What We Do
We help screenwriters get their best stories on the page, no matter where they’re coming from.
Join a community of more than 50,000 writers across 170 countries.
Why We Do It
Because we love it.
Young Screenwriters was created by professional screenwriters. In the industry, we’ve seen firsthand that life-changing scripts come from writers with a strong point of view.
Empowering writers to find their voices and tell their stories matters to us. And we firmly believe that cost and location should never be a limiting factor.
Our Guiding Principles
Welcoming. We want as many writers as possible to be able to enjoy screenwriting. We make it a priority to [CC] close caption all of our videos and keep most of our offerings free and the others very affordable.
Tangible. While theory is helpful, it’s not enough to get a writer inspired and creating right now. So, we make it a point to break down our advice into action steps that are clear to follow and build to awesome results.
Story-Driven. Everything we do is to help more writers tell their stories. While we certainly have formats and theories that we like, we try to stay focused on what the writers want to say rather than arbitrary rules.
Meet the Team
Our Origin Story
From 2012 to 2016, John was Alexie’s professor at NYU Tisch Film (where he’s currently the head of the Film and TV Department!). Being from Ohio and Kentucky respectively, they bonded over how hard it was to access information about screenwriting before moving to New York City.
So, they decided to make an online course.
With Carl’s production guidance, John and Alexie shot Young Screenwriters’ first course, Writing the Short, in John’s NYU office. And Young Screenwriters was born!
Adam joined the team to lend his film and screenwriting experience to editing Writing the Short. And then, when the pandemic hit, we decided to release the course for free. One viral post and an article on No Film School later, we went from 0 to 20,000 students overnight.
Since then, Young Screenwriters has continued to grow. We’re proud to be joined by Theo, who started as a Writing the Short student and has stuck with us ever since. Today, we remain dedicated to our mission of sharing the artform we love with others and helping writers everywhere tell their stories.
FAQ
General Questions
How can I join the Young Screenwriters community?
It depends on what you’re looking for! We have courses (free and paid), a Discord community featuring live workshops and write-ins, Screenwriting Labs, and the Young Screenwriters podcast, which is recorded live every Friday at 5:30pm ET.
I’m not “young”! Can I still join?
Of course! As John says, Young Screenwriters is for the young at heart. Our course material is appropriate for high schoolers, but we always treat our audience like adults and don’t water down the information.
Are there any fees associated with joining Young Screenwriters?
99% of what we offer is totally free. The only offerings that are paid are our premium courses (Writing the Feature and Writing the Pilot) and some Screenwriting Labs.
Can I participate in Young Screenwriters programs from anywhere in the world?
Yes! We currently have writers in our community from over 170 countries worldwide. For live events, we almost always offer recordings afterward for writers in other timezones.
Programs and Services
Do you offer any courses or workshops for beginner screenwriters?
Yes! Writing the Short and Writing the Scene are both free and perfect for beginners. Additionally, our public workshops on Discord and Friday livestreams are great for writers of any level.
Are all your courses and resources available online?
Yes! As of right now, all of our material is 100% online.
How do you ensure your content is accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities?
Accessibility is a priority to us. We strive to offer the vast majority of what we do 100% free, and to keep the prices of our premium offerings way below the market rate. Everything is available online, to writers all over the world, and we offer recordings of events for folks who can’t be there live due to timezone constraints.
We also prioritize ensuring that our material can be absorbed in different ways: audio, text, and video. All of our videos have subtitles.
What opportunities do you provide for writers to get feedback on their work?
In addition to our Discord, which is an awesome resource for sharing your work and getting feedback (both inside of workshops and in feedback-centric channels), we also offer private Story Consulting.
Community and Support
How can I connect with other members of the Young Screenwriters community?
Come by our Discord! We hang out there 24/7 and there’s an amazing community of super supportive writers.
Do you have any success stories or testimonials from members of your community?
Yes! Our writers have gone on to be finalists in huge contests like Nicholls Fellowship and Austin Film Festival, place on the Black List, find representation, and win fellowships through companies such as Netflix.
You can check out some testimonials here.
Technical and Access Questions
What are the system requirements to access your courses and resources?
Access to reliable internet is the only requirement. If you’re having any trouble running our courses, we recommend trying through a Chrome browser on a laptop or desktop.
I'm having trouble accessing one of your courses; who can I contact for support?
Please email us at support@youngscreenwriters.com and we’d be happy to help you out!
Mission and Values
How does Young Screenwriters support diversity in screenwriting?
Hollywood is a historically exclusive place. By offering our material online for free or a low cost, we aim to share the art form that we love with people who might not otherwise have access to it.
In what ways do you think screenwriting can be a force for social change?
Stories help us to step inside of lives we would never otherwise live and develop empathy for people different than us. Empathy is one of the most important tools for social change, and digital media offers one of the best opportunities to share stories with more people.
About the Team
How can I learn more about the instructors and team members of Young Screenwriters?
You can check out our About page (above!). Or, come by the Discord and ask whatever you’d like. We’d be happy to answer!
Are there opportunities to contribute to Young Screenwriters, either as a volunteer or in a professional capacity?
At this time, we aren’t looking to bring on any full-time employees. However, if you have experience in the entertainment industry and would like to collaborate (join us on a livestream, host a workshop, make a free course, etc.), we’d love to chat!
Please email alexie@youngscreenwriters.com to get the ball rolling.
History and Future Plans
What new courses or initiatives can we expect from Young Screenwriters in the near future?
We have a few dream courses on our docket, but we are not currently in production. For now, our focus is on the workshops and free content creation.
How has Young Screenwriters evolved since its inception?
A lot of ways! It started as just Writing the Short, which we released for free during the pandemic. We didn’t necessarily have a plan for anything beyond that, but the viral response kicked us into gear!
Now we’re thrilled to connect with writers in our community every single day, through courses, workshops, livestreams, consultations, and more.