Reflections on the 5th Annual Black List Feature Writers Lab

6 writers. 7 mentors. 6 days. 1 incredible experience.

From October 8–14, 2017, six screenwriters gathered in Los Angeles for the 5th Annual Black List Feature Writers Lab. The writers — Paul da Silva, Dagny Looper, Jean Pesce, Wallaine Sarao, Ann Sloan, and Curt Zacharias — had been selected on the basis of scripts they had uploaded to the Black List website and a personal statement about the story they are writing as well as their creative aspirations.

It was an incredible week and a fantastic learning experience for the lab participants. Easy to see given the slate of professional screenwriters who served as mentors for the lab writers: Phil Hay (RIDE ALONG), Jamie Linden (WE ARE MARSHALL), Phyllis Nagy (CAROL), Allison Schroeder (HIDDEN FIGURES), Kiwi Smith (LEGALLY BLONDE), Tyger Williams (MENACE II SOCIETY), and myself.

Here’s a rundown of the week’s events:

SUNDAY

The lab writers arrived, the women and men housed in two lovely homes near Melrose, centrally located for all of our events.

Welcome dinner: Lab writers, Black List team including Franklin Leonard, and myself.

MONDAY

After breakfast, I guided the group through our first peer workshop session in which the writers reflected on six questions I asked about their stories, then we discussed each story together.

After lunch, Franklin led a session about what to expect in general meetings with Hollywood executives.

Following that, we headed over to Anonymous Content for a special screenwriting of the movie Chappaquiddick, then to dinner with the film’s writers and executive producers Andrew Logan and Taylor Allen, who provided some terrific insights into the movie-making process.

TUESDAY

After breakfast, the lab writers each did 90 second pitches to Oscar nominated producer Lindsay Doran with her constructive critiques, plus a slew of insights into the story-crafting process.

After lunch, I led the group in a pitch workshop in which the writers broke down their stories per five narrative elements, then discussed as a group to help each construct a structure for a 10–12 minute pitch.

We continued that conversation through dinner.

WEDNESDAY

After breakfast, it was off to the NeueHouse where the lab writers had their first day of one-on-one meetings with their mentors, each a full 2 hour session.

Dinner that night was a Friends of the Black List celebration with a host of former Black List lab writers gathering with this year’s group to swap stories. The Black List team was there including Franklin Leonard and my special guest Jack Epps, Jr. whose screenwriting credits include Top Gun, The Secret of My Success, Legal Eagles, and Dick Tracy. Jack is currently the chair of Writing for Screen & Television at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts.

THURSDAY

Day Two of the one-on-one mentor meetings at the NeueHouse followed by a group dinner that night.

FRIDAY

We began with our second peer workshop where we reviewed feedback each writer had received from their mentors and I provided ways for them to move forward with the rewrite of their stories.

Then the writers headed off for a round of general meetings ranging from producers to managers to studio executives.

Reuniting at the home base, Kiwi Smith moderated a Q&A with writer-producer Will McCormick (Celeste & Jesse Forever) about the TV landscape with a focus on developing and pitching original TV series.

We ended the week with a wonderful dinner and celebration for all of the mentors, lab writers, Black List team, and myself at Republique.

SATURDAY

Time to say goodbye, exchange phone numbers, and a pledge to stay in touch with and support each other in our individual and collective creative journeys.

I’ve asked each of the 2017 Black List Feature Writers Lab participants to provide some reflections on their experience. Look for that in the next week or two. All I can say is it was another great week in which I not only taught and mentored writers… I learned a lot about the craft and Story myself.

There will be another lab in October 2018, plus there’s this:

The Black List and Women In Film will invite six to eight promising non-professional screenwriters who identify as women to a weeklong, intensive writers workshop in Los Angeles, CA from February 18–24, 2018. All writers involved in the Lab will workshop one feature screenplay through one-on-one sessions with each screenwriting mentor and in peer workshops. The weeklong program will also include attendance at several story-related events including screenings and Q&As with professional screenwriters and dinner with lit agents and managers.

I’ll be a mentor at this event. For more information, go here.