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May 13, 2025

Writing for Comics: Finding an Artist and Comic Distribution

Recently nominated by the Chicago Reader as the best comic book writer in Chicago, comic writer and founder of Avina Comics John Aviña will demonstrate how to find an artist, spot common scams, how to be a good collaborator with an illustrator, and also share best ways to distribute your work once your project is complete, whether that be in traditional publishing or as an independent comic creator.

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.

The Book Skeleton Workshop: How to Structure Your Story Before Writing a Single Word

Recorded

April 30, 2025

Duration

2 Hours

Cost

$35

Subject

Publishing

Topic

Craft

Strong bones create strong stories. Build your Book Skeleton—and bring your story to life.

Most writers get stuck not because they lack talent—but because they lack structure.
Without a clear framework, even the best ideas collapse under the weight of confusion, doubt, and endless rewrites.

In The Book Skeleton, bestselling author and book coach Rea Frey will guide you through building the invisible structure that every strong book needs. Before you write a single word, you’ll design the "bones" of your story—giving you a clear, flexible blueprint to move forward with confidence, momentum, and creative flow.

This is not another overwhelming outline session. This is about creating a living, breathing skeleton that holds up your story’s spine, heart, ribs, and limbs—so you can finally start writing without fear or guesswork.

In this session, you'll learn:

  • The 5 essential bones every book must have
  • How to create a simple Movement Map for your story
  • How to design chapters that feel purposeful, dynamic, and necessary
  • How to stop second-guessing yourself and write with real clarity
  • How to start strong and keep going—without losing your voice

You'll Leave With:

  • A complete Book Skeleton template for your current project
  • Movement Map for your story’s beginning, middle, and end
  • Chapter Blueprint you can use again and again
  • Your first 1,000 words written (or ready to flow!)
  • A new sense of possibility—and proof that you already know how to begin

This workshop is for you if:

  • You have a story idea but don't know how to start
  • You've started writing—and gotten stuck
  • You want to create a full book without losing creative energy
  • You crave structure, but hate rigid outlines
  • You’re ready to finally move from dreaming to doing

Host

Rea Frey
Rea Frey is the #1 bestselling, award-winning author of several women's fiction, suspense, and thriller novels. She is a Silver Falchion Award Finalist, was Target's Book of the Year finalist, was voted Chicago Reader's Best Nonfiction Writer, and was Book Pipeline's 2022 Film Adaptation winner. In addition to being an author, her work as a book […]

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May 13, 2025

Writing for Comics: Finding an Artist and Comic Distribution

Recently nominated by the Chicago Reader as the best comic book writer in Chicago, comic writer and founder of Avina Comics John Aviña will demonstrate how to find an artist, spot common scams, how to be a good collaborator with an illustrator, and also share best ways to distribute your work once your project is complete, whether that be in traditional publishing or as an independent comic creator.
May 21, 2025

Fundamentals of the TV Series Bible

Learn how to define and execute the different pieces of narrative engine for a television series. And while that may sound academic and kinda daunting, after this class, you’ll walk away with simple, practical, and effective tools to use to break down existing shows, and to write the Bible script for your own.
June 4, 2025

One-on-One with Literary Agent Kate McKean

Kate McKean is a literary agent at the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency in Brooklyn, but she's also an author and the creator of the popular Agents & Books newsletter. Get ready for the ultimate agent AMA. Pipeline exec Jeanne Veillette Bowerman conducts an intimate one-on-one dialogue with Kate, diving into the life of an agent, and also her new book, Write Through It: An Insider’s Guide to Publishing and the Creative Life, coming out in June.

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May 7, 2025

How to Determine the Best Medium for Your Story

Author, comic writer and screenwriter Joshua Corin will help you determine what medium is the best fit for your story. Is it a play? A screenplay? A TV show? If it’s best told using narrative prose, should it be a short story? A novel? Somewhere in between? We'll go over the specific strengths and weaknesses of each medium, as well as the additions and sacrifices required for adapting a story from one medium to another.
April 30, 2025

The Book Skeleton Workshop: How to Structure Your Story Before Writing a Single Word

In The Book Skeleton, bestselling author and book coach Rea Frey will guide you through building the invisible structure that every strong book needs. Before you write a single word, you’ll design the "bones" of your story—giving you a clear, flexible blueprint to move forward with confidence, momentum, and creative flow.
April 16, 2025

How to Build Pitch Decks for Development and Inspiration

Maya will walk you through the importance of this document and break down the different components needed for your deck to truly stand out from the rest. No design experience necessary—you’ll get plenty of her best tips and tricks from her many years and expertise as a graphic artist (and no, you do NOT need to use A.I. ...)

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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