Harvard Square Script Writers

We’re wrapping up HSSW Spring 2023! Join us virtually for a review of Eafat Newton’s SHE’S GOT TO BE KIDDING on Monday, May 22nd at 7-9pm EST.

-- Logline --
An aspiring teenaged comedian and her estranged father end up on a week-long road trip, each keeping a life-changing secret from the other.

Genre: Young Adult Novel

-- About the Author --
Eafat has been a member of HSSW since 2013. She has a film certificate from Emerson College and an MBA from Vanderbilt University. She is co-producer of Boston’s Women in Comedy Festival.

Eafat wrote SHE’S GOT TO BE KIDDING when she found herself pinned between parenting two teenagers and watching her own father make difficult end-of-life decisions. Comedy provided her–and her characters–a way to cope, completing the familiar equation of tragedy plus time.

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SAVE THE DATE & SIGN UP!
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If you're ready to join now you can:
• Simply pay $10 via Zelle to the account: "[email protected]"
• Or sign up at hsswriters.com using PayPal/your Credit Card
Please indicate "5/22/23 review" and include your email if you are new to HSSW.
Deadline for sign-ups is noon on Monday, May 22nd EST.
The Zoom link will be sent out on the afternoon of the event.

Contact [email protected] if you'd like more info.

Hope you’ll join us for a discussion of character, story, and motivation in the first chapters of her young adult novel.

Hope to see you at tonight's Theme Workshop. Coz it's going to be fun -- and informative! ;)

You still have time to sign up -- just pay meeting dues (just 10 bucks!) via Zelle to [email protected] before noon.

See you soon...!

And for our final meeting of the semester... a fun, interactive workshop!

Theme Workshop: Finding the Universal Idea at the Core of Your Story
Monday, May 15th • 7pm via Zoom

---ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP---
Most unproduced scripts detail what happens. They’re a slice of life, a chronicling of events. It’s all about who’s doing what, when, and where. But without the Why behind the script, stories fall flat. They’re the scripts you read and say, “Okay, that happened. But... so what?” You don’t connect.

What if instead of simply telling the audience what happens, a writer shares an underlying idea of why it’s happening? Then, they give it that extra something that brings in a broad audience because they connect with the story. That “extra something” is Theme — and that is what turns a great Situation into a sellable Story.

For example, very few people are Children of Deaf Adults. But many people watched and connected with CODA -- because writer-director Sian Heder infused it with two very specific themes. She found broad ideas that universally connected with the audience and wove them into her story.

In this workshop, we will arm you with everything you need to bring a universal Theme to your scripts.

• What Theme Is NOT: Busting the myth that Theme is a single word, like “Love" or “Family"
• What Theme IS: We’ll define a universal Core Idea, with examples from different genres (including CODA)
• Learn how: Find your theme with 3 Easy Steps
• Workshop: Bring your story ideas!* Together we’ll do a series of exercises to discover your themes.
*Participation is optional — you can just sit back, relax, and watch if you prefer.

This is a Live Event only. It will not be recorded, so mark your calendars for May 15th!

--- SAVE THE DATE AND SIGN UP! ---
• Pay $10 via Zelle using the [email protected] account
• Or, sign up on PayPal with [email protected] or 978-505-5652.
• Indicate "5/15/23 Workshop" and include your email if you are new to HSSW
• Deadline for sign-ups is Monday, May 15th at noon EST. The Zoom link will be sent out on the afternoon of the event.

Hope to come and learn how to use this powerful, underused screenwriting tool to make your scripts sing!

Be sure to catch this virtual review of the latest installment of JON, an audioplay by Paul Falcone on Monday, April 24th. We hope you can join us!

JON Episode 9 Logline: Jon takes his mother on a trip down memory lane and Route 6 to Provincetown where she is being honored for her early work running an art gallery with her deceased husband Val. Joining the fun is Jon’s young protégé Anna.

About the Author: Paul Falcone has been making movies since he was a child at his parents’ school of animation: The Yellow Ball Workshop. He later went to the Rhode Island School of Design and graduated with a BFA in Film/Video/Animation.

Since then, he has worked in all phases of video production and is a long-time member of the Harvard Square Script Writers and serves on its board.
-----------------
SAVE THE DATE & SIGN UP!
-----------------
Contact [email protected] if you'd like more info.
Or, if you're ready to join now you can:
• Simply pay $10 via Zelle to the account: "[email protected]"
• Or sign up at hsswriters.com using PayPal/your Credit Card
Please indicate "4/24/23 review" and include your email if you are new to HSSW.
Deadline for sign-ups is noon on Monday, April 24th EST.
The Zoom link will be sent out on the afternoon of the event.
Hope to see you then!