Monday Morning Editor Picks: On Demand Screenwriting Webinars

With most of us having day jobs, limited access to in-person screenwriting classes, and the need to learn on-the-go, On Demand screenwriting webinars are an incredible resource.

Yes, I have used them myself, long before I taught them.

What I love about recorded webinars is the ability to access them immediately. As we work on tight deadlines, we often need help at 3AM when none of our network is awake. Webinars are a great way to get immediate, in-home access to expert advice.

Here are just a few to help me improve my craft and understanding of the business:

1. Build Your Author Platform Through Blogging by Jane Friedman: What? Blogging? I thought we're screenwriters! Yes, we are, but we're also a business. Every business needs a website, even a screenwriter. If you have any social media presence, you'll also need a URL to send people to in order to learn more about who you are, your projects and your writing voice. You don't need to be a professional freelancer to have your own "column." Create one yourself on your own website. I highly recommend understanding and learning what having an author platform can do to elevate your exposure and chances of success, and Jane Friedman is the number one expert, in my opinion.

2. Everything You Need to Know Before You Seek Representation by Sammy Montana: There are two big mistakes new writers make when approaching agents and managers. These mistakes, unfortunately, can stop your chances of finding representation dead in the water. What should you have in place before approaching agents and managers? How should you go about approaching agents and managers? This webinar will answer these questions and provide you with everything you need to know before you seek representation. Learn how many polished scripts you should have before seeking representation, as well as out of the box strategies to move your career forward. You’ll also learn how to sell yourself (and your projects!) to an agent or manager.

3. The Dreaded Rewrite by me... no, I don't get a kick-back. I taught this webinar after polling my screenwriter friends about their rewrite tips, as well as gone through years of rewriting my own work, in order to give you a thorough breakdown of how I personally go about rewriting. There's no way to avoid a rewrite, so you might as well learn early in your career to love the process.

4. Logline and Query Letter Strategies That Work by Danny Manus: Danny cuts right to the chase and speaks candidly about how to craft a logline and write a great query letter to attract an executive's attention. Nothing more to say on that, because no one can say it better than Danny can! Don't miss his column on ScriptMag.com, Notes from the Margins.

5. What Makes a Great TV Idea? Learn What Hollywood Looks for in a TV Idea and Pilot Script by Erik Bork: By now most of you know Band of Brothers is one of my all-time favorite shows. Who better to teach you the secrets behind recognizing if a TV show idea is a hit or not than it's writer/producer, Erik Bork. If you haven't read any of Erik's articles on ScriptMag, please do. He's pure gold.

For other valuable resources that are available instantly, we have tons of free resources when you sign up for our newsletters! The latest is on rewriting. Check them all out on ScriptMag.com.

Now go learn... in your pajamas, right from home!

Jeanne Veillette Bowerman is the Editor and Online Community Manager of Script Magazine and a webinar instructor for The Writers Store. She is Co-Founder and moderator of the weekly Twitter screenwriters’ chat, #Scriptchat, and wrote the narrative adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Slavery by Another Name, with its author, Douglas A. Blackmon, former senior national correspondent of The Wall Street Journal. Jeanne also is President of Implicit Productions and consults with writers on how to build and strengthen their online and offline networks as well as face their fears in order to succeed in writing and in personal peace - a screenwriter's therapist. More information can be found on her blog, ramblings of a recovered insecureaholic. Follow @jeannevb on Twitter.