As creatives, we pull inspiration from different sources. Maybe we base our characters off people we really know and love. Maybe a certain piece of music inspires us to put our hands on the keyboard and get to work. Or maybe we're moved to create because of the struggles we've faced in our lives. If it's the latter, talking to others about it can be a daunting task.
Hardship isn't anything to be ashamed of, and vulnerability often leads to the most impactful stories.
In order to help us embrace our own stories and our own hardships, Roadmap has assembled this team of panelists to share their wisdom!
This 90-Minute Panel Will Cover:
- What is your reason for writing?
- How to put your experiences into words
- Engaging with others
Roadmap Writers is a talent training and discovery platform for screenwriters ready for a guided path to success. Our programs are hosted by working industry executives and are designed to empower writers with actionable tools and insights to elevate your craft and cultivate relationships with industry professionals. Since 2016, we have helped hundreds of writers from all over the world sign to representation, staff on series, and option and produce their projects. Our writers have been staffed on BRIDGERTON, THE FLASH, CHICAGO PD, THE FIRST LADY, NIGHT COURT, THE GOOD DOCTOR, THE RESIDENT, REACHER, SUBJECT TO CHANGE, MAYANS and POKERFACE. Writers have sold, set up and been produced by Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, MGM, American High, New Republic Pictures, Maven Screen Media, Lifetime, Will Packer Studios and Roku.
Justin Ross began his film career as a screenwriter. Mr. Ross’ script, THE ANSWER, was made into a short by Nebula Films in 2007.
In 2008, he joined Intrinsic Value Films as a Creative Executive. During his tenure at Intrinsic, he secured relationships with top talent, including Scott Free Productions and the estates of two of his favorite authors Ray Bradbury and Philip K. Dick. Mr. Ross joined Bohemia Group Originals as Director of Production in 2015 and was promoted to Executive Vice President of Development and Production in 2016 where he championed the company’s first feature, A DARK PLACE (distributed by Gravitas Ventures); winner of “Best Thriller” at the Manhattan Film Festival. Further credits include Associate Producer on the Spike Lee Executive Produced SON OF THE SOUTH. Upcoming projects include PREY with Oscar winner Sir Ben Kingsley and GLASS MOUNTAIN with Oscar winner Helen Hunt.
I registered for a four-week rewrite clinic with several friends hoping to find a solution to a problem we all shared in finding the right learning environment to workshop our material. When you teach creative writing to others, it’s challenging to find a group that allows you as a more experienced yet still evolving writer to get the same substantive feedback you provide your students. Furthermore, when you’re a creative from marginalized identities, you often get discouraging notes that imply you can either write commercial stories or stories that center your communities’ interests as if those two objectives are mutually exclusive. Justin Ross proved to be the perfect mentor for our group. He respected the stories each of us was trying to tell and provided specific notes and actionable exercises that gave us new ways into our revisions. There are few critique spaces where we feel we get the support we need, and having found Roadmap Writers and Justin Ross has gotten our creative year off to a wonderful start.
~ Sofia Quintero, Screenwriter
Questions?
If you have any questions or any trouble accessing the recording, email our Director of Education Alexandra Davies at alex@roadmapwriters.com!