I was about to hit publish on this month’s blog when I heard what happened in the Old West End. I wasn’t able to attend the festival this year. I’m devastated for the whole community and pray for those who were affected by what happened. The story is too fresh to comment so I will not detail it here. But keep in mind the actions of a few do not reflect the majority in a city or a community. It seems like most people in our area have some type of connection to the Old West End, I will briefly tell you mine.
As a young college student, many creative people I knew lived in these big old houses with big porches which were the best places to hang out in the summer. It was called The Old West End, one of the largest collections of Victorian historic homes in the country. It was always fascinating to me, so a few years ago I wrote a short screenplay set in the neighborhood. I convinced some talented friends to create the film with me and we had amazing support from members of the Old West End community. We even screened the film during the annual festival in 2023. That same year I was also hired to research and write development material and a short narrative script for a documentary about a prominent member of the Old West End community. Needless to say I was immersed and obsessed with the culture, the people, and every aspect of this dynamic and resourceful community. I’m just really sad about this.
Now for your regularly scheduled screenwriting blog for June. Thanks for listening!
Summer has arrived in NW Ohio. Pools are open, gardens are growing, and writers get distracted. I see you out there enjoying the weather and getting that yard work done. I include myself in this distraction too. We have to get our vitamin D while it lasts and experience the joy of a life well lived, in order to write.
Look for ways to keep yourself on track with your writing. Sign up for a webinar, set up calendar reminders or read a good screenplay!
We are inviting anyone who is able to join us at the International Horror Hotel Film Festival in Cleveland, Ohio the weekend of June 20th. Come for a day or the whole weekend, this will be in lieu of our June meetup. Information at this LINK.
Final call for our annual tableread at the Maumee Film Festival. If you have a pilot or short film script to submit, please send it to glasscityscreenwriters@gmail.com by July 1st. This is a wonderful opportunity to hear your script performed by local actors at the festival in September!
We will have a regular monthly meetup in July and we are still planning the 10 year celebration, details to come!
Stay inspired to keep working on your writing ❤️ See you soon!
May your writing be prolific like the flowers after April showers.
Happy May everyone!
We had an inspiring meetup in April with a fun table read and discussion. Let’s keep the momentum going this month as we open submissions for the Maumee Film Festival table read.
We are seeking a pilot or short film script (properly formatted) up to 30 pages. Any genre, we will prioritize active members of the group for this opportunity. PDF can be emailed to glasscityscreenwriters@gmail.com If you have any questions feel free to email them.
The festival is in September so we will end submissions at the end of June with a decision to be made in July. Happy writing.
The next meet-up is Saturday May16th at the Oregon Library at 12:30. If you have any questions about the festival table read or other screenwriting questions join us! With all the distractions in our non-writing life, how do you stay focused and get things done? Let’s talk about strategies to keep working toward that next draft or new project.
Do you love horror? Looking ahead to June, instead of our regular meeting we invite everyone to join us at the International Horror Hotel Film Festival in Cleveland. Ohio. Here is a LINK
It’s a great place to watch films and network with other writers and filmmakers, and the drive is less than 2 hours. We will be there Saturday and Sunday June 20-21st. Tickets are very reasonable at 25 for Saturday and 35 for Sat/Sun.
Also in June watch for the FilmToledo open house! They have been working hard to create a space downtown that will be a creative hub for film in Toledo. Show them support if you can in the form of a donation. Later this summer we will have our 10 year Glass City Screenwriters celebration in partnership with them. So many positive things going on in Toledo!
It’s a little hard to describe how the Austin Film Festival makes you feel. Most festivals are about the directors, actors, and filmmakers in general. The unique part of AFF is that it puts the Writer center stage. As a writer among so many writers, it is easy to open up and connect. You are sharing the same creative struggles and joys.
The crowds are a bit overwhelming. Thousands of people, this was the biggest year yet. The panels and talks are an education on the career of screenwriting and making films, TV, podcasts, games, and more. The inspiration is real, the love of craft is real. I don’t mean to make this sound like a commercial. There is just nothing else like AFF, sharing my joy!
My pitch went well, I got great feedback. There were many amazing pitches, so much fun! Seeing Troublemaker Studios and meeting Robert Rodriguez was really cool too.
Let’s turn inspiration into action now. The next meet-up is November 15th 12:30 at Oregon Library. Bring your loglines, current script, or pitches and let’s help each other. Even if you haven’t written, our meetings are a good place to get answers or bounce thoughts around with a friendly group.
I have narrowed my next feature WIP down to two. Help me pick which one gets finished first!
This months resource is John August’s Script Notes podcast. A great listen for the craft of screenwriting.
See you soon!
Happy October! Have you ever written a horror themed script? It’s a great way to explore what you fear. Even if you steer away from the traditional blood and gore, there is a rich well to draw from. We all have personal things that cause us anxiety. Why not share the scares?
Still feeling the love from the Maumee Film Festival table read. We had an excellent turnout and I hope it encourages writers to get their work out there! Thank you to the many actors from our group and Toledo Talent who participated. Thank you to the Maumee Film Festival and Film Toledo for hosting. Big thanks to Amy Piero for sharing her pilot script Smoothie Crew!
We always leave time to table read a short script or pages of a longer work at our monthly meet-up. October 18th (12:30) at the Oregon Library is the next meet-up.
**Warning 😆
Virginia will practice her pitch for the Austin Film Festival.
Have you ever pitched before? As an introverted writer it can be incredibly difficult to go outside of your comfort zone to speak in front of people about yourself and your writing. But it is essential to move forward, connect with people, and share the passion you have for the work.
This month’s resource: I’m sharing a Substack. If you don’t use it already, it’s a great place to follow your favorite creators. Eventually I may create more on that platform, for now here is a link to Jen Grisanti
https://substack.com/@jengrisanti?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=43zbsd
Last month at our meetup it was inspiring to see new interest and new people showing up to work on their writing!
The main purpose of this group is to gather creative minds and help each other navigate the process and career of being a screenwriter/filmmaker. No matter where you are on that path, finding a supportive community is important.
A writer from our group submitted a pilot that we are currently casting for a table read at the Maumee Film Festival. It will be performed Sunday at 2pm downstairs. Table reads of an unproduced script help the writer experience their words come to life. Actors get to interpret the characters and perform. Consider volunteering at the festival for a great experience. Get more information and tickets here.
Our next meetup is Saturday September 20th at 12:30 at the Oregon Library. This month we invite the actors to our meetup to practice. I will bring some hard copies along for the read. It’s a pilot script so the read will take about thirty minutes.
This month’s resource is a podcast: The Screenwriting Life
It’s a great podcast about not just the work of a screenwriter, but the experiences in day to day life.
Just write! That is the theme for this month.. With about six weeks away from the Maumee film festival we are looking to have a pilot length (20-30 page) script ready for a table read at the festival. Glass City Screenwriters is pairing up with Toledo Talent (local actors group) for a Table Read segment on Sunday during the festival in September. If you have a properly formatted script that you would like to submit, bring it to the meetup this month!
Our meetup is next weekend already. August 16th at 12:30. This month we are inside the Oregon library in one of the smaller meeting rooms.
The summer is breezing right by! It can be hard to keep up with everything and everyone as we try to work and have fun while the days are long but seem short. Push yourself to fit in the time to move forward in your writing. Think, plan, outline, jot down notes and keep finding the inspiration to create those stories dancing around in your head.
This month I’m sharing a very important resource for writers.
Check it out if you haven’t already, and keep working on those goals!
March 2025
We made it thru February in Ohio! That always feels like an accomplishment doesn’t it? Hopefully the weather won’t derail our in person meetups from here on out.
Practice and creativity go together. Any kind of practice helps, whether you journal, read scripts, take notes while watching films, watch videos on YouTube, or take part in a film challenge ☺️ The point is to keep the wheels greased.
At our March meetup we will do a mock 48 hour challenge (just the writing part). If you’ve never done one this where you make a film in 48 hours. The first step is group thinking the script from the required elements (Genre, location, dialogue, prop, character) and developing it based on items and locations you have available.
A writer can practice these things alone by free writing from prompts, but it can be more fun to collaborate. Everyone brings their own type of creativity into the mix.
If enough people want to commit, we can also form a group for the next local 48 hour challenge.
The next meetup is Saturday March 15th at 12:30pm at the Oregon Library. Everyone is welcome!
Did you see our short film ? It released for Halloween on YouTube. Here is the link for Old West End, it surpassed 4K views last time I checked. Thank you for all of the support, share away!
Fall is here, and the quickly approaching holiday season is zooming into view. My head has been whirling around with distraction lately. A lot going on, too many tabs are open!
My current WIP is very much on my mind. I completed the first draft of my feature in October. Now is analysis time. I’ve been reading it and breaking it down to see where it needs work. I find it challenging to see the individual trees needing pruned out of my forest. Will I break it or make it worse by changing things in an attempt to make it better? Waiting for feedback while I dig around in my story to see what I think is wrong, is nerve wracking.
The Tree City Film Festival in Sylvania was a blast as always. The films were all entertaining and creative. I encourage everyone to participate in 48/50 hour challenges. Limitations spur creative choices that would never occur otherwise. Think of it as playing a favorite game. You have fun with friends (old and new) and create something together on a weekend.
The next meetup is November 16th 12:30pm at Freight House Coffee. We are open again for table reads if you have a short or 10 page segment of a script. We will also talk about the rewrite process, since I am going through it right now, it is fresh in my mind!
At the meetup we can choose a day or evening for a Holiday Meetup in December. I want your ideas for a social get together, maybe at a local taphouse where we can do appetizers and have a drink to celebrate as a group.
Happy Thanksgiving!
I’m thankful for each one of you who participates in our writer’s group. We share and grow together. It warms my heart to be able to gather and to help each other pursue our goals as storytellers, as writers, directors, producers and actors.
Thank you!
Virginia
I don’t know about you, but I love the fall. My garden is winding down and the chilly mornings bring a refreshing change I need to reinvigorate my life. We had another wonderful meetup in September at Freight House Coffee and our October Meetup will be at the same location. We may be able to return to the library in November when they reopen to the public.
I hope you are devoting time to a new writing project or polishing a sample for us to read this month. We will be table reading at this meetup so either bring a few copies of your short or up to ten page sample from a longer work. If you would like to share a PDF instead you may send it to glasscityscreenwriters@gmail.com and we can share digitally at the meetup. It’s always fun and we learn a whole lot by hearing our work read out loud. We also welcome any local actors who would like to join us to read scripts, it’s a great way to connect and learn.
Freight House Coffee has two large patio areas. If the weather is good we can utilize the patio for the table readings to have a bit of privacy. Hope to see you at the Meetup!
If you missed the Maumee Film Festival last weekend of September, it was a wonderful weekend full of local and regional films and filmmaking panels. We had such an amazing time connecting with friends and meeting new ones. This was the last fest for Old West End. I plan to release it onto YouTube close to Halloween, so look out for that!
Finally, on a personal note, I am close to completing the first draft of the feature I’m writing during the WGF Veterans Writing Project. It’s always exciting getting that first draft out, even though you know there will be many more rewrites before it is ready to share. The things I am learning in this program are immensely helpful. I am so grateful to my mentors, and hope to pay it forward, helping Glass City Screenwriters by sharing the knowledge I have gained.
Don’t miss the Film Toledo Fall Mixer, get your tickets soon! Dress up as your favorite movie or TV character to win prizes. Monday October 21st at Toledo Spirits.
Get busy doing what you love!
–Virginia
School is back in session. Soon the trees will change, my garden is fading fast 😔
How is your writing going for the year? Time to check in on those goals. If you break the year into quarters, this is the 3rd month of the 3rd quarter. Setting quarterly goals could help if you have a larger project(s).
Speaking your goals out loud and having a group to keep you motivated can work wonders. Glass City Screenwriters is all about supporting you and your writing goals! ✍️
Last month we had a last minute change of our meetup location because the Oregon Library was flooded by a water main break. The collection was not damaged but they have to replace all the carpets and some drywall.
While they are still closed, we are going to meet again at Freight House coffee on September 21st at 12:30 pm.
In August we enjoyed the local coffee and a lively discussion. Hope you can join us!
The last weekend in September is the Maumee Film Festival. There are many local and regional filmmakers who will be in attendance. This is a perfect opportunity for newer writers and filmmakers to network and find partners for their next creative project, and so many cool films to see!
Hope to see you all there. Old West End will screen during the 4:30 block on Saturday the 28th.