Something happened on this week's New Member Workshop that I want to share. And if you're new I want you to read what happened with @Adrian Cranage and @Ameer Ahmed, then I want YOU to show up for our next workshop on Thursday, March 26 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. Two writers brought pages to a table read for the first time. Both of them blew us away. That's not a given. But it's what happens when you show up with real work and let the room hear it out loud. There's nothing like that moment. You've been alone with these pages — maybe for years. And then suddenly there are voices. Characters come alive. You hear things land. You hear things that need work. It changes something. Adrian is a cinematographer who spent 30 years behind the camera. The writers' strike hit, the German industry collapsed, and he used that time to finally finish something he'd been carrying for two decades. He scanned 100 pages of handwritten notes into AI — not to write it, to excavate it — and came in deep into a second draft. His pages opened in Bosnia. A war photographer. A dead child. A moral question that James can't answer and a camera he can't raise. The room went quiet. The feedback: these characters have a life before the plot begins. You can't fake that. Ameer is a year out of Full Sail and brought a short he's been developing since school — 13th draft. It's called How to Spell. A teenage girl named Jesse, a dangerous home, and magic. Not metaphor-magic. Real magic. She trains herself in secret, then uses what she's learned to confront the man terrorizing her family. Think Chronicle — superpowers grounded in where you're from and what you're living through — but with a young woman at the center. The title lands by the end. The conversation shifted fast to what this becomes as a feature. If you haven't been on one of these calls, this is what you're missing.

There was another thread created on this, but as founder of this group, I just wanted to weigh in and let you new folks know who I am and what we do here. First, here's the link to the next New Member Zoom, Wednesday 10 a.m. Pacific Time I'm J. David Stem (Shrek 2, Jimmy Neutron Disenchanted etc etc). I've written on movies grossing $2.5 billion in box office. And created the group at the urging of my daughter who's now studying creative writing at NYU. She kept telling me how useful my perspective was for her over the years. Because I talk about what it's really like to live in the trenches as a writer, not just from a business perspective, but from a creative POV as well. How do you show up day after day and do the consistent work it takes to learn and write great work. And enjoy the process. That's what I teach here. If you're new, I urge you to jump into the New Member Zoom, so you can introduce yourself, others in the community can get to know you and you can develop some accountability in your work. Tell us what you're up to, what your goals are and get coached up in the process! The initial call is part of the Standard Membership, along with access to the community. If you want more coaching, there's a Premium Membership you are welcome to join. And in fact, some of those people will be in the New Member call because they like showing up and just helping other writers learn and participate in the growth that goes on around here! So, if you're new, join us in the call. You are welcome to bring pages or drop your pages below and we can have a table read of the opening of your script and help you develop your vision for yourself and your career as a writer! Drop your pages below if you have them or just come to the call and we'll see you there!

Here is the zoom link to have your opening pages read and get feedback from the community and from David Stem LIVE! Place your pages in the chat below I was talking to a writer, and he was frustrated and feeling a little lost with his new IP. I gave him some thoughts, and he was elated and driven to get back to his writing. Now, I know for a fact I did not say anything revolutionary to him; I’m confident it was just the fact that he was allowing another writer into his world. That’s what these calls are about: to better our pages, we have to be vulnerable with other writers, which is gold to me in terms of increasing the effectiveness of our stories. These sessions are very hands-on. As we read your pages, David Stem walks you through the process of how to see and think about them like a pro.

These calls are transforming members' writing and absolutely the best way to grow as an artist around here. Today's call is this morning at 11 Pacific time. Very supportive community who show up and help each other build and grow. Accountability and support are key, especially if you've been facing the blank page alone, day after day! DM me and I'll get you in so you can see the magic that's happening in these rooms! David

Hello guys. Just a quick one. One I’m struggling with but not in a rush yet. How do you guys come up with a catchy title. - I’m being picky af. And i know it’s a me problem. So i struggle to settle on one. I’m thinking, something short, sweet and rememberable. But ya girl over thinks it. 🫣