Harvardwood Writers Program

Launched in 2005, the Harvardwood Writers Program (HWP) offers ongoing workshops for film and television writers in LA, New York, Boston, Washington D.C., and more. HWP groups meet regularly to discuss and critique original material and to hear from experienced guest speakers in different fields (see here for a list of previous speakers).

Below, you'll find more information about the TV Writing Modules, Feature Writing Program, and our annual Writers Competition.

In recent years, participants in the Harvardwood Writers Program and Competition have seen unprecedented success with pilot sales to ABC, the CW, Showtime, Sony, Spike, Syfy, and TV Land, in addition to blind script deals at ABC and Warner Bros. Harvardwood writers have been staffed on Agent Carter (ABC), American Dad (Fox), Community (NBC), Covert Affairs (USA), Family Guy (FOX), The Flash (CW), The Good Wife (CBS), Gotham (Fox), How to Get Away with Murder (ABC), Jane the Virgin (CW), Justified (FX), The Newsroom (HBO), Perception (TNT), Sleepy Hollow (Fox), State of Affairs (NBC), and The Tomorrow People (CW). Among our feature film writers, successes include the theatrical releases of Jamesy Boy and Unfriended, as well as OddLot Entertainment’s optioning of Septillion to One; previous HWC feature category winner Capture is in post production with Circle of Confusion producing. Participants have also secured representation at Apostle, Benderspink, Brant Rose Agency, CAA, Circle of Confusion, Echo Lake, Gersh, ICM, Management 360, Original Artists, WME, and others.

Harvardwood is especially proud that our programs are dramatically more diverse in terms of race and gender than the current entertainment landscape, according to the stats in the “2015 Hollywood Diversity Report” conducted by UCLA’s Bunche Center. Please consider donating to the Harvardwood Writers Program, so we can continue to support new, thoughtful and diverse voices in the arts.

DONATE TO HWP

Finally—writers, want to connect with one another? Join the Harvardwood Writers' Directory.

Special Competitions

Harvardwood Writers Competition

Held every summer and open to all Harvardwood members worldwide. Each winner receives a cash prize and a one-on-one mentorship with an industry VIP. View past HWC winners!

Most Staffable TV Writers List

Held in conjunction with the Harvardwood Writers Competition and open to participants of the HWP - TV Modules program from the previous fall and spring. View past writers who made the Most Staffable list!

TV & Features Showcases [on hiatus]

Held in late spring and open to members who have completed the HWP Features or TV Modules program the previous fall.

Current Writing Modules

PLEASE NOTE: Only Full Members and registered Friends of Harvardwood (on a case-by-case basis) can submit their finished work to the Harvardwood Script Menu and for consideration in the Harvardwood Writers' Showcases each Spring. If you are an Affiliate and wish to upgrade to Full Member status, please click here. If you are new to Harvardwood and wish to join, please register as a Full Member, Affiliate, or Friend of Harvardwood.

As a Full Member, you'll be able to receive the weekly and monthly newsletters, make unlimited postings on the website, view postings in your area(s) of interest, access all other areas of the Harvardwood website, and receive preferred access and free or discounted admission to programs and events.

Previous HWP Speakers

FILM

Meredith Bagby ’95 (exec, Dreamworks)
Stacy Cohen ’89 (producer, DREAMER)
Alex Franklin ’96 (exec, The Weinstein Co)
Sean O’Keefe ’95 (KING TUT)
Keir Pearson ’89 (HOTEL RWANDA)
Peter Rader ’82 (WATERWORLD)
Jeff Schaffer ’91 (EUROTRIP)
Josh Simon ’00 (exec, Disney)
Massy Tadjedin ‘99 (THE JACKET)
Nicky Weinstock '91 (Red Hour Films)
Ed Zwick '74 (GLORY, LEGENDS OF THE FALL, THE LAST SAMURAI, BLOOD DIAMOND)

TV DRAMA

Zadoc Angell (Manager, Echo Lake)
Neal Baer GSE ’79 (LAW & ORDER: SVU)
Samuel D. Baum '98 (LIE TO ME, COCKED)
Peter Blake ’91 (HOUSE)
Terence Carter (Exec, Fox)
Carlton Cuse ’81 (LOST)
Jeff Davis (CRIMINAL MINDS, TEEN WOLF)
Dawn DeNoon (LAW & ORDER: SVU)
Grainne Godfree '03 (THE FLASH, LEGENDS OF TOMORROW)
Mark Goffmann (THE BEAST, WEST WING, SLEEPY HOLLOW)
Abram Hatch ’96 (exec, Darren Star Prods.)
Melinda Hsu Taylor (LOST)
Glenn Kessler ‘92 (RHD/LA)
Todd A. Kessler ’94 (THE SOPRANOS, PROVIDENCE)
Jeff Melvoin (EP, ARMY WIVES)
Adam Perlman '04 (BILLIONS, THE GOOD WIFE, THE NEWSROOM)
Amy Retzinger ’95 (agent, Gersh)
Sam Shaw '99 (MANHATTAN)
Tom Smuts (CLOSE TO HOME)
Thania St. John (EUREKA)
Sarah Watson (PARENTHOOD)
Nicky Weinstock (exec, Apatow, Fox)

TV COMEDY

Andy Cadiff '77 (Director, Hot in Cleveland, Spin City, Young & Hungry)
Megan Amram '10 (Writer, Parks & Rec, Silicon Valley)
Nell Scovell '82 (Writer & Creator/Executive Producer, Sabrina, The Teenage Witch, The Muppets Show)
Kristin Newman (Writer & Executive Producer, That '70s Show, How I Met Your Mother)
Colleen McGuinness '99 (Writer & Producer, About a Boy, 30 Rock)
Carolyn Cassidy ’99 (exec, NBC)
Vali Chandrasekaran ’03 (MY NAME IS EARL)
Danny Chun ’03 (THE SIMPSONS, THE OFFICE)
Jason Gelles ’96 (EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND)
Aisha Muharrar '06 (PARKS & REC)
Dan O’Keefe ’90 (THE DREW CAREY SHOW, SEINFELD)
Mike Reiss ’81 (THE SIMPSONS)
Patric Verrone '81 (FUTURAMA, Former President of WGA West)
Matt Warburton ’02 (THE SIMPSONS)
Adam Fratto (Harvardwood Board)
Cort Cass (ABC Comedy)
David Garrett (LIVING WITH FRAN)
Steve Tompkins '88 (THE SIMPSONS, THE CRITIC, EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND)
Harris Goldberg (NUMB)
Allen Zipper (FAMILY TOOLS, GEORGE LOPEZ SHOW)

writers writing TV film