Founders Workshop

Screenwriting for the Children's and Young-Adult Audience

Whether you are writing an original screenplay or have a novel that would make a terrific movie, this workshop is designed for the screenwriter in you.  David Paterson, screenwriter for Disney’s Bridge to Terabithia; Maureen Green from Script magazine; and Shelly Mellott with Final Draft, Inc., will introduce you to the craft of screenwriting, from storytelling to structure to script formatting. You’ll learn the differences between narrative prose and screenwriting, scene construction, and what it takes to create larger-than-life characters. Additionally, attendees will explore the opportunities for writers outside of traditional media.

Workshop Leaders

David Paterson

An award-winning playwright and screenwriter, David has penned more than two-dozen plays, twelve of which are published through Samuel French Inc. David has served as a panelist for numerous film festivals in the United States and abroad and is in great demand as a guest lecturer and motivational speaker at colleges and universities.

Read More

Shelly Mellott

Shelly Mellott took over Script magazine in 1995 from her father, who founded the publication in 1985. She secured a newsstand presence for Script and grew it into a well-respected industry magazine.

Read More

Maureen Green

Maureen Green is a writer, editor, and teacher. Since 2006, Maureen has served in a variety of roles at Final Draft, Inc., including print and web editor (for Script) and format specialist (for ScriptXpert). A native of central Pennsylvania, Maureen studied dramatic literature at the University of the Arts and with the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble.

Read More

Special Guest

Sandy Asher

Variety and quality characterize Sandy’s work, which includes twenty-five books, among them the award-winning Too Many Frogs! and its companion books What a Party! and Here Comes Gosling; more than three dozen plays; and over two hundred articles, stories, and poems published in magazines.

Read More

Workshop Information

March
22
at 3 PM for an optional tour of HIGHLIGHTS FOR CHILDREN® and Boyds Mills Press
through
March
25
after lunch
$995
Request an Application


Follow Us On Facebook

Our Scholarships

The Highlights Foundation has a number of scholarship opportunities available.

Want to stay up-to-date?

Our workshops fill up fast. Join our mailing list and we'll let you know about news and upcoming events!