If there is a writers' conference, I'm in. I swear, I get chills every time writers gather together to learn and network.
I am a conference junkie and have gone to countless events across the country, as both an attendee and speaker. However, there is none like the annual Writer's Digest Annual Conference in New York City. In fact, this was the very first conference I ever attended, back in 2007. The Pitch Slam event that year was also my very first pitch (I totally bombed...shhh). That conference experience energized me, and gave me the courage to hop on a plane three weeks later to pitch executives at a Los Angeles conference. All of the pitching I've done at pitching events prepared me for my later meetings with top executives at many studios and networks. Understandably, I have a special place in my heart for WDC and have gone as many years as I can.
With the upcoming merger of Script magazine and Writer's Digest, there is no better time for a screenwriter to attend WDC or for a novelist to learn screenwriting pro screenwriters are writing novels, and book rights are selling to Hollywood before the novels are even completed. Writers are stepping out of their comfort zones and embracing all mediums! Why not you?
We're offering a pre-conference event tailored to novelists and new screenwriters on Thursday, August 9th from 9AM to 5PM, lead by award-winning screenwriter, Jacob Krueger. Even if you have a few scripts under your belt, going back to basics can provide tips to elevate your story. Jacob is a stellar instructor!
I'll also be there, teaching a Pitch Perfect class with novelist Tiffany D. Jackson, as well as Introduction to Screenwriting for anyone wanting to learn the "rules" of screenwriting, understand how Hollywood works, or dabble in adapting their books into scripts.
I'd love to see you there, stretching outside your comfort zone to bring your stories to a broader audience. My hope is that we'll all stop slapping single-medium labels on ourselves and simply start embracing that we are all writers. Period. On my business card, it reads, "Writer of things." Let's all learn some new things and ways to write!
See you in NYC!
Jeanne |
