Success Stories
Success: Zimran Jacob Gets Representation and More
Former Writers Studio and Entertainment Studies student Zimran Jacob recently signed with The Gotham Group, about which he says, "Nancy Nigrosh's class helped me so much to get repped by a major literary management company." Additionally Zimran says, "I had a film I...
Success: Monica Furman’s Spec Official Selection
Current Television Writing Certificate Student Monica Furman’s spec script recently had some festival success, thanks in part to our classes. Monica says, “After developing my spec episode ("Parsnip and Old Rubber" for Mom) in Half Hour I and II under Tom Pinchuk, the...
Success: Elaine Kim’s Self-Publishing Book
Former student Elaine Kim has gone the extra mile in her writing journey, not only writing and self-publishing her own book, but creating a book to help others self-publish. Elaine says, “For me, writing a book was just the beginning of the journey; turning that...
Success: Kathleen Woods’ Debut Book
UCLA alumna (BA, English) and freelance copywriter Kathleen Guthrie Woods wanted to learn something new when she signed up for Barbara Abercrombie's Personal Essay class through the Writers' Program. She figured she'd have fun stretching her creative muscles and...
Success: Curtis Pierce’s Story in Evening Street Review
Former student Curtis Pierce recently had his first publication in print with a story in the Evening Street Review. He says of the experience, “Literary journals are inundated with submissions. The themes of denial and PTSD in my piece appear to have resonated with...
Success: Writers’ Program Instructor Projects Fall 2021
The Writers’ Program often shares success stories of our students, alum, and instructors. Having instructors who are active in their field provides students inside knowledge of the writing biz. They also constantly have new projects in the works – genuinely, too many...
Success: Joe Winters Accepted Into Universal Studios Animation Writers Program
Former student Joe Patrick Winters (they/them) was recently announced as 1 of 5 cohorts who were accepted into Universal’s inaugural Animation Writers Program. Of the experience they say, “I am thrilled to be writing in the animation space that I have admired for so...
Success: Sandra Hamada Working for Disney Channel
Former student Sandra Hamada is a writers’ assistant for Disney Channel’s first Latinx superhero show, Ultra Violet and Black Scorpion. Of her experience in the Writers' Program she says, “Greg Elliot gave me a strong foundation to the fundamentals of screenwriting...
Feature Articles
Writers Studio At Home: 2022 Edition
As we continue navigating this world of virtual learning that we first emerged in early 2020, we are excited to announce that our 2022 Writers Studio will be held virtually again. Our Writers Studio has always been an incredible opportunity for our students to hone...
Instructor Interview: Gail Gilchriest
Welcome new Writers’ Program instructor Gail Gilchriest! Gail is teaching a section of One-Hour TV I (Reg# 384231) in our Remote Instruction format, with live Zoom class meetings on Tuesdays at 7pm PT this Winter. She sat down with us to offer some insight into...
NEW Courses for Winter 2022
2022 is fast approaching and we’ve got several exciting announcements: First, in-person instruction is returning! While most of our classes remain online (either in our deadline-driven asynchronous format, or with live weekly Zoom sessions), we have a handful of...
Instructor Interview: Brittany Ackerman
Welcome new Writers’ Program instructor Brittany Ackerman! Brittany is teaching a section of Personal Essay I (Reg# 383987) in person on the UCLA campus, Wednesdays at 7pm PT this Winter. She sat down with us to offer some insight into creative life and her upcoming...
Lou Mathews and Jim Gavin in Conversation
UCLA Extension instructor Lou Mathews and Writers’ Program Alumni Jim Gavin sat down with Aug Stone on the Etcetera podcast to share a few gems about writing – and how they became acquainted. How did you two meet? Jim: I think it was September or October of 2005. At...
Spooky Staff Picks
As we creep closer to the end of October, many folks start planning their seasonal views and reads, but choosing a favorite, or finding something new can be overwhelming. Whether you lean toward traditional thrills, contemporary chills, or scare-light spoopyness, the...
Horror Movies Written by Women
Despite being a fiction genre that was arguably created by a woman, and having many successful female novelists building on and compounding the success of Frankenstein in her wake, as a film genre horror remains a male-dominated field. Although many strides have been...
Embrace Your Inner Gourd
Now that Fall has arrived, folks like to cozy up with autumnal spices, sweaters, and other seasonal accoutrements to embrace the season. One of the most celebrated and embraced items of fall is the gourd, and besides all things pumpkin adding delicious spices and...