Here’s what going on, socially and professionally, at the Writers Guild of America West this month:
July 2021
Members must RSVP in advance to receive access info to participate in online events.
Events listed are current at time of publication. Dates and details are subject to change during the month.
Unless otherwise states within the event, committee activities and events are open to WGAW Current, Post Current, Associate, and Associate Caucus members in Active status. If you have questions about your member status, please contact the Membership Department or call (323) 782-4532
To see the live calendar, click here. (Member Login required for that, sorry.)
Tuesday 06
Virtual Members Lounge
3-5 p.m. – Zoom
Category: Activities
JOIN. Want to catch up with your friends and peers during this unprecedented time? WGAW’s Activities Committee has launched the new Virtual Members Lounge, an online space where writers can write, connect, and chat with each other to build community while the Guild’s in-person member lounge remains closed due to the ongoing pandemic. Hosted on a weekly, recurring basis on Tuesday afternoons, the Virtual Members Lounge features multiple breakout rooms (Comedy, Drama, Coffee Break, Writing Sprint) where you can pop in to chat with members or participate in a collective writing sprint.
Wednesday 07
Career Longevity Committee Meeting
7-9 p.m. – Zoom
Category: Inclusion and Equity Committee Meetings
RSVP: CLC 07-2021. The mission of the Career Longevity Committee is to advocate for writers of all ages to obtain equal access to the job market with equal opportunity for sustained professional growth. You will be emailed the Zoom ID and meeting logistics on the day of the meeting.
Thursday 08
Writers Education Committee Meeting
6-7:30 p.m. – Zoom
Category: Writers Ed
RSVP: WritersEd. This WGAW Committee brainstorms and develops events and programs, which provide WGA members with practical, inside knowledge about how the industry works and how it is changing, emphasizing tips and tools to help writers succeed. We strive to provide working knowledge for writers and invite you to contribute your ideas.
Monday 12
Disabled Writers Committee Meeting
7-9 p.m. – Zoom
Category: Inclusion and Equity Committee Meetings
RSVP: DWC 07-2021. This Committee seeks to enhance the visibility and employment of writers with all types of disabilities, and encourage, celebrate, and endorse accurate portrayals of disabled people in all areas of the media. We also serve as an expert resource for all issues related to the disabled community. You will be emailed the Zoom ID and meeting logistics on the day of the meeting.
Tuesday 13
Virtual Members Lounge
3-5 p.m. – Zoom
Category: Activities
JOIN. Want to catch up with your friends and peers during this unprecedented time? WGAW’s Activities Committee has launched the new Virtual Members Lounge, an online space where writers can write, connect, and chat with each other to build community while the Guild’s in-person member lounge remains closed due to the ongoing pandemic. Hosted on a weekly, recurring basis on Tuesday afternoons, the Virtual Members Lounge features multiple breakout rooms (Comedy, Drama, Coffee Break, Writing Sprint) where you can pop in to chat with members or participate in a collective writing sprint.
Tuesday 13
Native American & Indigenous Writers Committee Meeting
7:30-9:30 p.m. – Zoom
Category: Inclusion and Equity Committee Meetings
RSVP: NAIWC 07-2021. This Committee represents the professional and creative interests of Native American & Indigenous writers. It works to mentor, encourage, empower and increase the visibility and employment of writers of Native American & Indigenous heritage, and serves as a cultural and educational resource for all Guild member-writers seeking to portray Native American & Indigenous Peoples in their work. You will be emailed the Zoom ID and meeting logistics on the day of the meeting.
Wednesday 14
Hitting the Right Notes: Writing for Movie Musicals
4-5 p.m. – Zoom
Category: Writers Guild Foundation
Info/RSVP: WGFoundation.org. WGF librarian Lauren O’Connor talks to screenwriters and playwrights about their process for crafting film musicals, from how they’ve adapted stage books into screenplays (and vice versa) to their storytelling techniques for the genre. Panelists: Kay Cannon (Pitch Perfect series), Jennifer Lee (Frozen), Steven Levenson (Dear Evan Hansen) and David E. Talbert (Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey). Free with suggested donation of $10.
Monday 19
Latinx Writers Committee Presents: How to Hustle
7-8:30 p.m. – Zoom
Category: Inclusion and Equity
RSVP: LWCHustle. Presented by the Latinx Writers Committee, this panel will provide writers with “How to Hustle” tips, tools, techniques and strategies to create opportunities in their career. The strategies will be shared by writers who have used them themselves. Panelists: Chris Brancato (Godfather of Harlem), Daniel Dominguez (Oh Sit!), Crystal Ferreiro (Trinkets), Dan Hernandez (Pokémon Detective Pikachu), Terri Kopp (For Life) and Mike Lam (Club De Cuervos). Moderated by Evette Vargas, LWC Co-Chair.
Tuesday 20
Virtual Members Lounge
3-5 p.m. – Zoom
Category: Activities
JOIN. Want to catch up with your friends and peers during this unprecedented time? WGAW’s Activities Committee has launched the new Virtual Members Lounge, an online space where writers can write, connect, and chat with each other to build community while the Guild’s in-person member lounge remains closed due to the ongoing pandemic. Hosted on a weekly, recurring basis on Tuesday afternoons, the Virtual Members Lounge features multiple breakout rooms (Comedy, Drama, Coffee Break, Writing Sprint) where you can pop in to chat with members or participate in a collective writing sprint.
Tuesday 20
LGBTQ+ Writers Committee Meeting
7:30-9:30 p.m. – Zoom
Category: Inclusion and Equity Committee Meetings
RSVP: LGBTQ+ 07-2021. The Writers Guild of America West’s LGBTQ+ Writers Committee seeks to utilize its constituency as a resource to all writers who include LGBTQ+ characters in their work. Its members also wish to provide cultural and educational opportunities for WGAW members to nurture an understanding of how sexual orientation and gender identity affect the lives of writers; endeavor to provide networking and social activities enabling the WGAW membership to better know one another and create a greater demand for the writing services of LGBTQ+ WGAW members; and strive to generate a greater awareness within the Guild of sexual orientation (and gender identity) as a minority and, where appropriate, to identify and advocate against instances of homophobia, transphobia and/or discrimination within our industry. You will be emailed the Zoom ID and meeting logistics on the day of the meeting.
Wednesday 21
Write Inclusion: Criminal Justice (No More Copaganda)
6-7:30 p.m. – Zoom
Category: Writers Ed
RSVP: Inclusion. What is “copaganda?” More people watch crime shows than any other genre. How do you make sure your show isn’t perpetuating harm against the very audience it’s created for? Presented by WGAW’s Writers Education Committee, Committee of Black Writers, and Latinx Writers Committee, in partnership with the Think Tank for Inclusion and Equity and Storyline Partners, join us for our latest virtual panel event in a multi-part series unpacking cultural narratives surrounding TTIE’s #WriteInclusion: Tips for Accurate Representation factsheet initiative. Our goal is to empower writers, showrunners, and creative executives to better reflect the lived experiences of marginalized communities, as well as guide writers’ rooms toward more forward-thinking storytelling around criminal justice. This panel will focus on the criminal justice and prison-industrial complex systems, exploring overrepresented stories and harmful stereotypes – and why accuracy and authenticity matters in narratives and portrayals in film and TV. Panelists include writers Elgin James (co-creator/showrunner, Mayans M.C.), Carlito Rodriguez (Empire), and Shalisha Francis (Seven Seconds), Jessica Farris (ACLU), Kristen Marston (Color of Change), and Cara Reedy (DREDF); moderated by writer Aaron Rahsaan Thomas (co-developer/showrunner, S.W.A.T.).
Monday 26
Latinx Writers Committee Meeting
7:30-9:30 p.m. – Zoom
Category: Inclusion and Equity Committee Meetings
RSVP: LWC 07-2021. This committee actively represents the professional, creative, social and economic interests of Latino Guild members. Its mandate is to encourage Latino writers to become more active within the Guild; and to raise the profile and perception of Latino writers in the industry at large by creating forums that foster networking, collaboration, education, information exchange, employment opportunities and creative expression. You will be emailed the Zoom ID and meeting logistics on the day of the meeting.
Tuesday 27
Virtual Members Lounge
3-5 p.m. – Zoom
Category: Activities
JOIN. Want to catch up with your friends and peers during this unprecedented time? WGAW’s Activities Committee has launched the new Virtual Members Lounge, an online space where writers can write, connect, and chat with each other to build community while the Guild’s in-person member lounge remains closed due to the ongoing pandemic. Hosted on a weekly, recurring basis on Tuesday afternoons, the Virtual Members Lounge features multiple breakout rooms (Comedy, Drama, Coffee Break, Writing Sprint) where you can pop in to chat with members or participate in a collective writing sprint.
Tuesday 27
Young and Hungry: YA & Genre
6-7:30 p.m. – Zoom
Category: Genre
RSVP: YA. From mystery and horror to sports and fantasy, this virtual panel will explore how an increasing number of YA (Young Adult) TV shows are using genre to tell their stories. Writers will explore what makes a good YA property, what works, what hasn’t worked, and what makes a strong, sellable genre project. Presented by WGAW’s Genre Committee, the panel will focus on actionable items and takeaways for writers on what they can do to write, create, and produce a YA show. Panelists include writers Amy Berg (Warrior Nun), Eric Heisserer (Shadow & Bone), Tom Wheeler (Cursed), and more TBA; moderator: Hyunjin Jo.
Thursday 29
Westerns as a Genre of the 21st Century
1-2:30 p.m. – Zoom
Category: Genre
RSVP: WESTERN. Presented by WGAW’s Genre Committee, this panel will feature writers and executives sharing their experiences and insights on writing, developing, and producing Western movies or series, both period and contemporary, for film, TV or streaming. The conversation will include perspectives from communities that have been historically underrepresented in this genre. Panelists will discuss: How can we tell stories in a Western context without falling into stereotypical tropes that may be culturally unacceptable today? How do we include perspectives that have been excluded from Westerns in the past? While Westerns remain an iconic American genre, why is it so hard to sell a Western movie or series today? Guest speakers include writers Scott Frank (Godless), Julia Ruchman (The Son), Anthony Florez (Deputy), Alfredo Barrios, Jr. (Six), and Lauren Ruggiero (SVP, Scripted Original Series, Paramount Network); moderator: Phyllis Strong (Enterprise).