A creative writing class would be a good place to start if you want to be a screenwriter. In a creative-writing class, you will usually be introduced to different types of writing, such as poetry, fiction and character development. It also helps to develop the necessary skills to write your own stories. These classes will focus on self-expression and exercises are incorporated to help students develop these skills.
Learning how to structure your story is crucial to screenwriting. This is where you will learn about breaking your story into acts and at what points in the story should certain key events happen. Plot structure determines the sequence of events that happen in the story and lead the main character toward her objective. A structure class also will teach you about story arcs and subplots, which are other key elements in a script.
Writing dialogue for characters comes easier to some than others, but it is an essential part of screenwriting. The dialogue between characters in your script should be natural, believable and reflect the character. There are classes that are specifically geared toward learning how to write compelling dialogue. A good story isn't enough if the characters don't have entertaining conversation. It can be the difference between a good script and a great script.
In each scene of a script, something has to happen. It's a period of time in the story where a specific action or event takes place. Scene development classes focus on the characters and what happens to them in your story. You will learn how to show conflict and create suspense among characters, which are two important elements of scene development. This also teaches how to write scenes that propel the story forward.