Success Stories
Success: Instructor Lilliam Rivera Publishes Second YA Novel
Instructor Lilliam Rivera recently published her second young adult novel Dealing In Dreams. The book is set in a near-future where girl gangs rule the streets. It is a story about violence, sisterhood, and the journey to find a home. Of her time teaching for the...
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Success: Lara Shea Publishes Debut Novel
Former Writers’ Program student Lara Shea's debut novel Mom's Night Out was self-published in November of 2018. It is the story of helicopter parent, Kelly Birkby, whose overactive imagination keeps her constantly on guard against threats to her young family--killer...
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Success: Johan Ingler Signs with Swedish Agency
Former student Johan Ingler, winner of the 2016 UCLA Extension Feature Film Screenwriting Competition, has signed with the Grand Agency in Stockholm. He says, ”I’m very happy to be represented by Grand Agency, where I feel like I’m in good hands for the next steps of...
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Announcing the 2018 Screenwriting Competition Winners
Congratulations are in order for all our 2018 Screenwriting Competition Winners. Last week, Deadline published the below ad announcing the winners (and you may have seen some digital ads on their site). Stay tuned for interviews with the winners. Also, the 2019...
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Success: Sheryl Recinos Publishes Memoir
Current student Sheryl Recinos published her memoir, Hindsight: Coming of age on the streets of Hollywood, in October 2018. Speaking of her experience writing and self-publishing the book, Sheryl says, “Writing my memoir finally put the horrors of my childhood into...
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Success: Instructor Peter Dunne Continues Literary Journal
Longtime Screenwriting instructor Peter Dunne recently published issue two of the literary journal about experiences in the film industry. He says, “Memoir writing, the act of discovering ourselves, is the most consequential writing we will ever do. As Instructor and...
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Success: Gary Dickson’s Publishing Successes
Fiction Certificate Student Gary Dickson recently published An Improbable Pairing, a historical romance novel that chronicles the enduring themes of a young man’s coming of age and the rebellious love of the mismatched. He will also have a book of French poetry...
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Success: Kate Krieger Pilot Premiering at Sundance
Former Screenwriting student Kate Krieger will have her pilot premiered at Sundance next week as part of the Indie Episodic program. The project has had an interesting evolution. “Delivery Girl is the pilot that I adapted from the feature length version I wrote of the...
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“I’m just not that person,” Bestselling Author Samin Nostrat on Deadlines, Distraction, and Having No Discipline
Guest post by instructor Cole Kazdin. In preparing for my spring class, Defeating Distractions: Creating a Writing Practice, I reached out to Samin Nosrat to talk about writing. The chef, bestselling author and Netflix star of Salt Fat Acid Heat, recently announced...
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Instructor Interview: Koji Sakai
Welcome new Writers’ Program instructor Koji Sakai! Koji is teaching an onsite section of Writing the First Screenplay I (Downtown LA, Reg# 366683) this Spring, and sat down with us to offer some insight into creative life and his upcoming course. What sparks your...
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Ways to Celebrate International Women’s Day
The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is #BalanceForBetter, and while that is mainly applicable to finding balance for all genders, it’s also a good reminder to find balance in life. So we came up with a few ideas of things you can do to bring more...
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Instructor Interview: Robin Finn
Welcome new Writers’ Program instructor, and former student, Robin Finn! She is teaching an onsite section of Novel I (reg# 366575) this Spring, and sat down with us to offer some insight into creative life and her upcoming course. What sparks your creativity? Play....
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Welcome New WP Staffer, Carrie Truong!
The Writers’ Program is thrilled to add a Student Affairs Officer to our team! Carrie started a couple weeks ago (some of you may have seen her the final day of the Writers Studio), and will be our first line of contact for the majority of students, guiding them...
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Announcing the 2018 Screenwriting Competition Winners
Congratulations are in order for all our 2018 Screenwriting Competition Winners. Last week, Deadline published the below ad announcing the winners (and you may have seen some digital ads on their site). Stay tuned for interviews with the winners. Also, the 2019...
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Instructor Interview: Valerie Brandy
Welcome new Writers’ Program instructor Valerie Brandy! She is teaching an online section of Writing the First Screenplay I (Reg# 366685) this Spring, and sat down with us to offer some insight into creative life and her upcoming course. What sparks your creativity?...
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2019 Writers Studio Recap
This past week, we held our annual Writers Studio, a four day intensive where students from around the world come to learn, write, and engage with each other. This year we had over a hundred and twenty students in eleven classes gathered together. Here’s a visual...
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