Writing for the script or screen? Join us for a casual lunch designed to connect screenwriters at all levels. Share ideas, swap stories, and talk craft in a relaxed, informal setting.
Category: WilWrite26 Schedule
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11:30AM – 12:30PM Saturday Belmont Foyer: Lunch
It’s lunchtime! If you’ve registered for a boxed lunch, then come to the Belmont Foyer and pick up your meal. If not, check your folder for our list of neighborhood options, prepared for you by President Emerita Gail Pasternack.
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10:30 – 11:30AM Saturday Zoom 2: Bring Your Story World to Life
World-building can turn a story from “just OK” into something readers can’t put down. In this workshop, you’ll learn how to create immersive, believable worlds that draw readers in and support your story. Julie Artz will guide you through practical techniques to make your story world feel vivid and alive.
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10:30 – 11:30AM Saturday Zoom 1: Fund Your Muse: Applying for Grants, Fellowships, & Residencies
Are you planning to apply for a literary grant, fellowship, scholarship, or artists’ residency in 2026 or 2027? This strategy-packed workshop will show you how to position yourself as a competitive candidate, demonstrate a rising trajectory, and craft clear, concise personal statements. You’ll also learn where to find legitimate funding opportunities, what selection committees look for, and complete hands-on activities to strengthen your application.
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10:30 – 11:30AM Saturday Windsor C: The Power of Picture Books
Picture books are a critical part of children’s reading development and social and emotional learning. In this workshop, literary agent CoCo Freeman will show you how to create an engaging and memorable read aloud experience using sensory language and rich visual storytelling.
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10:30 – 11:30AM Saturday Windsor B: Adaptability: Bringing Books to the Screen
Ever wonder how to squeeze 300 pages of a novel into a 100-page script? In this workshop with Randall Jahnson, you’ll learn how to turn books into compelling movies or series. You’ll explore how to assess a book’s cinematic potential, extract the real story, and shape it into a pitch and script that grabs the audience’s attention. We’ll tackle the tough questions: what to cut, what to keep, and when it’s okay to combine characters or add new material. You’ll leave with practical strategies and the confidence to adapt any novel or IP for the screen, with real-world examples from Randall’s scripts: The Doors, The Mask of Zorro, and Flashbacks.
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10:30 – 11:30AM Saturday Belmont B: Mining Darkness for Light: The Art of Humorous Memoir
What makes humor strange and magical is that it is often rooted in sadness, anger, or shame. The writers we find funniest reveal deeply vulnerable truths while mining the absurd even from their darkest moments. In this workshop, we’ll cover ways to do this in your own writing, strategies to help you gain perspective, and the benefits of reframing your experiences—both to your writing and your life.
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10:30 – 11:30AM Saturday Belmont A: Build to a Book Deal: Submit strategically
In this workshop with Alle C. Hall, you’ll learn effective strategies for submitting journalism, essays and creative nonfiction, poetry, KidLit, short stories, and flash. You’ll gain practical tools to strengthen your submissions and target the right markets. Each step is designed to help you build a publishing history that attracts agents and editors to your query or book proposal.
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10 – 10:30AM Saturday Belmont A/B & Zoom One: Break
Time for some quick self-care! Grab a snack, stretch your legs, check in with friends, then get ready for your next amazing workshop!