Skip to main content

Concept to Pages

Time & Location: 10am-1pm Pacific Time, online on Zoom
Winter Session:  Weekly; Saturday, January 11 – Saturday, March 15, 2025
Spring Session: Weekly; Sunday, February 23 – Sunday, May 4, 2025 (no session April 20)

Leader: Heidi Hornbacher

For screenwriters of all levels who want a supportive framework in which to take a story idea for television or film from concept to first draft and beyond.

Our method is to work on your story from the inside out. Instead of starting on pages right away, we take time to understand exactly who your characters are, and map out their journeys. Then we’ll look at your story structure and outline your scenes, making sure that all are dynamic and necessary to the story. Once you get to pages, you will find that they flow more easily because of all the foundational work you’ve done to understand your story structure and character arcs.

Each session will focus on a distinct set of screenwriting principles, including character design, story structure, scene construction, and dialog. We mix mini-lectures, coaching, exercises, and targeted feedback in order to empower writers to produce their best work. Between sessions, we offer 1-to-1 time to help you with any individual questions or issues (a half hour each week). The result is a comprehensive course delivering the hows and whys of screenwriting technique.

The support doesn’t end there. When the workshop ends, you have two months to take advantage of a Script Consultation for 50% off. You also become eligible for our affordable Alumni Drop-In sessions, designed especially for those who need a little extra time to finish their draft. Two sessions are included in the registration fee, provided they are used within two months.

Price: $690 (10 weeks)

  • Scholarships are available to BIPOC writers with financial need. The next application deadline (for the Spring 2025 workshop) is January 31, 2025.
  • A 10% discount applies for alumni of PageCraft’s Italy retreats or of a previous Concept to Pages workshop.
  • We will invoice participants through PayPal. If you wish to use a credit card, you can do so through PayPal.

How to Apply

If you are interested, please write to us at info@pagecraftwriting.com. First-time applicants should include a 5-page writing sample and brief answers to the questions listed below. We will then schedule a conversation with you, so we can discuss your interest and background.

  1. What is your screenwriting or storytelling experience? (max 75 words)
  2. What is a brief description or logline of the script you would like to rewrite? (max 75 words)
  3. Why does this story matter to you? Why do you want to write it? (max 75 words)
  4. What is your favorite piece of writing advice or mentoring that you’ve received? (max 75 words)
  5. What is a writing note you have received that you disagreed with, and how did you handle it? (max 75 words)
  6. How did you hear about PageCraft?

Important Notes

  • Cancellation Policy: 72 hours before the workshop begins, 20% of the registration fee becomes nonrefundable. If you must withdraw after that point, we will refund a pro-rated amount (net of the nonrefundable 20 percent) based on the number of sessions remaining. No refunds will be made if you cancel with two or fewer sessions remaining.
  • The interaction and feedback among writers is part of the value of this workshop. We expect all to participate fully, with cameras turned on. We are happy to discuss any special circumstances.
  • We expect participants to adhere to our Code of Conduct. PageCraft reserves the right to refuse service or remove participants from the workshop for any reason, including abusive or unkind behavior toward others. Our cancellation policy will apply.
  • Other than the registration fee (per the terms of our cancellation policy), PageCraft is not responsible for costs incurred by participants or prospective participants.
  • For the discounted script consultation, scripts must be submitted within 2 months of the final workshop session, and it must be a version of the script created or rewritten during the workshop. Otherwise normal rates apply.
  • Two Alumni Drop-In sessions are included in the registration fee, provided they are used within 2 months of the final workshop session, and provided that you present pages from the script created or rewritten during the workshop. Otherwise normal rates apply.