Mistakes Comedy Writers Make and How to Fix Them
Comedy writers make a lot of mistakes. Like, they start writing before their lives are messed up just enough to begin. Or not using comedy writing for what it’s really intended—revenge. Or … heaven forbid, they start dating comedians.
This isn’t about that. We can talk about that over beer afterwards.
This session’s about the craft. The biggest mistakes in comedy scripts and how YOU can avoid them. For new and seasoned writers.
Some of the mistakes we’ll talk about…
1. Underdeveloped storyworld: Weak storyworld = weak jokes. We’ll learn to build a solid world that’ll cradle your characters, theme, and storylines.
2. Not character-led: Ignore your characters at your peril. We’ll go through the evil ways you can squeeze out all the juicy goodness and belly laughs from them.
3. They stop before it gets funny—Ouch. Yeah, this one hurts. But it’s true. We'll help you make your scripts one-jillion* percent funnier.
Want to know more? And hear the rest of the list? Come to the session.
You'll be able to avoid the mistakes that drive competition readers, development producers, script editors, and directors batshit crazy. And you'll make your writing a lot stronger.
*One jillion is not a guarantee.
Finding Your Niche: Buck Trends to Build a Career with Purpose
Most filmmakers are told to “stay open”: to write anything, direct anything, be everything. But in today’s industry, that approach often leads to a pile of scripts with nowhere to go.
In this Pipeline Symposium, writer/director Zach Bandler challenges the myth of the generalist filmmaker and makes the case for something far more effective: finding your niche. Drawing from his own shift into storytelling at the intersection of healthcare, empathy, and neuroscience, Zach will share how this evolution led to partnerships with medical institutions, an artist residency, and new pathways for funding and distribution outside traditional industry channels.
Zach will offer a practical framework for identifying the thematic lane you’re uniquely positioned to explore, and connecting that work to communities, institutions, and ecosystems that are actively seeking those stories.
Attendees will learn how to move beyond chasing traditional industry pathways and instead build a personal storytelling identity that attracts collaborators, funding, and audiences. Because the goal isn’t to do everything. It’s to do something that only you can do, and build a career around it.
The Foundation: Crafting Brilliant Loglines & Outlines
Loglines and outlines are the foundation of every screenplay—yet they can feel tougher to write than the script itself! Sure, they may be summaries of a more complex story, but they’re often what stand between your idea and the executives, producers, and decision makers that could jumpstart your career.
In "The Foundation: Crafting Brilliant Loglines & Outlines,” Timothy Michael Cooper dives into the vital craft of creating a logline and outline that give your screenplay a powerful foundation. He’ll help you create loglines that capture the full potential of your concept, followed by an outline that sets your script up for success by maximizing your story’s character arcs, unique attractors, and emotional impact.
You’ll learn:
- Why loglines matter, and who actually reads them
- How pitching to reps, executives, and stars in Hollywood nearly always starts with the logline
- Conveying an idea that feels “big enough” for a feature or TV series
- Identifying and exploiting your unique hook
- Developing solid external AND parallel internal conflicts
- Brainstorming exercises that amplify your concept’s impact
- Why all storytelling follows one single template (and why that’s a good thing!)
- Timothy’s comprehensive method to expand your idea from a logline to outline, synopsis, treatment, and ultimately script form
After taking this class, you’ll have all the templates you need to write a logline and outline that capture the full potential of your idea, get executives excited about your hook, and convey your genuine passion and voice.
It begins with a knock at the door.
A body discovered.
A startling crime.
But how do you keep readers turning pages long after that inciting incident? How do you build tension that tightens chapter by chapter, plant red herrings without losing track of them, and deliver twists that surprise and satisfy?
In this session, thriller-award-winning author Lauren Nossett will break down the architecture of a gripping story. She’ll discuss how to raise the stakes, design layered characters, and craft suspense.
You’ll learn how to:
- Craft a compelling inciting incident and a can’t-look-away opening scene
- Create imperfect heroes and complex villains
- Layer in escalating obstacles and conflicting motivations
- Build suspense using pacing and the ticking clock
- Write plot twists, turning points, and cliffhangers
- Deliver a satisfying ending while resolving red herrings
You’ll leave with practical tools you can immediately apply to your manuscript and a clearer roadmap for keeping readers up all night.
Commercially Driven Decisions
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
The Plot Wheel is more than a structure—it’s a storytelling engine designed to create connection, momentum, and reader satisfaction. In this engaging presentation, Court Stevens breaks down the eight essential movements of story into a clear, repeatable framework that helps writers move from idea to fully realized narrative. Writers will gain the power to intentionally shape both the emotional journey and the commercial appeal of their work.
Attendees will leave with a practical, scene-by-scene understanding of how to build tension, deepen character, and deliver a satisfying resolution. Whether you’re drafting your first novel or refining a manuscript, The Plot Wheel offers a roadmap and checklist that aligns character transformation with reader emotion—ensuring your story doesn’t just work, but resonates.
Takeaways for Attendees:
- A clear 8-step framework to structure any story from opening “Handshake” to final Resolution
- Tools to increase reader engagement by aligning character goals with emotional stakes
- Practical strategies to strengthen pacing, tension, and commercial appeal in your writing
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.
What attendees have said ...
"Lauren Nossett's symposium was jam-packed with relevant, articulate and wonderful examples. She mixed citations from both novels and movies to drive home takeaways that demonstrate how good dialogue—and, as a bonus, 'voiced' body language—can advance a story. Loved how, right out of the starting gate, she showed Tolkien's mastery of dialogue with Gollum's 'My Precious,' and how those two simple words convey intimate obsession and a consuming corruption that lay the ground work for the magnificent Lord of the Rings saga. Brilliant! Look forward to listening again."
"The detailed examples Lauren gave to illustrate what works and why. As an emerging screenwriter with three scripts that I have yet to sell, Lauren gave me invaluable advice on how to effective revise my work. Great presentation!"
"All of the deep dives into examples were fabulous."
"This is the fifth webinar I’ve had this week and BY FAR the best. Fabulous. Beneficial and relatable."
Deconstructing Books for Craft and Marketability: Read Like a Writer
“Read, read, read,” William Faulkner famously advised.
But reading alone is not enough. To grow as writers, we have to study the page and ask not just what we loved or hated, but why it worked and how it was built.
In this session, you’ll 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.
Because the truth is, one of the most powerful (and affordable) ways to improve your writing is by studying published books. Instead of guessing what works, you’ll learn directly from stories that have already earned their place on the shelf. Think of it as a hands-on education in craft without the price tag of an MFA.
Together, we’ll “take apart” successful novels to see how they function: how authors hook readers, build momentum, and deliver satisfying endings that helped them secure publication in the first place.
You’ll learn how to:
- Move beyond “I liked it” to meaningful craft analysis
- Deconstruct powerful opening lines and scenes
- Identify themes and motifs
- Diagnose why an ending succeeded or fell short
- Break down published works to understand what makes them marketable
- Apply what you learn directly to your own writing
By the end, you’ll have a practical framework for reading with intention, analyzing like a writer, and turning every book you pick up into a masterclass in storytelling.
What Attendees Have Said ...
"I especially liked the use of examples to show (in addition to telling...) Lauren's points. I will use the slides to not only dissect other works, but use the points to improve my own writing."
"Great presentation by someone well read with a lot of critical thinking and analysis experience. Great PowerPoint. In recent years, I've seen some writing classes presented by experienced authors and editors who just talk. I really appreciate classes that are accompanied by a good quality, well-organized and informative PowerPoint, so that I can refer back to it whenever I want to. This PowerPoint was extraordinary, really miniature craft articles."
"I loved how Lauren broke everything down and offered clear examples of the way stories work and how fully realized characters and themes need to be delivered to readers. The elements were presented elegantly and clearly."
"The clear presentation of points to evaluate as I read and view was more helpful than other presentations I've attended on this topic. The encouragement to explore the 'why' of my likes and dislikes made 'analysis' feel less daunting."
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