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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.

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.

Raising Emotional Impact by Maximizing Characters and Plot

Recorded

August 20, 2025

Duration

2 Hours

Cost

$35.00

Subject

Publishing

Topic

Craft

Your story may be full of twists, turns, and action-packed adventure. But the truth is, even in the most plot-driven blockbusters and the most traditional mystery, readers and watchers want to follow a character on an arc. Without that internal arc adding emotional resonance, even the most tightly plotted story can become confusing and forgettable.

In this session, Karen Krumpak will discuss the ways plot affects character and vice versa, making the most of your opening scenes to set up later growth, and enhancing your story by adding a character arc at any stage of the writing process.

In addition to writers looking to add affecting character moments to plot-based stories without bogging down the pace, this presentation will also be useful to writers looking to create as much emotional impact as possible while clearly and concisely detailing their plot in a synopsis.

This presentation will cover:

  • Why an internal character arc is essential
  • Unique characters vs. a character arc
  • Understanding how your character changes (or doesn’t)
  • Outlining simplified: a bare bones approach to the internal arc
  • Integrating the internal arc with the external, plot-based arc
  • Adding internal arcs as B plots and C plots
  • Examples of stories that seem to lack a character arc
  • Incorporating the internal arc into the synopsis and query letter
  • Q&A

What attendees have said ...

Karen presented detailed content and good demonstrative examples of concepts presented. Liked the brief pauses to think about my own characters arc in context of concepts presented. Appreciated the recording as it is difficult to listen to presenter to absorb info and take notes at same time.

The simple exercises we were given gave me a completely different way to arrive at who my character was, based on her imperfect environment and how she navigates it. I had a huge AHA moment, and I can't wait to start writing!

Host

Karen Krumpak
Karen Krumpak (she/her) has been helping writers create their best work for over a decade. A former editor with Writer’s Digest magazine and WD books, she now provides editorial services to publishers and independent authors of speculative fiction, YA and middle grade fiction, literary nonfiction, and more. Her goal is to support writers as they […]

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Upcoming Events

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.

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 29, 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.

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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.

10 Questions to Figure Out What Your Memoir is REALLY About

March 11, 2026
Memoir is a deeply challenging genre for any writer seeking to parlay real-life events into a story that connects with total strangers. One big challenge at the outset is figuring out the “container” for your book: Where to begin, where to end, what to include, what to exclude, and how to tell a compelling story about your transformational journey.

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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