History, research, and lived experience are rich sources for powerful stories, but many writers struggle to translate this material into their creative projects. With so many considerations behind weaving memoir, history, and personal experience into a script, how do you stay true to what happened while still building a narrative that resonates with audiences?
In this interactive workshop, writer, producer, and director Sydney Baloue (Legendary, The Vanishing Half, Tom Swift) teaches you how to convert non-fiction, archival research, and personal lived experience into dynamic visual stories. You'll learn how to translate real-life subcultures and oral histories into active scene work and authentic character dialogue, and how to maintain your personal voice on the page while building a structured narrative arc. You'll also explore how non-fiction world-building moves from page to screen and how to assess what details to keep, cut, or expand along the way. Whether you're a prose or memoir writer taking your first steps into screenwriting or an experienced TV or feature writer looking to fuse non-fiction or personal experience into your next project, this workshop will equip you with the tools to turn real history into an impactful story.
This workshop will be held in-person at the WGAW HQ in Los Angeles. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Event starts at 7 p.m. In order to encourage attendee participation, this workshop will not be recorded.
