Currently an AD looking to expand my skillset with more writing. The ultimate goal is ofc to become a well rounded CD but there’s also a very small chance I’d love it enough to try and switch lanes. I’ve been told by other creatives that I’m a great writer and have actually sold in some taglines etc but don’t have as much experience with long form stuff like scripts.

Any recommendations for script writing classes or exercises that are either cheap or free?

Thanks in advance 🙏

Write for a bit every day. There’s no substitute for miles on the engine.

Read. A lot. Choose favorites. Develop opinions about style, humor, brevity, diction and punctuation. Simply because you like what you like. Write manifestos. For every single idea. Don’t stop doing it until people roll their eyes about another manifesto. That’s when you know you’ve made it.

Definitely pick up some good copywriting books. “Hey Whipple, Squeeze This” by Luke Sullivan. “A Self-Help Guide for Copywriters” by Dan Nelken. Those include theory and exercises on thinking up lines etc.

Take a standup class. You’ll learn how to edit your writing to its simplest, easy to understand form. And you’ll get good presentation practice.

I’m not sure if anyone actually does an advertising script writing class (though you might benefit from a copywriting class or taking the copywriter role in a concept / teams class, thru a local ad club or school like MAS). Writing tv spots and videos for advertising is nothing like screenwriting for film or tv, it’s closer to sketch writing or improv, where you need a premise you can establish and pay off quickly. For me, constantly writing 15s as a junior was the best training - so you could try starting a TikTok or IG account where you attempt to tell stories or jokes in just 10 or 15 seconds, try doing this in all different tones or assign each video 1 feeling that you want to get across.

Read Positioning--The Battle for your Mind by Ries and Trout.

Dig around on the internet and find the scripts for your favorite spots. Worst case scenario you just transcribe them yourself but it is helpful to see how the original creatives sold in the visuals in writing too. Seeing them laid out in front of me always helps me when I am stuck or need some inspiration.

You can also get AI to critique your writing. If you tell it specifically what to look for or what you need help with it can be surprisingly helpful.

If you already have a knack for form and impact, longer text can be tough because you want to prioritize brevity over length. But I recommend you analyze content you adore of various mediums and ones you think could have done better or ones you think are terrible. Write a critique about each [include what does or doesn't land and why you believe so], then rewrite them. So much of writing is improved through concerted practice, iteration, reflection, and execution. This also helps you find your voice and think about the intended audiences.

It can be anything: website copy, text in a commercial, graphic novels, film or radio dialogue, the text on a cereal box, this comment if you want. Bonus points if you do a few versions to rewrite to suit different purposes. You know part A (the concept) and part C (the intended outcome), fill in for B (content).

How would you rewrite copy on the back of a cereal box for kids vs. health conscious consumers? What would you say to gain interest in a luxury car to that echelon of consumer vs. an entry level pick up truck? What details do you choose to highlight and how does the tone change, what kind of language do you find yourself choosing? What imagery would compliment? If there's dialogue, what does the voice sound like? If there's food, how should it be perceived?

Don't be afraid to play off the senses and experiment with evocation and different hooks. Also, when going over your drafts, read out loud and you'll quickly catch how silly or janky segments sound. If you excel with visual media, use that, how would you describe those visual cues and think about how writing can compliment them, and vice versa.

There are some great books on scripting, screenplay writing, and long-form writing that all have elements to build on. Maybe focus on screenplay books that focus on storytelling elements: prelude, introduction, scaffolding, action/conflict, suspense, climax, denouement, epilogue, background, foundation, character development, voice, tone, POV, set, time, etc.

When you start writing, you should be able to see several directions an idea or story can go in and develop a plan for how to solve for B. With longer form content, maybe stretch it out where, say part A is the concept and part G is the desired outcome, so you fill in parts B-F in scenes that navigate toward part G. Think of them as building blocks that you can remove and look at individually and restructure rather than the work as a whole, which is overwhelming.

Think about how books are made of chapters, plays/films made of acts, songs made of intros bridges choruses, and so on. Just be sure everything serves a purpose and isn't random. (Unless you're exploring some creative abstractionalist or postmodern or absurdist concept, but still have intention)

If all else fails, just write something. Go stream of consciousness, write your thoughts or make lists. List words or images or locations or influences: movies or books or ads you want to draw from. Best of luck honing your skills.

Read all the long scripts to receive for layout and understand/evaluate them.

I just recieved certification in copywriting for a great deal and with indepth educationa nd tutoring from the College of Media and Publishing, It's all online, and I had help developing my portofolio. They offer a ton of different writing courses. Copywriting is similar to content marketing involving blog writing, press releases, SEO articles, socia media marketing, etc. But I'd recommend their programs any day :)

You become a good writer by writing.

And reading.

But mostly writing.