Keep Your Writing Chops Up! Some Top Writers' Workshops That Can Help.
A fatal mistake as a writer is to think that you are ever done learning. With a highly-competitive and often-changing landscape, it’s important to stay sharp, no matter what your experience level or skillset may be. If you feel like you’re continually delving into the same tired bag of tricks while crafting your scripts, consider taking a workshop to breathe new life into your writing routine.
There are many wonderful and effective writers’ workshops, but here are four I know well and hold in highest regard:
Pilar Alessandra’s On The Page Workshops
Pilar Alessandra’s On The Page workshops are great for both features and TV pilots. Pilar started her career as a Senior Story Analyst at DreamWorks SKG and, in 2001, opened the On the Page Writers’ Studio in Los Angeles. Her students and clients have written for The Walking Dead, Modern Family, Grey’s Anatomy, Lost and Family Guy. They’ve sold features and pitches to Warner Bros, DreamWorks, Disney and Sony and have won the prestigious Nicholl Fellowship, Austin Screenwriting Competition and Warner Bros. TV Writing Workshop.
Her workshops tackle every part of the writing process, all the way from brainstorming your story through first drafts and re-write techniques. The best part? She offers classes both in-person and online, which means you can learn with Pilar in real-time anywhere in the world.
Here’s what one of her students had to say:
“I had the privilege of taking Pilar’s Rewrite Techniques class and was blown away by Pilar’s insight for the mechanics of screenwriting. Not only does she give you the nuts and bolts to build or rebuild your script, Pilar is engaging, fun, and nurturing. I walked away with many techniques that will revamp and tighten my TV pilot, making it more visual and dynamic. I will also apply these techniques to my future projects, both TV and film. So whether you’re a seasoned writer with a finished draft or a newbie starting to plot your storyline, you will benefit from the Rewrite Techniques class. Screenwriters serious about their craft should learn from a master – and her name is Pilar.”
-Shannon Keenan
Read more about her students’ success and sign up for her workshops here.
Jen Grisanti’s Storywise TV Pilot Teleseminar
As the former Vice President of Current Programs for CBS Paramount Network Television and a mentee of Aaron Spelling, Jen Grisanti knows how to teach great writing. Her 10-week Storywise teleseminar includes an eight-module story instruction training series called “How To Write A TV Pilot That Sells: Moving Forward.” Her program is designed to help its students write a high-quality TV pilot and spec script. Its aim is to help you get staffed on a show, sell your script, and help you place in writing competitions. Here’s what one of her former students had to say:
“Jen coached me through a script that helped me land a top agent and a gig writing for a big network sitcom. Because of her, I never start breaking story on a pilot until I figure out my main character’s dilemma. I never blow an act without thinking ‘is this an obstacle to the goal?’ Her methods and terminology have seeped into my writing process because they work. They get me meetings and jobs. Simple as that.”
-Isaac Gonzalez, Story Editor – Legends of Chamberlain Heights
Sign up for her powerhouse Storywise seminar here.
Corey Mandell’s Professional Screenwriting Workshop
Corey Mandell is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter who has written projects for Ridley Scott, Wolfgang Petersen, Harrison Ford, Meg Ryan, Julia Roberts, John Travolta, Warner Brothers, Universal, 20th Century Fox, Fox 2000, Fox Family, Working Title, Paramount, Live Planet, Beacon Films, Touchstone, Trilogy, Radiant, Kopelson Entertainment and Walt Disney Pictures.
His workshops teach the essential skill sets required to write at a professional level, both for feature films and television. The classes are offered live in Los Angeles as well as online using video conferencing to allow students to see and hear each other in real time. These highly-popular classes draw students from across the U.S., Europe and Australia.
Here’s what two-time Academy Award-winning Screenwriter & Director Paul Haggis has to say:
“When I get in trouble with a story, there are only two sources to which I turn for help, and Corey is one of them.”
Sign up for his sought-after classes here.
Script Anatomy
Founded by Tawnya Bhattacharya in 2011, Script Anatomy uses a unique writing curriculum with trademark tools for development, writing and rewriting, which have helped hundreds of writers get jobs writing for TV, find representation, and sell pilots, screenplays, and novels.
Tawnya, along with her writing partner Ali Laventhol, is currently a writer/supervising producer on ABC’s A Million Little Things, and previously wrote onThe Night Shift (NBC), Perception (TNT), The Client List (Lifetime), and Fairly Legal (USA).
Script Anatomy offers courses online and in the Los Angeles area. See what it’s all about here.
What are you favorite writing seminars and workshops? Tweet me @CaroleKirschand let me know!