Making a Scene! WriteGirl Hosts Hybrid Screenwriting Workshop
The 24th annual WriteGirl Screenwriting Workshop was held on Saturday, May 3, 2025 at the Japanese American National Museum and via Zoom. More than 100 WriteGirl teens, alums, volunteers and special guest screenwriters and actors participated. We had 81 people in-person and 41 people online, from as far away as Uganda. This was our second hybrid event, and it was a big success!
The event started off with an introduction to conflict and character types by Jennifer Hoppe, television writer of High Desert, Nurse Jackie, and Grace and Frankie, and Erika Green Swafford, television writer and performer who received an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Writing for a Dramatic Series for How to Get Away with Murder.
"I like to start small and then get more absurd as I go along," said Swafford on the topic of conflict.
Drawing inspiration from improv actors Marcelina Chavira and Sandy Green and costumer Sarah Ruttinger, teens explored writing conflict scenes and building character descriptions through costumes and props. “You can have a prop that moves your plot along,” said Ruttinger.
Jennifer Hoppe was then joined by Fielding Edlow, writer and comedian, to discuss scripting a monologue.
“A monologue is just one person talking, but it still has a beginning, middle and end. You can even interrupt yourself. You have the authority to do whatever you want,” said Edlow.
Teens were given time to work on their own scripts and had the opportunity to meet individually with professional screenwriters like Heather Hach Hearne (Freaky Friday), Amy Holden Jones (Mystic Pizza) and Jessica Goldstein (Harley Quinn) for consult time and feedback.
“I loved getting to meet with experienced professionals in the industry I hope to go into. I really liked the professional screenwriters I got to meet and asking them questions,” said a WriteGirl teen participant. Teens also tapped into their inner artist by creating their own movie poster and tag line!
The teens were able to submit their writing and witness some of their scenes and monologues be performed live onstage by Hollywood actors Keiko Agena (Gilmore Girls), Constance Marie (Switched at Birth), Masiela Lusha (George Lopez) and Fielding Edlow (BoJack Horseman) in a Showcase of Scenes.
The teens were thrilled to see their work come to life! “I was honored to have an actor from a beloved show read my monologue,” said a WriteGirl teen participant.
We love what our teens told us after that workshop:
“Hearing from writers and producers like Erika Green Swafford, Jennifer Hoppe, and Jessica Goldstein made the weekend even more special. Erika Swafford’s advice about conflict really helped me rethink how I shape my scenes. Jennifer Hoppe reminded us that our stories are our own and that’s what makes them special!”
“I loved developing my characters and making a really fun story!”
“I loved the opportunity to talk to screenwriters and the actors' amazing performance of bringing the writing to life.”
“I loved talking with my mentor and I was very fortunate to have a screenwriter at my table! The scenes were so fun to watch!”
“I loved learning more about the different conflicts and how to figure out what your character would do next.”