Publishing

Tune into live conversations with authors, editors, and literary agents sharing their journeys and expertise in the world of publishing.

Screenwriting

Watch live panels featuring screenwriters as they break down their techniques for crafting compelling scripts and navigating the entertainment industry.

Filmmaking

Discover live streaming events where directors, producers, and cinematographers discuss the creative and technical processes behind their films.

Deconstructing Books for Craft and Marketability: Read Like a Writer

April 22, 2026
Learn how to turn every book you read into a craft lesson. We’ll analyze openings, character construction, themes, and endings to uncover the mechanics beneath the magic. Instead of guessing what works, you’ll learn directly from stories that have already earned their place on the shelf: how authors hook readers, build momentum, and deliver satisfying endings that helped them secure publication in the first place.

Book Pipeline

Book Pipeline connects writers to publishers, agents, and the film industry through competitions and workshops, providing hands-on support to bridge the gap between emerging authors and the industry since 2014.

Script Pipeline

Script Pipeline connects writers with producers, agents, and managers, facilitating over $8 million in sales through competitions and ongoing industry support, helping launch major films and secure high-profile representation since 1999.

Film Pipeline

Film Pipeline connects filmmakers and writers with agencies and executives, focusing on diverse storytelling and playing an active role in developing and promoting projects, reviewing thousands of submissions annually since its launch in 2018.

Writing Your Second Draft: Elevating Your Story

Recorded

March 4, 2025

Duration

2 Hours

Cost

$35

Subject

Publishing

Topic

Craft

After an author types “the end” on the first draft of a novel, the real work is about to begin. You’ve heard the adage that writing is revising, and that’s largely true. The difficulty is knowing how to begin the revision process. Where do you start? How do you identify weaknesses in your first draft? Is there a right way and a wrong way to go about this? 

In this workshop, you’ll learn the following:

  • How to identify and prioritize rewrites to turn a so-so first draft into a much sharper second draft.
  • Using a detailed five-point checklist, we’ll focus on main character, emotional stakes, essential scenes, pacing, and world-building.
  • You’ll have a strategy and a tool to help you analyze these facets of your own work to figure out where and how to prioritize changes during the rewrite process.
  • You’ll take away a clear sense of how and where to attack rewrites and prioritize what areas need the most work.

What attendees have said ...

"Amy's succinct advice was invaluable to relieve my anxiety about tackling this rewrite. And the handouts are a wonderful reference!"

"Amy and Jeanne were both warm, inclusive, and knowledgeable. I attend a lot of webinars and this one felt like I was hanging out with friends, uplifting each other."

Host

Amy L. Bernstein
Amy L. Bernstein writes award-winning, genre-crossing fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. Her most recent book is Wrangling the Doubt Monster: Fighting Fears, Finding Inspiration, a hybrid work for self-doubting creatives, shortlisted for the Eric Hoffer Grand Prize. Her fifth novel, Tent City, is forthcoming from Running Wild Press. Amy is also a professional book coach, helping nonfiction writers to […]

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Upcoming Events

Deconstructing Books for Craft and Marketability: Read Like a Writer

April 22, 2026
Learn how to turn every book you read into a craft lesson. We’ll analyze openings, character construction, themes, and endings to uncover the mechanics beneath the magic. Instead of guessing what works, you’ll learn directly from stories that have already earned their place on the shelf: how authors hook readers, build momentum, and deliver satisfying endings that helped them secure publication in the first place.

Building a Powerful Query Letter

April 30, 2026
In this practical session, author Angela Douglas will show you how to take the key elements of a strong pitch: your logline, comparable titles and bio and turn them into a clear, engaging query letter that stands out in a crowded inbox.

The Said and the Unsaid: Writing Your Characters Through Dialogue

May 13, 2026
Lauren Nossett explores how great dialogue reveals motive, deepens relationships, and drives plot. You’ll study memorable exchanges, analyze what makes iconic lines unforgettable, and learn how to translate body language and subtext into compelling prose.

Latest Streaming

Surveillance: What is It, How to Write It

April 15, 2026
You’re writing a mystery or maybe a thriller, and your protagonist needs to surveil a suspected villain to confirm if they really are as bad as alleged. Or, perhaps your character is the one being hunted, his or her every move watched, tracked, and listened to. This is surveillance. If you want to learn about the reality of surveillance so you can write more compelling fiction, tune in to this event to hear from Adam Sikes, a former CIA Officer and expert in physical and technical surveillance.

Proven Framework for Successful Collaboration

March 25, 2026
In this candid, craft-focused session, authors Lauren Nossett and Rea Frey share what they have learned from co-writing together, from early brainstorming sessions to managing deadlines and dividing responsibilities. Attendees will walk away with a practical, step-by-step framework for successful collaboration.

Better Your Chances of Getting an Agent, Manager or Mentor

March 18, 2026
We all know the struggle. It feels harder than ever before to find an agent, or even a mentor to help with a little advice or guidance. This session will give you that insight and those tools. It'll be equal parts irreverent, fun, and really useful. Packed with practical things you can do to differentiate yourself from the masses, and make yourself more of an undeniable catch.

Symposium, presented by Pipeline Artists, is a year-round virtual conference empowering creatives with honest, no-nonsense guidance across the arts. Through seminars, industry panels, and Town Hall discussions on screenwriting, filmmaking, publishing, and career-building, Symposium offers grounded advice from working professionals to help you forge your own unique path.

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