Lab US-2016

2016

Our second annual Writers Lab retreat took place in the Connecticut River Valley, from Thursday, September 22th, through Sunday, September 25th, 2016.

Connecticut River Valley

For our second year, collaborator The Writers Guild of America, East again generously hosted a celebration for the 8 mentors and 12 writers (below) who came together in New York City the evening before the Lab. Early on Thursday morning, the group traveled together to the Guest House Retreat Center in Chester, CT. In this private, serene environment away from day-to-day pressures and distractions, writers had the opportunity to take their work to the next level.

The heart of the Lab is a combination of script development and community building. During bright, late summer days and cool, early fall evenings, the participants and mentors met in various configurations indoors and outdoors. One-on-one script meetings with the mentors were interspersed with panel discussions, small group discussions, and conversations over cocktails and throughout meals.

Each writer met with two mentors separately and listened, discussed, queried, and learned. The panels and small groups focused on topics ranging from analyzing strong openings, to preparing for general and pitch meetings, to the business of production.

The 2016 writers

As TWL’s reputation grows, so does interest in my projects. TWL is not just one event, but a community of writers who work hard and are serious about succeeding.  

Tina Field Howe
TWL US 2016

The 2016 mentors

Industry Insights

The annual Celluloid Ceiling study found that, from 1998 to 2019, the percentage of women writers employed in the film industry increased just 6%.

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