‘Line of Duty,’ ‘Bodyguard’ Creator Jed Mercurio Reveals Writing Secrets in BBC Maestro Course

variety.com:

Naman Ramachandran Jed Mercurio, creator of hit BBC series “Line of Duty” and “Bodyguard,” has revealed a few aspects of his craft for screenwriters.Mercurio’s course for the BBC Maestro educational series, titled “Writing Drama for Television,” has launched into North America.

It is a comprehensive breakdown of the art and craft of writing, split into 28 chapters, beginning with the genesis of the process and concluding with career development options.

Each chapter is accompanied by a video lecture from Mercurio and course notes, which include assignments and homework.The initiative began at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. “It was perfect timing really, because a lot of writers weren’t having contact with the industry in the way that they normally do, and so it felt like a really helpful way to reach out to people and get them thinking about their writing,” Mercurio told Variety.

Like all seasoned writers, Mercurio says that writers have to look inside themselves for their own experience, look at what’s going on in the world around them and have got to make use of that.