He Said, She Said

No more “Me Tarzan, You Jane.” It’s time for the battle of the sexes, Writing Pad style. Through playful, in-class writing exercises and a mini-craft lecture, you’ll learn how to create three-dimensional male and female characters and relationships that go beyond stereotypes. We’ll help you write convincingly from the opposite gender. You won’t need whiskey and bullfights to unleash your literary machismo or a lavender scented facial to understand the feminine mystique! By the end of the class, you’ll have written a short piece that successfully channels both the Ernest Hemingway and Jane Austen inside of you.

Menu: Gourmet Sliders (Angus Beef or Portabella Mushroom) and Buttercream, Hazelnut, Chocolate Ganache Marjolaines

Instructor: Aaron Henne
Sunday, January 24, 2010 - FULL
4:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m
Cost: $80 ($70 for continuing students)
Includes gourmet tasting plates

About Aaron Henne:
Aaron ‘s plays include “King Cat Calico Finally Free” (published by Original Works Publishing) and “Sliding into Hades”, which won the 2008 LA Weekly Theatre Award In Playwriting, and Aaron was honored as a finalist for The Jerome and The Juilliard Fellowships in Playwriting, as well as the Center Theatre Group's Sherwood Award. Aaron has served as dramaturg for Culture Clash, The Mark Taper Forum, The Colony Theatre and The Theatre @ Boston Court, where he serves as Co-Literary Manager. His work has been featured at The Road Theatre Company, Unknown Theatre and Theatre of Note. He currently teaches playwriting at the Robey Theatre Company and throughout LA. His writing exercise book “You Already Know” is published by Writ Large Press. Aaron is a graduate of Occidental College and has studied with theatre artists Toby Jones, Len Jenkin and Leon Martell.

 

Delectable Dramas and Scrumptious Sitcoms Pt II

Ever thought your quirky co-workers or soapy love life could make a great TV show? They can be! With brand new writing exercises, we’ll help you mine your life for the kinds of characters and stories that networks, producers, and audiences find irresistible. Whether you want to create the next Mad Men or Modern Family, we'll help you brainstorm an exciting premise, and you’ll learn what producers and execs look for in sell-able pilots and series. By the time you leave, you'll have drafted a one-sheet to pitch your next sitcom, drama, or reality show.

Note: Delectable Dramas and Scrumptious Sitcoms Pt I is NOT a prerequisite for this class. Includes new writing exercises and mini-lecture.

Menu: Chef’s Choice Brunch Tasting Plates (Based On What’s In Season and Dietary Restrictions)

Instructor: Chad Gervich
Saturday, February 6, 2010
10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Cost: $80 ($70 for continuing students)
Includes gourmet tasting plates

About Chad Gervich:
Chad is a television producer, bestselling book author, and award-winning playwright. As an executive at the Littlefield Company/Paramount Television and NBC Studios, Chad helped develop and maintain scripted series and pilots for ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, UPN, and the WB. As a writer and producer, he has worked on numerous scripted and reality shows for both TV and the Internet, including The Wanda Sykes Show (Fox),Wig Out (Warner Bros.), Spellbound (The Weinstein Company), Foody Call (Style Network), Celebrity Drive-By (E!), Speeders (TruTV), and Reality Binge (Fox). Chad has also worked in production on such shows as Malcolm in the Middle, Girls Club, and Star Search. He is the author of Small Screen, Big Picture: A Writer's Guide to the TV Business (Random House/Crown), and he writes regularly for Variety, Writers Digest, Fade In, Moving Pictures, and Orange Coast. Chad holds a B.A. from Vanderbilt University and an MFA in Playwriting from UCLA.

 

 

Hanky Panky: Writing the Erotic

Are you having a hard time writing compelling and believable sex scenes? Expose yourself on the page (but keep your clothes on). This workshop will help you layer your characters and descriptions with authentic sensuality. Marilyn’s craft talk and writing exercises will help you create scenes so vivid your stories and poems will stand out (or up). Class will also include samples of erotic literature sans pictorals. By the end of class, you’ll have teased out a short piece that channels your inner Anais Nin.

Menu: Ravioli with fonduta, hazelnuts, and truffle oil, profiteroles with liquid love (caramel and hot fudge)

Instructor: Marilyn Friedman
February 10, 2010 - FULL, WAITING LIST AVAILABLE
7:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Cost: $80 ($70 for continuing students)
Includes gourmet tasting plates

About Marilyn Friedman:
Marilyn is the founder and lead instructor at Writing Pad. She has taught writing in the Bay Area and in Los Angeles for the past five years, including classes at Walt Disney Studios. Her poetry has been published in Pearl, Squaw Valley Review, California Quarterly, and The Great American Poetry Show. She has written articles on love and dating for Match.com. Currently working on a memoir about her experiences as a swing dancer, Marilyn has a BA in English and Writing from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master’s Degree from Boston University.

Writing Pad Movie Club: Anti-Valentine’s Day Class

Are you a movie lover and a writer? Then come to the Writing Pad Movie Club! You can kick back, watch some great flicks with friends, AND get lots of writing done. In this class, we’ll use compelling movies as a springboard for inspiring and strengthening our writing. Whether you want to write fiction, nonfiction, prose, screenplays or poems, we’ll help you use the themes and story telling techniques (e.g., plot, character, conflict, point of view, dialogue, etc.) executed onscreen to enhance the flavor of your stories!

Each session will consist of two meetings: 1) an optional Friday night movie screening with Marilyn's gourmet popcorn and movie snacks and 2) a Saturday morning discussion with movie inspired writing exercises, a mini-craft talk, and scrumptious gourmet brunch tasting plates. Experienced and beginning writers of all genres welcome.

Movie: "War of The Roses": Running Time: 116 min
A hilarious black comedy in which a married couple going through a bitter divorce declare war on each another and battle over the one thing that matters most to both of them: their house.

Ever thought that the relationship that almost broke you would at least make a great story? This class will help you mine your crushes gone wrong for unforgettable material. We’ll fine tune your skills at developing conflict and character. Also, we’ll examine how humor can be an effective tool for exploring heartbreak. By the end of the class, you’ll have a draft of a heart-stopping story. Don’t get mad at Cupid. Get even.

Menu: Chef’s Choice Brunch Tasting Plates and Movie Snacks (Varies Based On What’s In Season and Dietary Restrictions)

Instructor: Tim Grierson
Movie Showing with gourmet movie snacks:
Fri., Feb. 19, 8 p.m. (Optional)
Class Meeting with gourmet brunch tasting plates:
Sat., Feb. 20, 10:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Cost: $75 ($65 for continuing students)
Note: You can sign up for this class even if you haven’t taken Sessions 1-5

About Tim Grierson:
Tim is a full-time film and music critic whose writing has appeared inL.A. Weekly, Blender, Wired, Screen International, The Village Voice, and VH1.com. He is the Rock Music editor for About.com and is also an editor of The Simon, an online publication of culture, politics, and humor. His documentary, "Mama Laura's Boys," about the longest-running blues club in Los Angeles, played at the Tribeca Film Festival and on PBS. A member of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, Tim has a BFA in Cinema and a minor in Journalism from USC.

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