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.

Author Platform Essentials for Writers Who'd Rather Be Writing

August 12, 2026
Building a platform doesn't have to be complicated, time-intensive, or soul-crushing. In this practical seminar, author and podcaster Courtney Kocak will help you cut through the noise and focus on the platform-building activities that actually matter. Rather than trying to do everything, you'll learn how to identify the handful of activities that best align with your strengths, goals, and bandwidth.

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.

Beyond the Happy Ending: The Psychology of the Rom Com

Recorded

June 10, 2026

Duration

2 Hours

Cost

$35

Subjects

Publishing, Screenwriting

Topic

Craft

You already know they’ll kiss in the rain. You know she’ll overcome that self doubt with a moment of empowerment (and maybe a new outfit). You know he'll realize he was wrong all along. And you'll feel it every single time.

This course digs into the psychology behind why romantic comedies work so well on us—the attachment science behind the slow burn, the dopamine hit of the first kiss, and what our favorite on-screen relationships say about what we actually want in real life. This journey through the tropes and the psychology of the genre will aid the way you write and cause you to think twice about the lessons we have taken away about love.

What attendees have said ...

"RomCom isn't my usual, so I was here to do some 'creative cross-training' and yank me out of a rut. Definitely did just that. Thanks! These were lovely principles that bring delight and surprise back into any plot. Loved the exercises. Always cool to see the the logline formula (a story's essential distillation) for a different genre, too."

"Lindsey was a great communicator and forced me to look deeper into my characters"

"This was a great class. The new and specific information that was shared was so helpful. Thank you!"

"Lindsay is brilliant! Please have her back."

Host

Lindsay Stidham
Lindsay Stidham holds an MFA in screenwriting from the American Film Institute and teaches screenwriting at USC's School of Cinematic Arts (and has taught workshops for Disney and Sundance Collab). She has overseen two screenplays from script to screen as writer/ producer: SPOONER, starring Matthew Lillard (SLAMDANCE), and DOUCHEBAG (SUNDANCE), both released theatrically. Lindsay is […]

Education for creators.

Join Symposium for notifications about upcoming events hosted by professionals in film, TV, publishing, and beyond.
Subscribe

Upcoming Events

Author Platform Essentials for Writers Who'd Rather Be Writing

August 12, 2026
Building a platform doesn't have to be complicated, time-intensive, or soul-crushing. In this practical seminar, author and podcaster Courtney Kocak will help you cut through the noise and focus on the platform-building activities that actually matter. Rather than trying to do everything, you'll learn how to identify the handful of activities that best align with your strengths, goals, and bandwidth.

Mistakes Comedy Writers Make and How to Fix Them

August 19, 2026
Dive into the world of comedy writing. Amanda Graham explores the biggest mistakes in comedy scripts and how you can avoid them. For new and seasoned writers.

Professional Screenplay Formatting and Structure

August 26, 2026
Timothy Cooper walks you through everything he wishes he’d known when he started: the principles behind why formatting matters, his tried-and-true steps to building your story from logline to outline to script, and exactly what differentiates professional pages from amateur ones.

Latest Streaming

Symposium Community Writing Sprint Night

August 5, 2026
Join us for two hours of writing on Zoom (free), with breaks to discuss our progress and struggles. We'll be using the Pomodoro method (25 minutes of writing, with a 5-minute break). You can choose to have your camera on or off. No judgment! Just a community of writers to support each other. You don't need to participate for a full two hours. Pop in and out, as needed.

Screenwriting Essentials: Improving the Read

July 29, 2026
Professional screenwriter Tom Vaughan (Winchester, starring Academy Award-winner Helen Mirren) shares critical advice to elevate your writing to a more pro level.

Commercially-Driven Decisions: Being Intentional with Story Choices

July 22, 2026
The Commercially Driven Choices session by Court Stevens reveals what separates stories that are simply well-written from those that truly connect and sell. This dynamic session unpacks the strategic decisions writers must make to increase reader engagement—focusing on transformation, satisfaction, opposition, scope, and consumability as the core drivers of commercial storytelling.

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.

© 2026 Pipeline Media Group
Contact