Advice — kathie fong yoneda

As the weather warms up and everyone’s mailed off their taxes, writers start looking at their calendar in anticipation of -- PITCHFEST SEASON! Whether you’ve written a screenplay or novel, writers are all too aware that most of these events are held between May – November.And while you’ve spent all winter polishing up your projects in anticipation of attending one or more of these events, are you prepared to survive the challenge of pitching to the movers and shakers of Hollywood and/or the editors and agents of the publishing world?Here are suggestions for making the most of your valuable time...

If you're an emerging novelist or screenwriter, it's likely that you've attended or are thinking of attending a writers conference. Where else can you take classes to help you hone your craft, listen to panels of experts giving advice, or meet with an agent, editor or executive to pitch your latest book or script - all in one day or one weekend? From Boston to Maui, from Miami to Toronto and in nearly every metropolis in-between, there are hundreds of writing conferences going on throughout the year. But if you're a 'newbie' heeding your first 'conference call', the very thought...

KATHIE FONG YONEDA: Everybody knows that getting hired in this business is about who you know. So, Ellen, you’ve been hired to write on over twenty shows, how do you get to know people and even more important, how do people get to know you? What is your advice on networking?ELLEN SANDLER: Actually I hate the word “networking.” It sounds so calculated, because it is. I don’t think it’s really the most productive thing to be doing – that kind of “active networking” thing.K: You mean where people are rushing at everyone handing out cards and pitching their loglines?E: Yeah....

As the weather warms up and everyone’s mailed off their taxes, writers start looking at their calendar in anticipation of -- PITCHFEST SEASON! Whether you’ve written a screenplay or novel, writers are all too aware that most of these events are held between May – November.And while you’ve spent all winter polishing up your projects in anticipation of attending one or more of these events, are you prepared to survive the challenge of pitching to the movers and shakers of Hollywood and/or the editors and agents of the publishing world?Here are suggestions for making the most of your valuable time...