Writing Prompt: 1/27/2010

Classes are filling up like my tummy on an all you can eat pizza night! There are only a few spots left in the yummy classes below. Call 323-333-2954 before they are all gone.

• Delectable Dramas and Scrumptious Sitcoms Pt II (Sat., Feb. 6)
• Writing Pad Movie Club: Anti-Valentine’s Day Class (Sat., Feb. 20)
• So You Want To Be A Writer? (Starts Feb. 17)
• Writing Pad Bootcamp . . . With Dessert (Master Class) (starts Feb. 25)

Chad Gervich's class is next Saturday morning. He is a very successful TV writer/producer AND a great teacher. So I thought I'd have some TV fun with our writing prompt. Check it out below.

Writing Prompt: What was your favorite TV show when you were a kid? Make a list of five. Pick one and write whatever comes to mind for ten minutes. Then post it in the comments of this blog. You could win a free class, peeps!

Fantastic Freelancer: Sophia Kercher

By Halie Rosenberg

Meet Sophia Kercher, the first of many fabulous Writing Pad alums that we plan to introduce you to. Sophia is a regular freelance writer for the LA Times and LA Weekly! She is also a fact checker and researcher for LA Times Magazine . She has been writing freelance for about two and a half years. She dreams of writing a book. In the meantime (and probably after), you can find Sophia honing her craft at Writing Pad. In fact, the first story that Sophia work-shopped in class, In-Flight Husband, was published in LA Weekly!

Sophia first met Marilyn in 2007 at the West Hollywood Book Fair and was “lured by the tasty snacks at the booth.” After signing up for her first class, Sophia found that Writing Pad was not only a place to take classes, it also became a big part of her “creative community,” a discovery that she credits with keeping her motivated. She says Writing Pad, “not only helped me with my writing practice, but it's been a terrific social outlet. I've made friends at the Pad.”

Sophia adds, “I took tons of writing classes in college. What's different about Writing Pad is that it doesn't feel anything like a stiff classroom, it's more like...sitting in a hip person's (who you always wanted to be friends with) living room and she is also feeding you some of the best food you have ever tasted!” Sophia (along with anyone else who has ever stepped foot in WP) is crazy for Adel’s brunch and desserts.

You can check out Sophia’s fabulous articles at LA Weekly, the LA Times, and her fashion forward website. Thanks so much to Sophia to being our first Awesome Alum. If you think someone that you love from Writing Pad should be a part of this series, please let us know!

Fab One Day Classes

Hi Dahlings,

One day classes are filling up!

There's now only 1 spot left in Aaron's "He Said, She Said" class this Sunday afternoon and only 2 spots left in my "Hanky Panky" class on February 10th. Call 323-333-2954 to reserve your spot in one of these wonderful classes before they are all gone!

One Night Stands/One Day Classes:

• He Said, She Said (Sun., Jan. 24)
• Delectable Dramas and Scrumptious Sitcoms Pt II (Sat., Feb. 6)
• Hanky Panky: Writing The Erotic (Wed., Feb. 10)
• Writing Pad Movie Club: Anti-Valentine’s Day Class (Sat., Feb. 20)

All descriptions for classes other than Delectable Dramas and Scrumptious Sitcoms Pt II are on http://www.writingpad.com.

Delectable Dramas and Scrumptious Sitcoms Pt II

Ever thought your quirky co-workers or soapy love life could make a great TV show? They can be! With brand new writing exercises, we’ll help you mine your life for the kinds of characters and stories that networks, producers, and audiences find irresistible. Whether you want to create the next Mad Men or Modern Family, we'll help you brainstorm an exciting premise, and you’ll learn what producers and execs look for in sell-able pilots and series. By the time you leave, you'll have drafted a one-sheet to pitch your next sitcom, drama, or reality show.

Note: You do not need to take Delectable Dramas and Scrumptious Sitcoms Pt I to participate in this class. Includes new writing exercises and mini-lecture.

Instructor: Chad Gervich
Wednesday, July 15, 2010

7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Cost: $75 ($65 for continuing students)

Includes gourmet brunch tasting plates

Writing Prompt: 1/20/2010

Our one-day classes at Writing Pad are almost full! Call 323-333-2954 to sign up.

• He Said, She Said (Sun., Jan. 24) --Only 2 spots left
• Delectable Dramas and Scrumptious Sitcoms Pt II (Sat., Feb. 6)
• Hanky Panky: Writing The Erotic* (Wed., Feb. 10)--Only 3 spots left

Delectable Dramas and Scrumptious Sitcoms Pt II (Sat., Feb. 6) is new. It's not on the Writing Pad site yet. Below is the description. Writing prompt is also below.

Delectable Dramas and Scrumptious Sitcoms Pt II

Ever thought your quirky co-workers or soapy love life could make a great TV show? They can be! With brand new writing exercises, we’ll help you mine your life for the kinds of characters and stories that networks, producers, and audiences find irresistible. Whether you want to create the next Mad Men or Modern Family, we'll help you brainstorm an exciting premise, and you’ll learn what producers and execs look for in sell-able pilots and series. By the time you leave, you'll have drafted a one-sheet to pitch your next sitcom, drama, or reality show.

Note: Delectable Dramas and Scrumptious Sitcoms Pt I is NOT a prerequisite for this class. Includes new writing exercises and mini-lecture.

Instructor: Chad Gervich
Chad is a television producer, bestselling book author, and award-winning playwright. As an executive at the Littlefield Company/Paramount Television and NBC Studios, Chad helped develop and maintain scripted series and pilots for ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, UPN, and the WB. As a writer and producer, he has worked on numerous scripted and reality shows for both TV and the Internet, including The Wanda Sykes Show (Fox),Wig Out (Warner Bros.), Spellbound (The Weinstein Company), Foody Call (Style Network), Celebrity Drive-By (E!), Speeders (TruTV), and Reality Binge (Fox). Chad has also worked in production on such shows as Malcolm in the Middle, Girls Club, and Star Search. He is the author of Small Screen, Big Picture: A Writer's Guide to the TV Business (Random House/Crown), and he writes regularly for Variety, Writers Digest, Fade In, Moving Pictures, and Orange Coast. Chad holds a B.A. from Vanderbilt University and an MFA in Playwriting from UCLA.

Saturday, February 6
10:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Cost: $75 ($65 for continuing students)

Includes gourmet brunch tasting plates

Writing Prompt: Make a list of 5 things that you believed when you were a kid. For instance, I believed that if I held my blanket up to my chin, a vampire would not bite me. Pick one item off of your list and add a sensory description to it (ex. fluffy soft, down comforter). Then write about it for 10 minutes and post it in the comments of this blog!

Comment on this blog: what did you believe when you were a child? Write about that for 10 minutes and post it in the comments. You could win a free class, and I'll only tell you what I like and remember.

Writing Prompt: 1/13/10

We have a cornucopia of fantastic, new one-day classes at Writing Pad in January and February! Call 323-333-2954 to sign up. They are filling up fast:

• He Said, She Said (Sun., Jan. 24)
• Hanky Panky: Writing The Erotic* (Wed., Feb. 10)
• Writing Pad Movie Club: Anti-Valentine’s Day Class (Sat., Feb. 20)
• 10 Minutes in Heaven: Cook Up A 10 Minute Play (Sun., Feb. 28)

Writing Prompt: Make a list of foods that you are (or were) addicted to. This can be a fictional list too for characters in your project. Include foods that you overdosed on (e.g. my husband ate too many squishy, fruity gummy bears as a kid, now he won't eat them at all).

Pick one item on your list and write about it for ten minutes. Make sure to include a sensory detail in your writing (taste, smell, touch, sound, sight). Now post your writing in the comments of this blog--you could win a free class!

Comment on this blog! What are the food(s) you are (or were) addicted to? Or, you could write about a food product that a character in your book or screenplay is addicted to. A sentence or a mini-story will do.

It's So Easy Eating Green - Adel's Salsa Verde Recipe

By Adel Aispuro/Amy Robinson

We're making it easier to stick with your resolution to write more! Take one of our intensive, gourmet writing classes with Aaron Henne in January. You get an amazing class plus we serve Adel's (pictured above) out of this world tasting plates. Adel is the Writing Pad Executive Chef. Her truffled mac and cheese or lemon panna cotta will inspire the best writing you've ever done:

• Finishing School Jan 14, 21, 28, Feb. 4, 2010 (4 Thurs.)--Only 1 spot left
• So You Wanna Be A Writer? Jan 14, 21, 28, Feb. 4, 2010 (4 Thurs.)--Only 1 spot left

Sign up by calling 323-333-2954 or emailing marilyn@writingpad.com. They are almost full!

In a backroom, secret-handshake, private ceremony deal, Adel has agreed to share some of her recipes with us.

This month, in the spirit of heating things up in the kitchen, Adel is sharing a her smokey recipe for Roasted Tomatillo Salsa. She serves these with her divine chilaquiles. Thanks, Adel!

Adel says:
"This recipe is for the salsa verde I use when making chilaquiles. I love this salsa because it can be made year-round and is delicious on all sorts of things - chips, tacos, grilled chicken or fish, even a salad of romaine lettuce, avocoado, tomato and black beans."

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
1.5 pounds fresh tomatillos,
husks removed
(you can find these at Latin markets)
3 jalapeno peppers
(or more to taste)
4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 large onion, sliced
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
lime juice and salt to taste

Place the tomatillos, garlic, chiles, and half of the onion a large baking sheet or dish and drizzle with vegetable oil. Sprinkle with a bit of kosher salt. Broil for about 7-10 minutes until the tomatillos start to look soft and blackened in spots. If you don't have a broiler in your oven, roast at 400F until charred and soft, about 45 minutes.

Cool the veggies. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins. If you prefer a milder flavor, remove the seeds from the jalapenos. Transfer everything to a blender, add the cilantro and the other half of the onion, and puree. Add salt and fresh lime juice to taste.

This salsa will keep for about 5 days refrigerated. For extra smoky flavor and richness, you can add 1 or 2 poblano or anaheim chiles to the vegetables. Remove the skin, seeds, and stem before blending.

Writing Prompt: 1/5/10

Early January classes with the amazing teacher, Aaron Henne, are now almost completely full:

• So You Want To Be A Writer/Finishing School (Starts Jan. 14)-Only 1 spot left

Email marilyn@writingpad.com for more info. or call 323-333-2954.

Writing Prompt: Make a list of 5 New Year's resolutions or hopes and dreams. Pick one and write about it for 10 minutes. One of mine (now don't laugh) is to learn how to rap or hold a slam poetry class at Writing Pad in 2010. If you know of any potential teachers, let me know!

Post your story on the comments in the blog! What are your New Year's resolutions or hopes and dreams? A sentence or a mini-story will do. And you could win a free class for your comment!

Winner of December Comment Contest

Happy New Year, everyone! Early January classes with the amazing teacher, Aaron Henne, are now almost completely full:

• So You Want To Be A Writer/Finishing School (Starts Jan. 14)-Only 1 spot left

Email marilyn@writingpad.com for more info. or call 323-333-2954.

OK--may I have a drum roll please? The winner for the December comment contest is: Mary Anne Perez!

You can check out her fantastic story about the Nail Clipper in the comments here:

http://wellfedmuse.blogspot.com/2009/12/weekly-writing-prompt-12309.html

In response to the questions, when do you write and what inspires you, Mary Anne said, "I write wherever I find myself, but usually first thing in the morning at my desk at home in Long Beach. My inspiration comes from stories my mom told me when I was growing up." How terrific! Congrats, Mary Anne!

Please continue to post your short writes in the comments of this blog—even if it is just a snarky Facebook style sentence fragment. Just like in class, I will tell you what I like and remember and treat everything as fiction. And, you'll have another chance to win a class in the month of January.

I LOVE what folks are posting. The stories are wonderful!