or as an entire series. The more days you sign up for, the cheaper it gets.
The main criteria of each session (other than the last day – which will deal specifically with comedy) is to impart the basics of screen and stage writing. There will be copious tuition and analysis, with the addition of some simple exercises to be completed and discussed on the day.
The sessions will take place at the Royal Festival Hall, which is located on the Southbank, close to Waterloo Station, and which is served by numerous bus and tube lines. They will run from 12.00 – 4.00pm, during which there will be a short break for refreshments.
Saturday 13th September
IDEAS, STRUCTURE, PLOT
Has the idea ‘got legs’, why structure is so important, the problems of and solutions to structuring, what makes a good plot, the addition of sub plots, pacing
Saturday 20th September
CHARACTERS
How to choose them and why they need to be there, how to give them depth, how to develop them, how to approach their relationships with each other
Saturday 27th September
DIALOGUE
What dialogue’s for, what makes good / bad dialogue, how to write for different characters, elevating the ordinary to the exceptional
Saturday 4th October
COMEDY WRITING
What makes good comedy, where the humour comes from, coming up with comedy ideas and developing them, tightening it up
FEE
One Session: £50
Two Sessions: £95
Three Sessions: £135
Four Sessions: £175
Please contact me at secretofcomedy@gmail.com if you would like a place.
STOP PRESS
HALF DAY TASTER FOR NEXT WRITING COURSE ON SATURDAY 28TH JUNE
10 – 1.00PM, ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL, SOUTHBANK, LONDON
Whether or not you choose not to sign up for the whole course (and there’s no ‘hard sell’) you will come away with professional insights on every aspect of script writing.
£25
Please let me know at secretofcomedy@gmail.com if you would like a place.
INTRODUCTION TO COMEDY WRITING
This course covers most types of comedy writing – monologues, sketches, sitcom (radio and TV), stage plays and film (although each course may differ slightly based on the preferences of the participants) – and teaches the basic principles of each medium: from coming up with workable ideas and creating 3-dimensional characters, to plotting and writing strong, sharp dialogue, via everything in between. We’ll explore what works, what doesn’t, and how to solve the inherent problems of each genre that even professional writers wrestle with.
Participants will be invited to complete various writing tasks between the classes, and in the final week professional actors will bring to life extracts of each student’s work, giving feedback from a performer’s point of view.
INTRODUCTION TO STANDUP WORKSHOPS
Details to be announced
Private individual tuition is also available – please contact me at secretofcomedy@gmail.com to discuss what you’re looking for.
SECRET OF COMEDY 
I recently took this “one day course on Drama Writing for Film, TV Theatre & Radio” run by Diane Messias.
I’m a documentary film maker so wasn’t sure how relevant the class would be for me but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised.
I had a lot of take aways from the day, it’s help me consider my current idea in development and whether it’s relevant
I’ve also taken a fresh look at how I’ll pace my film.
Diane was brimming with fascinating antidotes and insightful examples of where other writers had made triumphs and indeed where they had completely failed and why.
Diane took the time to answer my questions and gave some really helpful advise for my own projects.
I’d recommend you book a class with Diane, this was just one of many she offers, as she’s a wonderful teacher and really knows her stuff !
How lovely of you, Liz! Thank you so much, and can I say what a pleasure it was to have such intelligent, engaged participants! Delighted it was of value, and I very much look forward to hearing about how your creative project/s develop. (And how would you like that fiver – 10ps ok? 😉 )