Success Stories
Success: Instructor Shawna Kenney Publishes & Becomes Contributing Editor of Narratively
Instructor Shawna Kenney just published a longform piece of reportage about co-housing and the LA housing crisis with the literary magazine Narratively. Shawna was recently named a Contributing Editor with Narratively, too, (after being a longtime contributor). Shawna...
Success: Instructor Lou Mathews’ Story Featured in 2019 Best American Mystery Stories
Longtime instructor Lou Mathews' first attempt at a new genre, mystery/noir, has been honored as an Other Distinguished Story in the 2019 Best American Mystery Stories anthology. His story, “Crab Dinners” was published in Santa Cruz Noir, edited by Susie Bright. “I’d...
Success: Jia Huo Sells Script
Current Feature Film Writing Certificate student, Jia Huo, recently sold one of her scripts to Chinese television. She explains the unique journey of her sale saying, "Since it’s difficult for new writers to sell a script in China, I wrote a romantic story using the...
Success: Seppe Van Beneden Wins Several Screenwriting Awards
Current Feature Film Writing Certificate student, Seppe Van Beneden has had quite a run of successes with a script developed in Writers’ Program classes. Seppe says, “A screenplay I wrote, inspired by an assignment during Writing the First Screenplay, has received...
Success: Rachel Vogel’s Story Wins Halifax Ranch Fiction Prize
Student Rachel Vogel, who has already had success this year, is celebrating her latest achievement. Rachel says, “My short story "Visitors," which I completed in Paul Mandelbaum's Short Story III winter workshop this past year, has won the 2019 Halifax Ranch Fiction...
Success: Brenda Marie Smith Wins Southern Fried Karma Novel Contest
Former student Brenda Marie Smith’s novel If Darkness Takes Us won the 2018 Southern Fried Karma Novel Contest and will be published on October 15th. Brenda says of her writing journey, “I didn’t get to take classes or start writing until my kids were grown,...
Success: Thuc Nguyen Makes Sundance Second Round
Former student Thuc Nguyen is currently in Round 2 The Sundance Institute Development Labs with a drama feature with a Vietnamese-American woman lead. She’s also a finalist in the InnovAsian screenwriting contest with a comedy: #MindyWuTranVersusSiliconBeach. Of her...
Success: Jamie Della to Publish New Book
Recent student Jamie Della is having a run of successes. Jamie notes, “Several of my writing assignments from the UCLA Extension online classes were published with the help of my instructors and fellow students’ critique. In addition, the writing and reading...
Feature Articles
It’s Not Too Late to Start Your 2020 Writing Goals!
Whether you’re going gangbusters on your 2020 writing goals and just need a little boost, or if you’re already struggling to keep up or even figure out those goals, we’ve got some one-day and late-starting courses for Winter that are sure to light a fire in your...
New Year, New (Writing) Goals
The new year is always a time to reflect and assess what we want to do more, and less, of in the coming days. While there’s always a push to do more and more, sometimes you have to reflect and see what’s feasible. In the spirit of chasing dreams but keeping them...
TV Showrunners & Show Writers Panel Recap: Fall 2019
Every fall quarter, veteran television writer and longtime Writers’ Program instructor, Ed Scharlach, moderates a panel of colleagues and friends responsible for creating some of the best TV shows past and present. The panelists are comprised of working television...
Writers Studio’s NEW Instructors for 2020
Our annual Writers Studio is an intensive, four-day experience that combines the work ethic and community building of a writing intensive with the knowledge growth of a ten-week course. This year, we’re thrilled to have several new instructors teaching the Studio for...
Writers’ Program 2019 Year In Review
As 2019 draws to a close, we reflect on what a year of change it’s been for the Writers’ Program. Since December of 2018 we’ve added three new staff members (while bidding a very fond farewell to staffer of eight years, Carla) – Ashley, Carrie, and Jennie – and are...
Welcome New WP Staffer, Jennie Seidewand!
The Writers’ Program is thrilled to add a new Creative Writing Program Representative to our team. Jennie started last week, and will be doing a lot of important behind the scenes work to get classes for each term up and running, as well as assisting instructors and...
Announcing the 2019 James Kirkwood Award Winners
Earlier this month, the Writers’ Program hosted a luncheon in Los Angeles to honor the recipients of the 2019 James Kirkwood Literary Prize. The James Kirkwood Literary Prize is named for the late Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning author James Kirkwood, one of the...
Instructor Interview: Eileen Cronin
Welcome new Writers’ Program instructor Eileen Cronin! Eileen is teaching Memoir I on the UCLA campus (Reg# 371301) this Winter, and sat down with us to offer some insight into creative life and her upcoming course. What sparks your creativity? Indie folk music with...