| Special Interest Groups (SIGS) |
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Throughout each month, AWG hosts several small workshops, where members share their ideas and written work and help each other improve their craft. Click here for a calendar of our upcoming SIGs. Click below for full descriptions of each SIG.
Story SIGs Brainstorming Script SIGs Ten-Page Act One Whole Script A-to-Z Literature SIGs Fiction Novel 1 Professional SIGs Freelance Project
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If you want to write a mainstream studio spec script and you want to cover every major point of the process, this screenwriting SIG is for you. This SIG welcomes true beginners and advanced screenwriters. We will be following all the rules of proper spec script writing; this is not the workshop for writers with an independent/experimental film mindset. We expect all attendees to have read The Screenwriter’s Bible by David Trottier
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The Act 1 SIG focuses specifically on the first 30 pages (or less) of your screenplay. Our goal is to ensure that you have a well-defined and compelling first act that introduces the reader to the world of your story, grabs their attention and propels the characters and reader through the next 90 pages. We pay special attention to: * Does your story have a clear protagonist and antagonist? * Are all of the characters introduced and clearly defined? * What is the inciting incident? Does it create a clear and compelling crisis? * Does your protagonist make decisive shift that will drive act 2?
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, UCLA Instructor and author of Writing For Emotional Impact and The 101 Habits of Highly Successful Screenwriters. This SIG is all about pooling individual brain power into one gigantic brain that can muster great ideas for each member. Look at it as 15 potential writing partners helping you develop ideas. After attending this SIG, you’ll be energized and motivated to write. All you need is the germ of an idea, whether it’s a concept for a screenplay, novel, play, or short story, developing a theme into a meaningful story, solving character problems, etc. You may also test any concept for coolness and marketability by the reaction it gets in the group.
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If you write novels, short stories or poetry, the Fiction SIG is the place to get feedback for up to ten pages each session. The SIG welcomes fiction writers of all levels of experience, but please read the Fiction SIG Participation Guidelines.
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When you make a living as a writer, as many of this SIG's members do or aspire to do, writing becomes a huge part of your life. Our meetings are about the business and lifestyle of the professional writer, whether you’re writing articles, public relations, novels, screenplays or song lyrics. This SIG is for both accomplished and starter writers are welcome. We take everyone seriously, because we take all writing seriously.
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The only SIG dedicated to long form fiction. Each month we evaluate up to thirty pages of two authors' work, providing both written and oral commentary at the meeting. Members must participate in three consecutive meetings before your work can be critiqued. Please read the Novel SIG Participation Guidelines.
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Bring up to 10 pages of your script, enough copies for all the parts, and hear it read aloud. Then we'll analyze format, scene structure, character voicing, style, and some plot development. Please review these participation guidelines before your first meeting.
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Continuing the process of the Ten-Page and Act One SIGs, here we devote each meeting to a single member’s script, conducting a full “table read” and critiquing the entire script. This is a tremendous benefit not only to the presenter but to all attendees, as we learn from each other how to improve our writing. Please review these participation guidelines before your first meeting.
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Whether you’re working through an existing story or starting a new one, the Zoom Out! Story Structure SIG is for you. The function of this SIG is to help create cohesive, logical stories that “feel right.” No cookie cutters, just good sense story structure! Short story writers, novelists, poets and screenwriters are welcome. Zoom Out! helps you with the broadest strokes of your story: the protagonist, the problem, the antagonist, the denouement. The sense of the thing. We might even look at subplots. We want to get away from (hence the name Zoom Out!) the minutiae of stories and see the big picture, the shape and feel of the story as a whole. We will focus on the story concept and story building: how the parts work together, how they support each other, how they grow out of each other, and the logic of the entire piece. We will also look at archetypes and how they apply to all stories. Zoom Out! participants should come prepared with: • One-sentence answers to the following questions: 1. Who's your hero? 2. What is his goal? 3. Who's trying to keep him from achieving that goal? 4. What are the consequences if he fails? • A one-page synopsis • An open mind • Lots of note paper • A sense of humor (God knows we need it!) |