4th Annual TV Writers' Retreat

The 4th Annual TV Writers Retreat

Hosted by The Woods Hole Inn and The Woods Hole Film Festival

Expert TV Writers to Lead
Exclusive Retreat

February 21 – 23, Woods Hole, MA

Comedy Writing for
Television:  How to BE FUNNY and BREAK IN to
writing for the network comedy business

The Woods Hole Inn and the Woods Hole Film Festival are proud to team up to
present the 4th TV
Writers Retreat from February 21 – 23, 2014 in Woods Hole, MA. The retreat is a
vivid introduction by TV veterans P.K. Simonds (“Reign” and “Party of Five” and
“Doogie Howser”) and Ian Maxtone-Graham (“Simpsons” and “Saturday Night Live”)
to the creative process of comedy network television. This two-day retreat will
explore storytelling in a comedy format and other elements of success in
half-hour and variety network television and is a rare opportunity to learn
from two of the best writers in television.

Led by TV veterans P.K.
Simonds and Ian Maxtone-Graham, the retreat will teach participants how network
television really works, and offer industry insights, building blocks and tools
to write better comedy, and to break into this creative occupation. 

The sessions will
explore: 

– How television
works.  Who buys, who sells,
what they’re buying and how to sell it. 

– How a writer becomes a
professional.  Some
inspirational success stories, some sobering war stories, and lots of tips on
how to assail the ivory tower. 

– How an idea becomes a
script.  Some crucial
insight into the assembly line process behind network television series. 

– How an idea becomes a
better idea.  By turning the
retreat into a working “Writers Room”, attendees will get a chance to workshop
their ideas into better premises and better pitches. 

Writers will network, share ideas
and enjoy the stark beauty of Cape Cod in winter.

About the writers:

P.K. Simonds was born
and raised in New York and New England. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in
English Literature at Harvard University.  After graduating he moved to Los
Angeles, where he spent over 20 years writing and producing network television
drama and comedy series, including “Beauty and the Beast” starring Linda
Hamilton and Ron Perlman, “Doogie Howser, M.D.” starring Neil Patrick Harris,
“Party of Five” starring Matthew Fox and Neve Campbell, “Ghost Whisperer”
starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, and many others. He is currently a
writer-producer on the CW’s new hit series “Reign.”  He has written over 100 episodes of
television, and served as Executive Producer and “showrunner” on four series.
His work has won recognition ranging from Humanitas to Emmy to Golden Globe to
Saturn and Prism awards. He currently lives on Cape Cod with his wife and two
sons.

Ian Maxtone-Graham is an award-winning television writer and
producer.  He has written
for “Saturday Night Live” (1992-1995) and is a writer and producer of the
long-running, much heralded show “The Simpsons” (1995- 2013). Prior to joining
Saturday Night Live, Maxtone-Graham wrote for “National Lampoon” and “Army
Man”.   He has received
six Emmy Awards and an Annie Award for his work on “The Simpsons.”  At 6’8”, he inspired the Simpsons
character “Very Tall Man”.  He
was born and raised in New York City and attended Brown University.

Fee to attend is $299 per writer
(or stay at the Woods Hole Inn with the TV Retreat Package which includes two
nights plus breakfast & the retreat fee for $379 queen or $399 king; see
Woods Hole Inn website www.woodsholeinn.com for more information).  Includes a wine/cheese reception
Friday night, sessions from 10 – 4 Saturday and 10-noon Sunday morning.