I’m considering getting a journalism
degree as a base point for a screenwriting career. I noticed you did the same
thing. Do you have any regrets about getting your bachelor’s in journalism,
or was is the best option available to a future screenwriter?
–Larissa Barlow
As I’ve mentioned in previous columns, I think journalism is a good bachelor’s
degree choice, particularly if film studies aren’t available. Journalism teaches
efficient, structured writing, and good work habits. But it’s by no means the
only undergraduate major that helps.
An English degree is a great and obvious choice, particularly one that combines
literature and composition. Depending on the specific program, a major in communications
could be good, if it had a strong focus on writing. But any field in the humanities
would really work. A quick survey of my writer friends reveals political science
majors, religion majors, art history majors, and probably a dozen other specialities
I don’t even know.
More than anything, I’d advise majoring in something that really interests
you. While you may aspire to a screenwriting career now, who knows what the
future will bring? A physics degree is no obstacle if you decide to apply to
graduate-level film school. In fact, it would probably be intriguing enough
to an admissions panel that they’d be eager to meet you.