As someone who teaches TV writing and producing at one of the world’s premier film schools I get asked certain questions all the time:

How do you get an agent? (subject for another blog post)

How do you break into TV? (see blog of 6/9/2010)

Can creativity be taught?

The answer to this last question is…no.  BUT…

I believe every single person is inherently creative.  We’re born with tremendous spontaneity and storytelling instincts right inside each and every one of us.  Just watch any 4-year-old with trucks or dolls and they will freely and easily build stories all day long.  The trick for adults is learning techniques for tapping into our natural creativity then applying the tools and craft of storytelling to help shape your spontaneity  into a seamless and compelling comedy or drama.

It’s these techniques for tapping into your natural creativity and the tools and craft  of writing for the screen that can be taught.  That’s what you’ll learn if you come to Chapman to study Tv and TV writing.  And you’ll be taught by those of us who’ve used these techniques for decades in our own professional lives – and who continue to do so on a daily basis as we continue to write for television.

Once you learn these skills, the process is the same as mastering anything else like tennis or a musical instrument: PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!