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.

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.

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.

Commercially Driven Decisions

Scheduled

Wednesday, July 22, 2026

Time

7 pm EDT / 4 pm PDT

Duration

2 Hours

Cost

$35

Subject

Publishing

Topic

Craft

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. By understanding how scope shapes audience reach and how emotional relatability fuels momentum, attendees will learn how to intentionally design stories that resonate on a larger scale .

Through clear frameworks and memorable examples, this session equips writers to move beyond instinct and into purposeful craft. Attendees will gain insight into aligning character wants and needs, building meaningful opposition, and creating stories that feel both deeply human and widely accessible. The result: writing that not only matters—but moves the commercial sales needle.

Takeaways for Attendees:

  • How to balance scope and plot to increase the commercial reach of a story
  • A practical understanding of wants vs. needs and how they drive transformation and reader satisfaction
  • Tools to build compelling opposition (physical, emotional, systemic, or relational) that strengthens narrative impact

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Host

Court Stevens
Court Stevens is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning fiction author of Faking Normal, The Lies About Truth, Dress Codes for Small Towns, Four Three Two One, The June Boys, We Were Kings, Last Girl Breathing, and Tell Me Something Good, a Target Book Club Pick. Her work blends suspense with emotionally resonant themes of identity and transformation. She previously served as Executive […]

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Upcoming Events

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.

The Anatomy of Representation: Everything You Need to Know

June 3, 2026
In this symposium, we will explore the representation landscape, determine what type of representation is right for you, and identify the requirements and all-important next steps you should take to build a lasting career-spanning relationship with the right rep that will help make the difference in your career. 

Beyond the Happy Ending: The Psychology of the Rom Com

June 10, 2026
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.

Latest Streaming

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.

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.

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.

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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