Symposium by Pipeline Artists

Corey Mandell has long been considered one of the best screenwriting instructors in the industry. Jeanne should know ... she's taken his classes.

Jeanne chats with Corey, diving into essentials that every screenwriter needs to know, including what it takes to launch your career in the current marketplace. Plus, we'll sprinkle your questions into the conversation.

*Join Corey's upcoming webinar on October 10, 2026, "Become an Even Better Writer"

About Corey:

Corey Mandell is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter who has written projects for Ridley Scott, Harrison Ford, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, John Travolta, Warner Brothers, Universal, 20th Century Fox, Fox 2000, Fox Family, Working Title, Paramount, Live Planet, Beacon Films, Touchstone, Trilogy, Radiant, Kopelson Entertainment and Walt Disney Pictures.

Corey is also a distinguished instructor at UCLA and teaches highly sought-after Zoom workshops offering cutting edge training to writers across the world.

Over 3,500 of his graduates have launched careers by selling spec scripts, getting staffed on top TV shows, writing hit movies, even winning Academy Awards.

*Get Corey's free masterclass on breaking in (the one he mentions in this session):“Launch Your Career: A Practical Roadmap That Works” where Corey shares the specific strategies writers have used to land their first ever writing job.

- Corey's website
- Sign up for Corey's emails
- Corey on X: @coreymandell
- Corey on IG: @coreymandellworkshops

Recorded September 17, 2026

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Writing can be lonely. You brainstorm alone, draft alone, revise alone. Maybe you are lucky enough to have a beta reader or editor at the end. But what if you could build the story with someone from the beginning?

We know what you’re asking:
Will I lose creative control?
What if our styles clash?
What if one of us writes faster?
How do we even start?

In this candid, craft-focused session, authors Lauren Nossett and Rea Frey share what they have learned from co-writing together, from early brainstorming sessions to managing deadlines and dividing responsibilities.

Attendees will walk away with a practical, step-by-step framework for successful collaboration.

You will learn how to:

• Find the right creative partner and build a strong author community
• Brainstorm collaboratively without sacrificing your voice
• Establish a writing schedule and clear expectations
• Divide tasks strategically based on individual strengths
• Navigate creative disagreements productively
• Give and receive constructive feedback in service of the storyUse collaboration to expand reach and strengthen promotion

By the end of the session, you will have the tools and confidence to decide whether co-writing is right for you and, if so, how to do it successfully.

Resources:

Slideshow Presentation
Rea’s Website
Rea on IG: @reafreyauthor
Rea’s Book Coaching

Rea's new book, Dear Mother: A Thriller(out April 28, 2026)

Lauren's new book, Indie Darling (out in July, 2026)

Lauren’s Website
Lauren on IG: @laurennossett
Lauren on Substack
Lauren’s Developmental Editing Services

Nashville Authors

Rea’s Symposium Host Page
Lauren’s Symposium Host Page

Relevant On-Demand Symposiums:

“How to Approach Editing Without Losing Your Sh*t” by Rea Frey
"The Book Skeleton Workshop: How to Structure Your Story Before Writing a Single Word" by Rea Frey

More Info:
Pipeline Artists
New live Symposium sessions
Watch on-demand sessions
Enter Pipeline contests
Subscribe: YouTube Channel
X: @PipelineArtists
Pipeline OG Podcasts

If you're a listener to the podcast "The Shit No One Tells You About Writing," you already know the amazing literary agent CeCe Lyra. To say we're thrilled to have her on Symposium is the understatement of the year.

At Symposium we have one important rule: To tell people what they need to hear not necessarily what they want to hear. Hard truths will get you farther in your career than false hope, and CeCe politely puts her Grinch hat on to deliver the honest advice you need to improve your odds at publication.

We'll dive into the world of a lit agent, the advice writers need to improve, and you'll even get to ask questions, too!

*NOTE: Zoom played tricks with CeCe's calendar, so we got the party started a little late. You can watch the first minutes of Jeanne's impromptu AMA, or skip to the 8:30-minute mark when CeCe's genius starts.

Cecilia “CeCe” Lyra is a literary agent at Wendy Sherman Associates representing adult fiction and non-fiction. She is drawn to books with strong hooks and smooth writing, told with originality, nuance, and authenticity. A long-term strategic thinker, CeCe prioritizes the creative reach and sustainable longevity of her authors’ careers, and she is especially looking for clients with whom she can build fruitful, lasting relationships.

Both a storyteller and a storyseller, CeCe believes that stories are empathy-generating machines capable of healing, connecting, and enacting true change. As a mixed race Latinx immigrant, CeCe understands the power of seeing oneself reflected in books, hence her passion for championing under or misrepresented voices and narratives that contribute to a larger cultural conversation. CeCe is a member of the Association of American Literary Agents (AALA). The popular podcast The Shit No One Tells You About Writing, for which CeCe is a co-host, has over four million downloads. CeCe is also a recovering lawyer, but asks that you do not hold that against her.

Resources from this session:

• CeCe’s Classes
• CeCe’s Website
• CeCe on Threads: @cece_lyra_agent
• CeCe on IG: @cece_lyra_agent
• CeCe’s LinkTree
• Wendy Sherman Associates
• Wendy Sherman Associates Submission Guidelines
• Podcast December Bonus Episode with Agents of Wendy Sherman Associates
• “The Shit No One Tells You About Writing” Substack

More Info:
Pipeline Artists
New live Symposium sessions
Watch on-demand sessions
Enter Pipeline contests
Subscribe: YouTube Channel
X: @PipelineArtists
Pipeline OG Podcasts

Matt Misetich, Executive Director of Pipeline Media Group, talks with screenwriter Crosby Selander about the state of the screenwriting industry. Included in the discussion is a live Q&A with the attendees.

Crosby Selander is a Los Angeles based screenwriter and filmmaker. He received a double BA from New York University, and his MFA from Carnegie Mellon University where he was the recipient of a Shubert Fellowship. After placing as a finalist in the Script Pipeline Screenwriting Contest, his screenplay BRING ME BACK (currently set up at Legendary) went on to become the biggest spec sale of 2020, and one of the biggest all-time from an unproduced writer.

Crosby went on to develop the Hugo-winning novel THE FOREVER WAR for TV alongside director Francis Lawrence for Village Roadshow, and served in the feature writing room for the MATCHBOX movie for Skydance.

He has projects in active development at Lab Brew, 193, and Weed Road. His short films have played at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Hollyshorts, and dozens of other film festivals around the world. He’s been featured in Variety, the Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, and China Daily, among others.

He's repped for film/tv at UTA and Kaplan Perrone Entertainment.

• Watch Recording on YouTube
• Crosby on X: @CrosbySelander

More Info:
Pipeline Artists
New live Symposium sessions
Watch on-demand sessions
Enter Pipeline contests
Subscribe: YouTube Channel
X: @PipelineArtists
Pipeline OG Podcasts

Pipeline Executive Director Matthew Misetich talked with Michael Peterson, Vice President of Development for Phoenix Pictures, to discuss the art of screenwriting and filmmaking through the lens of a producer.

As always, our Symposium one-on-one conversations are a community event, welcoming the audience's questions, too.

Resources:

Recording on YouTube

Michael Peterson’s Bio

Relevant Symposiums Sessions:

• “Writing to Budget” by Bob Saenz
• “Creative Strategies for the Changing Screenwriting Landscape” with Lee Jessup
• Wednesday, August 6th: “Logline Workshop” with Merridith Allen (offered multiple times a year)

More Info:
Pipeline Artists
New live Symposium sessions
Watch on-demand sessions
Enter Pipeline contests
Subscribe: YouTube Channel
X: @PipelineArtists
Pipeline OG Podcasts

Kate McKean is a literary agent at the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency in Brooklyn, but she's also an author and the creator of the popular Agents & Books newsletter. Get ready for the ultimate agent AMA.

Pipeline exec Jeanne Veillette Bowerman conducts an intimate one-on-one dialogue with Kate, diving into the life of an agent, and also her new book, Write Through It: An Insider’s Guide to Publishing and the Creative Life, coming out in June. If that's not enough, she also has a picture book set to publish by Sourcebooks in 2026.

As always, our Symposium one-on-one conversations are a community event. While Jeanne and Kate converse, your questions will be addressed, too.

Pour a beverage, sit back and relax. Enjoy the dialogue.

Resources:

Kate’s Website
Agents + Books Newsletter
Kate on IG
Kate on X
Kate on BlueSky
Kate on Goodreads

Order Kate’s new book, Write Through It: An Insider’s Guide to Publishing and the Creative Life

Free Symposiums Mentioned:

Hard Truths: Book Writing Competitions
One-on-One with Victoria Strauss

More Info:
Pipeline Artists
New live Symposium sessions
Watch on-demand sessions
Enter Pipeline contests
Subscribe: YouTube Channel
X: @PipelineArtists
Pipeline OG Podcasts

J.T. Ellison is not only a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 30 novels, she's also an EMMY® award winning co-host of the literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS, and one of the most generous professional writers in the industry.

As always, our Symposium one-on-one conversations are a community event. While Jeanne Veillette Bowerman and J.T. converse, your questions will be addressed, too!

Pour a beverage, sit back and relax. Join the dialogue.

Resources from this session:
J.T. Ellison's Website
J.T.'s Substack
J.T.'s Newsletter
Reckless Creatives Podcast with John Truby
Symposium: "Self-Publishing: The Fundamentals and Beyond"

More Info:
Pipeline Artists
New live Symposium sessions
Watch on-demand sessions
Enter Pipeline contests
Subscribe: YouTube Channel
X: @PipelineArtists
Pipeline OG Podcasts

Writing contests provide an opportunity for writers to get recognition for their work, win monetary prizes, and even have their work pitched to literary agents.

Understanding how contests actually work and what types of projects typically resonate is essential to any writer looking to compete—the story idea, the quality of the writing sample, the voice of the author, etc.

Our Book Pipeline execs, Matthew J. Misetich, Ciara Duggan and Jeanne Veillette Bowerman, join contest-winning writer Laura Picklesimer to offer insider tips on writing competitions.

More Info:
Pipeline Artists
New live Symposium sessions
Watch on-demand sessions
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Subscribe: YouTube Channel
X: @PipelineArtists
Pipeline OG Podcasts

Reckless Creatives podcast co-hosts, Jeanne Veillette Bowerman and Sadie Dean, had a live conversation with the legendary Scott Myers about screenwriting, the life of an artist, his new book, The Protagonist's Journey: An Introduction to Character-Driven Screenwriting and Storytelling, and so much more. This episode was recorded on May 16, 2023, during the WGA strike.

Our regular Reckless Creatives listeners and Symposium attendees participated and asked Scott questions, too!

Scott has more thoughts on the WGA strike, too. Check his blog for updates.

[Note: For the MovieMaker article on dos and don'ts for pre-WGA writers during the WGA strike, read here.]

Resources discussed:

The Protagonist's Journey: An Introduction to Character-Driven Screenwriting and Storytelling
Scott's site: Go Into the Story
Scott's WGA strike updates
Scott's Facebook group: Zero Draft Thirty
MovieMaker article "Dos and Don'ts for Pre-WGA Writers"
Follow Scott: @gointothestory
Follow Sadie: @SadieKDean
Follow Jeanne: @jeannevb

More Info:
Pipeline Artists
New live Symposium sessions
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X: @PipelineArtists
Pipeline OG Podcasts

Pipeline Executives Roni Brown and Spike Scarberry join Thomas Krajewski—the co-creator of Primer (DC), a really rad graphic novel series, and a former Script Pipeline TV Winner (2014)—to discuss the intricacies of the comic world.

You might even leave wanting to adapt your screenplay into a graphic novel!

Watch the video of this session on Symposium site.

More Info:
Pipeline Artists
New live Symposium sessions
Watch on-demand sessions
Enter Pipeline contests
Subscribe: YouTube Channel
X: @PipelineArtists
Pipeline OG Podcasts