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.
Category: WilWrite26 Schedule
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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!
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9AM – 9PM Saturday Zoom: Quiet Writing
Writing at a writer conference? You bet! Bring that brilliant idea and get it on the page in a quiet space. The quiet room is open all day.
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9 – 10AM Saturday Zoom 2: Writing as Resistance: Crafting Work That Refuses to Be Silenced
In a time of political suppression, censorship, and rising hostility toward the arts, your writing can become a vital act of resistance. In this workshop, you’ll learn practical craft strategies for embedding resistance into form, voice, and structure without relying on clichés or overt messaging. You’ll examine short excerpts from contemporary writers who confront systems of power, then generate new work through guided prompts designed for online engagement. You’ll leave with fresh material, sharper tools, and a clearer understanding of how your art can speak back.
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9 – 10AM Saturday Zoom 1: Memoir as Fiction
In this practical workshop, Laurie Scheer will show you how to thoughtfully transform real-life experiences into compelling fiction. You’ll learn how to identify which moments from your personal story are best suited for adaptation and how to reshape them to serve character, plot, and theme. You’ll leave with clear strategies for crafting a cohesive, engaging narrative based in your own experiences.
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9 – 10AM Saturday Windsor C: Film Roundtables
Are you a screenwriter? Here’s a wonderful chance to sit down with an experienced group of producers, directors, and industry professional. You’ll find the support, conversations, and connections you need to take the next steps in your screenwriting career.
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9 – 10AM Saturday Windsor B: LGBTQIA++ Social
Join us for a fresh cuppa in this LGBTQIA+ friendly space. Bring along your writing wins, losses, and all the stories making up your journey. We’re here for you.
Note: This is a time for community members to gather and support one another in a safe space.