Here’s what going on, socially and professionally, at the Writers Guild of America West this month:
August 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 03
Virtual Members Lounge
3-4:30 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 Guild’s Virtual Members Lounge, an online space where writers can write, connect, and chat with each other to build community. Hosted weekly 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 03
Genre Committee Meeting
6-7:30 p.m. – Zoom
Category: Genre
RSVP: Genre. The WGAW’s Genre Committee was formed with the purpose of attracting writers interested in a certain genre, to meet, discuss and exchange information in a peer-to-peer setting. Our mission is to push education, diversity and camaraderie amongst all writers no matter their background. The Committee welcomes all writers because writers work in all genres.
Wednesday 04
Committee of Black Writers Meeting
7-9 p.m. – Zoom
Category: Inclusion and Equity Committee Meetings
RSVP: CBW 08-2021. Special Guest: Jade-Addon Hall (Vice President, Current Programming, Lionsgate). The WGAW Committee of Black Writers’ mission is to empower, increase visibility, and create career and networking opportunities for Black writers in Hollywood.
Thursday 05
WGF x Business of Creating x Chinese in Entertainment present Developing and Distributing Entertainment Projects in China
4-5:15 p.m. – Zoom
Category: Writers Guild Foundation
Info/RSVP: WGFoundation.org. Business of Creating and WGF are partnering with Chinese In Entertainment to bring you a dynamic interactive panel and Q&A with seasoned entertainment professionals to discuss how to produce, market, distribute and write for the Chinese marketplace. With China surpassing the U.S. in global box office and with a robust TV industry, learn how to make your project appeal to Chinese audiences. Panelists: Thomas Lim (Head of Sun Entertainment Culture Los Angeles), Dongyang (Patrick) Liu (Head of Overseas Operations of Sansang Media), Winnie Wei Wei (Senior Consultant, North America, Ent Group), Michael Fisk (Owner, InterMark Strategy & Consulting). Moderated by Jennifer Mangan (Producer/Writer, Beautiful Day Productions). Free with suggested donation of $10.
Friday 06
It’s All Relative: Writing Diverse Television Families
5:30-7 p.m. – Zoom
Category: Writers Guild Foundation
Info/RSVP: WGFoundation.org. For this session, WGF partners with Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting for a discussion about writing diverse families on television. We’ll explore how TV writers have expanded depictions of the family unit over the years and how they’ve developed storylines that reflect the complexity and universality of these inescapable bonds. Panelists: Sheryl J. Anderson (Sweet Magnolias), Lang Fisher (Never Have I Ever), Marja-Lewis Ryan (The L Word: Generation Q), Anthony Sparks (Queen Sugar). Moderated by Dr. Rosanne Welch (Director, Stephens College MFA in TV And Screenwriting). Free with suggested donation of $10.
Monday 09
Committee of Women Writers Meeting
7:30-9:30 p.m. – Zoom
Category: Inclusion and Equity Committee Meetings
RSVP: CWW 08-2021. The Committee of Women Writers represents the professional interests of the women-identifying Guild members who are seeking WGA-covered work. The CWW sponsors events designed to increase access to employment and to foster networking and collaboration between the women-identifying members of all Guilds. The goal is to improve the profile and perception of women-identifying writers in our industry in order to achieve equal access and financial parity in the workplace.
Tuesday 10
Virtual Members Lounge
3-4:30 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 Guild’s Virtual Members Lounge, an online space where writers can write, connect, and chat with each other to build community. Hosted weekly 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 11
Inside the Writers Zoom with The Handmaid’s Tale
4-5 p.m. – Zoom
Category: Writers Guild Foundation
Info/RSVP: WGFoundation.org. WGF welcomes the entire writers room of the Hulu drama The Handmaid’s Tale, which has taken audiences through four seasons of harrowing stories around one brave woman’s journey escaping a repressive, authoritarian society called Gilead. Learn how the room crafts each season and how they approach the show’s twists, turns, and surprises. Showrunner Bruce Miller moderates the conversation. Panelists: Bruce Miller, Eric Tuchman, Yahlin Chang, Rachel Shukert, Katherine Collins, J. Holtham, John Herrera, Nina Fiore, Jacey Heldrich, and Aly Monroe. Free with suggested donation of $10.
Thursday 12
Writers Education Committee Meeting
6-7:30 p.m. – Zoom
Category: Writers Ed
RSVP: WEC. 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.
Thursday 12
Middle Eastern Writers Committee Meeting
7:30-9:30 p.m. – Zoom
Category: Inclusion and Equity Committee Meetings
RSVP: MEWC 08-2021. Special Guest: Asher Landay (Director, Scripted Programming, Keshet Studios). The mission of the Middle Eastern Writers Committee is to boost visibility and employment of Middle Eastern writers within the film and television industry, while celebrating and promoting accurate portrayals of Middle Eastern characters in all areas of media. We also serve as an expert resource for productions on issues related to the vast and diverse Middle Eastern community in the United States and abroad.
Tuesday 17
Virtual Members Lounge
3-4:30 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 Guild’s Virtual Members Lounge, an online space where writers can write, connect, and chat with each other to build community. Hosted weekly 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 18
Write Inclusion: Migrants
6-7:30 p.m. – Zoom
Category: Writers Ed
RSVP: Inclusion. Presented by WGAW’s Writers Education, Asian-American, and Latinx Writers Committees, in partnership with 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. This panel will focus on migrants, countering the media’s anti-immigrant rhetoric, misleading information, and harmful myths to show why authenticity matters in narratives and portrayals in film and TV. Our goal is to help guide writers, writers’ rooms, and all content creators toward better representation in their stories, as well as accurately reflect the experiences and perspectives of marginalized communities to achieve forward-thinking storytelling. Panelists TBA; moderator: writer Sabrina Almeida (For All Mankind).
Thursday 19
Between the Lines, Emmy Edition: Writing for Limited or Anthology Series, Movie
4-5:30 p.m. – Zoom
Category: Writers Guild Foundation
Info/RSVP: WGFoundation.org. For this special live event, WGF takes a closer look inside script pages from TV shows nominated for a 2021 Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie. Writers will walk us through their process for crafting memorable scenes from their nominated series and how their words were given life on screen. Panelists: Peter Cameron, Laura Donney, Chuck Hayward (WandaVision), Brad Ingelsby (Mare of Easttown) plus more to be announced. Moderated by WGF librarian Lauren O’Connor. WGAW members receive free admission. Click the “WGA Member Ticket” button on the event page to register.
Thursday 19
Asian American Writers Committee Meeting
7:30-9:30 p.m. – Zoom
Category: Inclusion and Equity Committee Meetings
RSVP: AAWC 08-2021. The Asian-American Writers Committee represents the professional and creative interests of Asian-American Guild members. Its mandate is to be dedicated to the encouragement, empowerment and employment of writers of Asian heritage. Join us for an informative and fun evening in a relaxed environment.
Monday 23
Futurism Isn’t a Bad Word: Uplifting Insights into Science for Your Storytelling
6-7:30 p.m. – Zoom
Category: Genre
RSVP: FUTURISM. It’s been a wild year (and counting), and one thing we learned is that science and facts are still on our side. Enough with the dystopias: Let’s learn more about how scientists are working to unlock the mysteries of our world so we not only survive, but thrive in this world – and how that also makes great storytelling for us. Panelists/moderator TBA.
Tuesday 24
Virtual Members Lounge
3-4:30 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 Guild’s Virtual Members Lounge, an online space where writers can write, connect, and chat with each other to build community. Hosted weekly 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 24
Conversations in Genre: An Evening with Charles Murray and Malcolm Spellman
6-7:30 p.m. – Zoom
Category: Genre
RSVP: Genre. Join us for the latest edition in our “Conversations in Genre” series featuring writers Charles Murray (Marvel’s Luke Cage) and Malcolm Spellman (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), who will talk about craft, creation, and the art of telling great stories. Murray and Spellman will discuss their creative processes, careers, influences and inspirations, and the dynamic characters and stories they create. Our virtual conversation will also touch on the importance of inclusive, diverse writers’ rooms, as well as the challenges of working in various genres. Moderated by Genre Committee Chair Dwayne Johnson-Cochran; presented by WGAW’s Genre Committee.
Wednesday 25
Sublime Primetime 2021
4-5 p.m. – Aug 25-26 – Zoom
Category: Writers Guild Foundation
Info/RSVP: WGFoundation.org. Sublime Primetime, the annual event co-presented by the Writers Guild Foundation and the Writers Guild of America West, in partnership with Final Draft and Variety, is once again virtually celebrating the 2021 Emmy-nominated writers for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. This year, we’re hosting two live Zoom panels over two days. All you’ll need is ONE ticket to access each panel. Panelists: Lucia Aniello, Paul Downs and Jen Statsky (Hacks), Yahlin Chang (The Handmaid’s Tale), Meredith Scardino (Girls5eva), Rebecca Sonnenshine (The Boys), Steve Yockey (The Flight Attendant) plus more to be announced. Drama Panel hosted by Glen Mazzara (Damien). WGAW members receive free admission. Click the “WGA Member Ticket” button on the event page to register.
Tuesday 31
Virtual Members Lounge
3-4:30 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 Guild’s Virtual Members Lounge, an online space where writers can write, connect, and chat with each other to build community. Hosted weekly 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.