Beyond the Happy Ending: The Psychology of the Rom Com
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.
The Said and the Unsaid: Writing Your Characters Through Dialogue
Great dialogue works on two levels: what’s said on the surface and what’s happening underneath.
A smile that doesn’t reach the eyes. A pause that stretches too long. A joke that hides a wound. Dialogue isn’t just conversation, it’s character, conflict, and subtext on the page.
In this session, we’ll explore 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.
Perfect for writers who want sharper, more dynamic dialogue, this session will give attendees practical tools to strengthen both verbal and nonverbal communication in their work.
You’ll learn how to:
- Write dialogue that sounds natural
- Use dialogue tags effectively (and avoid common mistakes)
- Reveal character through subtext and contradiction
- Craft dialogue that creates tension and moves the plot forward
- Layer action and body language into conversation
- Put wisdom into the mouths of your characters
- Shape your characters’ distinct voices
You’ll leave with stronger dialogue instincts and techniques you can apply to your current and future projects.
The Anatomy of Representation: Everything You Need to Know
For most writers, getting repped represents a critical career step aimed at building that all important bridge into the industry that will lead to becoming a bonafide working industry professional.
To pursue representation effectively and get your work the exposure and advocacy it deserves, it’s important to understand the industry landscape, what reps are looking for, and how to get their attention in order to land meaningful representation that will help push your career to the next level.
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.
REGISTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN:
One lucky attendee will be chosen at this live event to win an original Sinners caricature by artist Jeff York. The winner will be announced at the conclusion of the session.
Note: To be eligible you must attend the live event on June 3rd.
Proven Framework for Successful Collaboration
Writing can be lonely. You brainstorm alone, draft alone, revise alone. Maybe you are lucky enough to have a beta reader or editor at the end. But what if you could build the story with someone from the beginning?
We know what you’re asking:
Will I lose creative control?
What if our styles clash?
What if one of us writes faster?
How do we even start?
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.
You will learn how to:
- Find the right creative partner and build a strong author community
- Brainstorm collaboratively without sacrificing your voice
- Establish a writing schedule and clear expectations
- Divide tasks strategically based on individual strengths
- Navigate creative disagreements productively
- Give and receive constructive feedback in service of the storyUse collaboration to expand reach and strengthen promotion
By the end of the session, you will have the tools and confidence to decide whether co-writing is right for you and, if so, how to do it successfully.
Resources:
Slideshow Presentation
Rea’s Website
Rea on IG: @reafreyauthor
Rea’s Book Coaching
Lauren’s Website
Lauren on IG: @laurennossett
Lauren on Substack
Lauren’s Developmental Editing Services
Nashville Authors
Rea’s Symposium Host Page
Lauren’s Symposium Host Page
Relevant On-Demand Symposiums:
“How to Approach Editing Without Losing Your Sh*t” by Rea Frey
"The Book Skeleton Workshop: How to Structure Your Story Before Writing a Single Word" by Rea Frey
Better Your Chances of Getting an Agent, Manager or Mentor
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. On top of that, we send out a million polite emails hoping for a nibble. Ghosting's getting worse. And 9 out of 10 of our emails aren't even read or responded to.
It's frustrating and exhausting. But something can be done about it. You just need the right insight and tools to find someone who is a great fit for you.
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.
We'll be covering things like:
- Biggest mistakes people make during the quest - the biggest problem with their early decisions about reaching out, why not doing a little secret research on them works against you, the things writers and artists do that makes them an instant "no"
- Why the expectations between agents/managers/mentors and us have changed - how the industry works now versus a few years ago, why the opportunity squeeze is not all it seems and how you can get around it, what their day-to-day lives are like now, and the things they think make an attractive client/mentee
- Figuring out exactly what you need to do - Understanding where you are in your career, what you have to offer, your past attempts to get an agent/mentor, and your challenges.
- The biggest question - What's in it for them? - How to flip the "I need you to help me get what I want" to "I am here to help you meet your goals and here's why." How to learn what motivates an agent/mentor and give yourself a huge advantage.
- How to write that first email that will get their attention and get an actual flippin' response - Learning how to structure an email from the subject line to the sign-off so that your email will get read and responded to. And how to follow-up once that happens.
You'll leave the session with the tools you need and stronger confidence in finding an agent or mentor. You'll also leave with multi-level insight that most people don't have.
What attendees have said ...
Amanda’s session was really informative, actionable and funny, too. There was plenty of practical advice I can put into practice straight away.
I'm a playwright, trying to go to the next level and this symposium gave me some steps toward getting an agent.
Ms. Graham did a fantastic job and offered a LOT of very helpful insights.
Directing Actors: Practical Tools for Writers and Emerging Directors
Improve your writing with deeper insights into the filmmaking process.
Directing actors is often viewed as something that happens only after a script is finished and production begins—but understanding the actor process can dramatically improve storytelling long before cameras roll.
In this educational session, writer and director Anthony DiBlasi breaks down the fundamentals of working with actors in a way that is accessible to writers, emerging directors, and storytellers at any stage of their career.
The session focuses on practical tools that help translate intention on the page into authentic, playable performance. Using real-world examples from rehearsals and set experience, this session explores how directors communicate with actors, how actors interpret scripts, why certain types of direction unlock stronger performances, and how writers can shape scenes that invite behavior rather than simply describe emotion.
By the end of this presentation, attendees will gain actionable techniques for writing and directing, and leave with a stronger understanding of how story is translated from the page into human behavior.
The session will cover:
- The director’s primary responsibility: shaping story through performance.
- How actors interpret scripts and translate text into behavior.
- Why emotion-based or “result” direction often fails—and what to use instead.
- Rehearsal, blocking, and finding playable beats within a scene.
- Letting go of rigid ideas and allowing actors to become collaborators.
- How writing with performance in mind leads to stronger, more producible scripts.
- Q&A with practical, real-world advice.
What attendees have said ...
"I liked the concrete examples he gave from his own experience. I also enjoyed him going though his scripts line by line and sharing the prompts he'd shared with the actors to get them to approach their performance in a certain way."
Surveillance: What is It, How to Write It
This symposium explores the reality of physical and technical surveillance so authors can write more compelling mysteries and thrillers. Additionally, as an indirect benefit, attendees will also learn how they can better protect themselves against cyber criminals and identity theft, and ensure safety and security for all the tech in our daily lives.
Adam Sikes is a former paramilitary officer with the CIA and an expert in physical and technical surveillance, and he will examine the following topics:
- What is surveillance and what is the point
- The different kinds of surveillance
- Surveillance methods and techniques
- What makes us vulnerable
- How to protect against surveillance
- Q&A
At the conclusion of this class, attendees will have a deeper understanding of how to follow someone, detect if someone is following them, monitor phone and social media activity, the vulnerabilities of location sharing and GPS, password and identity security, commercially available technical and surveillance tools, and a host of skills and methods. These insights will make your writing more compelling and authentic to readers, helping hold them to the page.
Pitching your book isn’t just for landing agents, it’s a skill that carries you through every stage of your writing career. Whether you’re approaching an agent, publisher, bookseller, or reader, a confident, polished pitch can open doors.
In this practical session, author Angela Douglas will break down what pitching really is, why it matters, and how to craft a clear, compelling hook that works whether you’re drafting your first novel or preparing for a major pitch event.
You’ll learn the core elements of effective pitching, the different types of pitches you’ll encounter online and in person, and how to make the most of the elevator pitch and the typical three minutes you’ll get to sell yourself and your manuscript.
It is never too early or too late to learn how to pitch with confidence. Angela will walk you through the exact criteria she uses to prepare for agent or publisher pitch sessions, giving you tools you can use immediately to talk about your book with clarity and impact.
You’ll leave this session with a deeper understanding of hooks, loglines, and short verbal pitches and practical strategies to reduce nerves.
Bring something to take notes with, and your questions. This is a session you won’t want to miss, no matter what stage of writing you’re at.
What attendees have said ...
"Angela Douglas was an excellent speaker. Knowledgable, relatable and empathetic. Angela came prepared. Her pacing was great. I enjoyed her talk very much."
Screenwriting Success: Start Your Year with a Plan
A new year brings with it new opportunities. By our estimation, and the estimation of the Script Pipeline staff fulfilling the requests of industry, it's critical to make a focused, dedicated push to start your screenwriting year with a strong strategy, building momentum as the year progresses.
Lee Jessup, a seasoned career coach and a Business of Screenwriting professor with the David Lynch Graduate School of Cinematic Art, will walk you through meaningful, actionable steps that you can take for your screenwriting career in the year ahead.
In this focused session, we'll explore how to best strategize for the screenwriting year, with the aim of creating and building meaningful opportunities and forward motion that every writer wants to see for themselves.
The 2-hour event will include:
- Assessing your body of work
- Developing supporting materials
- Exploring brand and your writer identity
- Unique strategy for every pilot and/or screenplay
- Your submission plans
- Query tips
- Literary representation
- Seeking producers
What attendees have said ...
"Lee was so helpful!! I've watched all her videos and just signed up for the consultation. Can't wait for her to come back for another symposium."
"The speaker was knowledgeable, covered all the topics and answered questions, is a wealth of knowledge which I look forward to working with in the future."
" Valuable Information on many facets of the business."
Finish Your Project This Year
How to reignite your passion for a long-term project and complete it by the end of the year.
Whether it’s a screenplay, novel, or memoir, it takes a long time to complete a longform project. And yet many projects stretch out longer than they need to, the finish line receding farther in the distance as we wonder if we’ll ever reach our goal: a complete manuscript. January can be a painful reality, leading us to lament all we did not achieve in the prior year, to doubt we’ll ever get there.
But this year will be different. This year you CAN finish your project. If you have a plan.
In this session, we will explore what it means to finish a project, how to create structures that create forward progress, common obstacles that slow writers down, creative solutions to the ever-present challenge of finding time and space in this busy world, and what relationships are essential to getting to the finish line.
In this session you will learn:
- How to reinvigorate your creativity and enthusiasm for a project that has slowed down or is stuck
- How to create a plan and schedule that will lead to you actually spending productive time on your project
- How to leverage your family, friends, and fellow creatives to help you achieve your goal
- How to quickly move through common obstacles that contribute to creative slowdowns
- How to measure and celebrate progress, and what “finishing” really means.
You will walk away with renewed determination to tackle a project you really care about and a clear path toward achieving your creative goals. This year, you’ll finish it.
What attendees have said ...
"I really enjoyed Julia’s presentation. Her honesty and self-compassion are qualities we writers need reminding of. I hope I have opportunities to enjoy her work more in the future. She is very inspiring to me."
"I loved the concrete suggestions!"
