On Screenwriting and Media with Dr. Rosanne Welch
Writing, Film, Television and More!
Women’s Stories Matter – and Earn Awards
Sian Heder reminded us how hard it is to be both a writer/artist AND a Mom – but we do it anyway — So do it anyway.
AND she won 2 major awards for a film about a young woman chasing a dream. That has happened only 3 other times in Oscar history (for Gigi, West Side Story, My Fair Lady – all musicals). Don’t let them tell you female stories aren’t powerful enough to earn awards – or audiences.
Great TV and Movies are built around the theme, you have to have friends. You have to have friends you can trust.
Look how powerful that has been. We need that message.
We go to movies and television shows – we go to stories – to learn that message.
Writers are important.
Writer comes before director when people are writer-directors because writers are more important. You cannot direct some people walking around a room.
Somebody has to say why they’re there and what they’re doing.
Screenwriters have always been important.
During the Hollywood Blacklist 9 out of 10 of those jailed were screenwriters.
Their powerful ideas scared those in power.
If we censor the storytellers, we are censoring the stories.
If we censor the stories, we are censoring the culture.
If we censor the culture, we are censoring the people and their struggles.
Panel Discussion: More Than A Period: Writing Girls Coming of Age Stories For TV
Recently, I had the honor (and the fun) of moderating another panel for the Writers Guild Foundation with a conversation centered around how we write “Girls Coming of Age” stories for television.
Our panelists included Rheeqrheeq Chainey (The Baby Sitters Club), Sonia Kharkar (On My Block, Never Have I Ever), Ilana Peña (Creator, Diary of a Future President) and Christina Nieves (Generation), an alumna of the Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting, which was the greatest pleasure of the whole event!
![Panel Discussion: More Than A Period: Writing Girls Coming of Age Stories For TV [Video] (1 hour 27 minutes)](https://rosannewelch.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/sddefault.jpg)
For each Workshop the Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting hosts a panel with the Writers Guild Foundation which takes place at the Guild offices in Los Angeles. For this August it will be on Zoom which means many more attendees can RSVP to join us – and we hope you will because this panel is extra-special.
It’s the second year in a row we’ve been able to invite an MFA alumna to be a panelist because they have become a working writer. Last year it was Class of 2019’s Sahar Jahani (who has written for Ramy and 13 Reasons Why) and on this panel we’ll be welcoming Class of 2020’s Christina Nieves to discuss Writing Girls Coming of Age Stories thanks to her new position as a staff writer on Generation.
We hope you can join me, Dr. Rosanne Welch, Executive Director of Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting as I moderate the discussion.
Photo by Kyle Gregory Devaras on Unsplash
More Than A Period: Writing Girls Coming of Age Stories For TV
Wednesday, August 12, 2020
4:30 PM 6:00 PM
We at the WGF may have hit a pause on our live events, but thanks to technology, we’re aiming to provide more access to advice and knowledge from film and TV writers while we’re all social distancing. Over the last few months, we’ve been hosting free Zoom panels about craft and all things relevant to writers.
For this session, we team up with Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting for a discussion about crafting girls’ coming-of-age stories. The panel of writers will share how their shows address this formative period for its characters, how their own experiences informed their writing, and why coming-of-age stories are an endless source of stories.
Panelists:
Sonia Kharkar – Executive Story Editor, On My Block, Never Have I Ever
Christina Nieves – Staff Writer, Generation
Ilana Peña – Creator, Diary of a Future President
Moderated by Dr. Rosanne Welch, Director of Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting.
For each Workshop the Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting hosts a panel with the Writers Guild Foundation which takes place at the Guild offices in Los Angeles. For this August it will be on Zoom which means many more attendees can RSVP to join us – and we hope you will because this panel is extra-special.
It’s the second year in a row we’ve been able to invite an MFA alumna to be a panelist because they have become a working writer. Last year it was Class of 2019’s Sahar Jahani (who has written for Ramy and 13 Reasons Why) and on this panel we’ll be welcoming Class of 2020’s Christina Nieves to discuss Writing Girls Coming of Age Stories thanks to her new position as a staff writer on Generation.
We hope you can join me, Dr. Rosanne Welch, Executive Director of Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting as I moderate the discussion.
Photo by Kyle Gregory Devaras on Unsplash
More Than A Period: Writing Girls Coming of Age Stories For TV
Wednesday, August 12, 2020
4:30 PM 6:00 PM
We at the WGF may have hit a pause on our live events, but thanks to technology, we’re aiming to provide more access to advice and knowledge from film and TV writers while we’re all social distancing. Over the last few months, we’ve been hosting free Zoom panels about craft and all things relevant to writers.
For this session, we team up with Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting for a discussion about crafting girls’ coming-of-age stories. The panel of writers will share how their shows address this formative period for its characters, how their own experiences informed their writing, and why coming-of-age stories are an endless source of stories.
Panelists:
Sonia Kharkar – Executive Story Editor, On My Block, Never Have I Ever
Christina Nieves – Staff Writer, Generation
Ilana Peña – Creator, Diary of a Future President
Moderated by Dr. Rosanne Welch, Director of Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting.Panel starts at 4:30pm Pacific time.
Space is limited so RSVP now. After signing up, you’ll receive information on how to access the Zoom panel.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us at events@wgfoundation.org.
For anyone who was unable to RSVP for the panel, we will record and post it at a later date
Mothers Unleashed Storytelling Event with Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting Alumni
Myself and 2 of my Alums, Julie Berkobian and Amelia Phillips at this wonderful event.
This will be a monthly event with a different theme — centered on Motherhood — each month. Amelia was both host and reader. They also recorded for a podcast version of the event.
Follow @mothersunleashedla for more info.
