Writers Room

Our website has a wealth of online resources in our Writers' Lab, a Script Library, Industry Opportunities and our Blog with news and features on the latest BBC programmes, help and advice.

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From our bases across the UK we run public events (for example Writing for Medical Drama, TV Drama Writers' Festival and the Scottish Writers' Festival) and workshops, Q&As and masterclasses at festivals, theatres, writers' groups and courses.

Our twice-yearly Script Room (Comedy and Drama) offers an open door for all writers across the UK, both new and experienced, to submit a script with the promise that at least the first ten pages will be read. Promising new voices are then offered development opportunities and help to kick-start their careers.

We run targeted talent searches, for example the Trans-Comedy Award, which led to Boy Meets Girl on BBC Two, Future Talent for a pilot web-series based in the West Midlands, the Class-Dismissed sketch-writing initiative with CBBC and Craic Off with BBC Northern Ireland Comedy. We target under-represented voices through schemes focusing on minority communities or specific parts of the UK (for example the Wales Drama Award and the Tony Doyle Award). 

Find out more on our Successes page 

As BBC Writersroom we meet writers offering career and script advice, and passing on their work where appropriate. We run targeted Writers' Groups (eg Northern Writers Group, London Voices) and support talent initiatives, for example Talawa Firsts.

In partnership with BBC Studios production, BBC production departments and independent production companies we run:

Comedy Room and Drama Room - six-month development programmes for writers found through our open Script Room submissions and other talent searches.

TV Drama Writers' Programme - developing writers towards their first original script commission with a placement at BBC Studios or an independent production company.

Short Form Production - for example advising on writers for the Original Drama Shorts for BBC iPlayer, working with BBC Taster and BBC Three on The Break - monologues by new BAME writers, and developing the winning web-series from our Future Talent scheme.

We support other BBC department's talent initiatives, for example Room to Write/Fast and Funny from BBC Scotland Comedy.

Find out more about our partnership work

We run the Continuing Drama Series writers' schemes for EastEnders, Holby City, Casualty, Doctors and River City.

We run regular writers' residentials for different genres, for example Radio Drama, Radio Comedy, CBeebies, CBBC and TV Drama using expert mentors (eg Brent Forrester and Andrew Ellard).

We do targeted development work, for example Comedy Studio.

BBC Writersroom staff attend development meetings and work as an internal agent, suggesting writers for specific projects and run other workshops on request (for example on storylining with the Natural History Unit).

The Last Hours of Laura K was a pioneering 24-hour long immersive drama, which placed the audience at the heart of the story.

Developed at a BBC Writersroom residential and subsequently produced by us it was launched on 30th March 2015. Amongst its multiple award nominations and wins, it was shortlisted for a Prix Italia in the category of Best Digital Storytelling, Best Visual Media Experience at the South by SouthWest Festival, a Bafta for Digital Creativity and won two Lovie Awards and an International Format Award. 

Join in The Last Hours of Laura K on BBC Taster

We are now working with other BBC Production departments including Research and Development to explore fictional storytelling using new forms of technology and social media.

This development scheme was launched in 2016 with EastEnders, Casualty, Holby City and Doctors, offering mentoring and a full credit on one episode of their assigned programme for up to twelve early-career directors.  The scheme is run in partnership with DirectorsUK.

The shows aims to hire directors within nine months for a full directorial commission if the director has shown that they can meet the standards required. Several directors from the first year and second years of the scheme have now directed their own blocks.

The Continuing Drama Directors' Scheme is now in its third year with placements offered for talented new directors on Doctors, Holby City, Casualty and River City.

Find out more

• Find out how you can Send a Script to us when our Script Room windows are open.
• Get writing tips and follow our step-by-step guide to writing your first script in our Writers' Lab section.
• Download BBC TV, radio and film scripts from our Script Library.
• Explore opportunities and events for new writers from the BBC and other organisations on our Opportunities page.
• Watch interviews and get top tips from established writers in our Be Inspired section.
• Read our blog for behind-the-scenes insights from BBC TV and Radio writers, help and advice.
• Follow us on Twitter and Instagram and Like us on Facebook to keep your finger on the pulse of the latest news.