Screenwriting 101

Turn your film idea into a compelling story. Develop characters, structure, and a clear screenplay blueprint in this hands-on workshop. Screenwriting 101: From Idea to Screenplay - Building a Story That Works You have a movie idea. Maybe it’s been in your head for months - or maybe you’re just getting started. But how do you turn that idea into a story that actually works? Screenwriting 101 is a hands-on, one-day workshop designed to give aspiring screenwriters and filmmakers a practical foundation for developing a compelling, coherent, and producible screenplay. Led by award-winning writer, producer, actor, and mentor Kristina Sullivan, the workshop will take you through the essential building blocks of storytelling - from developing your central idea and protagonist to creating a beginning, middle, and end and mapping out what happens next. The goal isn't to overwhelm you with everything there is to know about screenwriting. Instead, you'll leave with clarity, direction, and a practical roadmap for moving your story forward. What We'll Explore 🎬 Develop Compelling Characters Create authentic, memorable characters with clear wants, needs, conflicts, and stakes. ✍️ Shape Your Story Turn your initial idea into a focused story with a clear beginning, middle, and end. 🧩 Build Your Story Roadmap Learn a step-by-step approach to organizing your story and developing a screenplay outline. 👀 Keep Your Audience Watching Explore what makes audiences care about your characters and want to know what happens next. 🎥 Write for Film Learn the fundamentals of writing visually and creating scenes that can come to life on screen. 📋 Think Producibly Understand how to develop a story that is not only compelling, but realistic and achievable as a film. What You'll Leave With By the end of the workshop, you'll have: • A clearer, more focused film idea • A preliminary logline or story concept • A basic beginning, middle, and end • The foundation of a compelling protagonist • An understanding of your character's wants, needs, conflict, and stakes • A basic story roadmap • A better understanding of what keeps an audience engaged • An introduction to writing a realistic, producible screenplay • A completed Screenplay Blueprint to take into the next stage of your writing process This Workshop Is For You If… You're an aspiring screenwriter, filmmaker, actor, creative, or storyteller who has a film idea but isn't quite sure how to turn it into a screenplay. You don't need to have a completed script - or even extensive screenwriting experience. Whether you're starting with a single idea, a character, or simply a story you want to tell, this workshop will help you begin giving that story shape. Your Story Matters. You don't have to leave the workshop with a finished screenplay. You do want to leave knowing: “I finally know what my movie is about - and I know what I need to do next.” Workshop Investment Standard Workshop Investment: $100 Community Access: Pay What You Can We believe talented local creatives should have access to opportunities to develop their craft, even when the standard workshop investment isn't within their budget. A limited number of Community Access spots are available for local creatives who would love to participate but may need a more accessible price. Pay what you can. No questions asked. Community Access spots are limited, so if you need an accessible option, please reserve your spot while they are available.