What does the retreat fee cover?

Your retreat fee covers 5 days of tuition as well as light breakfasts (fruit and cereal), lunches, dinners (except Friday night), drinks, snacks, and special events. At the retreat you will get:

• Three 90 minute one-on-one mentor sessions to discuss your script and portfolio submissions, career path, craft etc.

• Mock drama & comedy writers' rooms, where you participate in breaking an episode of a comedy and drama show so you can understand what really happens behind the doors of a writers' room;

• Over 19 hours of mentor-led discussions and group writing exercises on topics ranging from pitching yourself and your projects to discovering your own personal writing thematic to working with an agent or manager;

• One-on-one access to working industry professionals who seek to educate attendees on the craft and business of screenwriting.

Writers bear travel and accommodation costs, which are not included in the retreat fee.

Can I defer my retreat spot to another year?

No, unfortunately you cannot defer your spot to another year. Each TV retreat is tied to a separate TV contest, so writers earn the right to attend that year's TV retreat. Thus, you are invited to attend this year's TV retreat because you are a semifinalist in this year's TV contest.

Can I bring my significant other?

Although there's no bar to bringing loved ones, this event is designed as a concentrated working retreat for THE WRITER, and there is almost no relaxation time. The retreat day starts at 9 am with informal rooms/meetings and often finishes at 10 pm.

We ask that, if you do bring a child, there is also a parent or caregiver to watch over him/her/they as we cannot accommodate children in our sessions. Significant others are welcome to join lunch or evening meals/events; however, there is an additional fee for all meals your guest(s) attend. Further, your guest will have to follow all our COVID-19 protocols.

Can I talk to past retreat attendees before I RSVP?

Yes, we are happy to put you in touch with our alumni.

When will I know who my mentors will be? 

We will release mentor information by the Thursday before the start of the retreat, at the earliest. We understand that many of you are eager to know who your mentors will be; however, we are unable to provide that information until right before the retreat. Because we are extremely familiar with our mentors’ areas of expertise, we assign writers to mentors who are best suited for the genre of scripts submitted by writers instead of allowing writers to request specific mentors. The pairing process delivers a rewarding experience for everyone and takes a great deal of time and planning. In addition, we often are forced to replace mentors because work commitments arise—sometimes days before the retreat—that prevent them from participating. 

To familiarize you with our previous mentors, please see our Mentors page. Many mentors attend yearly, so you are likely to see some of the listed mentors at this year’s retreat.

How many scripts can I submit and will all my mentors read all of them?

You may submit up to 2 manuscripts of the following types:

• TV Teleplays

• TV outlines

• TV treatments

You cannot submit feature manuscripts of any kind, including screenplays or outlines or treatments of feature projects. 

The total number of mentors who read your manuscript(s) will depend on the number of manuscripts you submit, as set forth below:

• 1 manuscript: All 3 mentors will read your manuscript and provide feedback

• 2 manuscripts: One of your manuscripts will be read by 2 mentors and the other manuscript will be read by 1 mentor.

What is Zelle? How do I register?

You can learn more about Zelle here.

I do not have Zelle. Can I use a different method of payment?

While our preferred mode of payment is Zelle, if you wish to use a different form of payment, please indicate your preference in the RSVP section. We will make other payment options available.