Workshop: So You Want to be a Screenwriter? – July 7th

SO YOU WANT TO BE A SCREENWRITER

Have you ever wanted to try out screenwriting but just weren’t sure where to start? Maybe you don’t want to move to Los Angeles, but don’t know how to break into the industry here in Texas. Or perhaps you are an author who wants to adapt their own work! Four MFA Screenwriters from the University of Texas at Austin will be hosting workshops this summer through Lark & Owl. Every other Thursday night, on June 23, July 7, and July 21, they’ll cover different topics and types of screenwriting to provide you with a solid starting place.

Summer is the best time to get started! Why now? In the spring, writing fellowships and script competitions are in full swing, so if you want a solid script in time to apply, there’s no time like the present to get going! Bring questions, ideas and enthusiasm, and this workshop series will set you up for success!

This Workshop:

How to Write a Feature — July 7, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., with Lindsay Howard and Jacqui Bloom.

The second workshop will break down feature scripts, both comedies and dramas, to understand the 3-Act Structure and how to prep/outline prior to starting page one. We will also discuss the different possible lengths of feature films, and how to choose based on target audience age and genre (Horror, for example). Scripts will be sent to attendees in advance, though it’s not required to read them prior to the workshop. We highly encourage you to read at least one, however, to get the most out of the experience. After looking at industry standards, we’ll also discuss when it is or is not okay to “break the rules” in order to tell your story.

INSTRUCTOR BIOS:

Lindsay Howard is an author and screenwriter from Georgetown, Texas. After earning her Bachelor of Arts in English from UT Austin, she completed a certificate in Publishing from the University of Denver. She worked in the publishing industry for about five years (and spent over two of those years as one of the first booksellers at Lark & Owl!). Her love of storytelling led to an interest in screenwriting, so in 2017 she completed a Certificate in Drama Writing for Television through UCLA.

Lindsay is about to graduate from UT once more, this time with a MFA in Screenwriting. While there she has worked as a teaching assistant, as the writing coach for RTF undergraduates, and helped organize the 1st Annual Student Screenwriting Festival. She is currently a script competition reader, has two projects in pre-production at UT, and will be moving to Los Angeles this fall. Her writing has been recognized by the Austin Film Festival, and typically explores sociology and different relationship dynamics, either through original works or adaptations of YA and non-fiction texts.

Jacqui Bloom is a SAG-AFTRA actor, writer, and improviser from California. In 2013, she graduated summa cum laude with a BFA in Musical Theatre from Texas State University, then immediately stopped doing musical theatre (whoops) and moved to Los Angeles to focus on on-camera acting and comedy.

After graduating from the Second City Hollywood Conservatory, she realized her love for writing, and began writing, producing, and acting in her own projects. She is about to graduate with her MFA in Screenwriting from UT Austin, where she has focused on writing comedic pilots and features. Her dog, Beans, sat on her lap during most of her zoom screenwriting classes, so she thinks it’s only fair that he receives an honorary degree as well.