STORYTELLING360 – State Of The Story

For 40 years I have been writing about other people and events. But recently, I realized the most important story I wanted to tell was about my past. So, I took a scriptwriting course but was still stymied. What helped me the most weren’t just the tips about techniques from books but the personal insights into my life and story offered by my teacher—a map to find my way through the forest. And, a little “psychotherapy”. That’s why I’m going to Storytelling360. Not only to learn more about how stories get made, why they matter but how to finish your own. The event is held JUNE 8th at The Writers Guild Theater in BEVERLY HILLS.

PANEL 1: Buyers & Sellers Agents and studio execs sit down together to reveal what actually happens behind the dealmaking curtain. What do studios look for when hiring a storyteller? What makes a bidding war break out over a fresh idea? This panel is essential if you’re trying to understand how the industry thinks and operates. The latest addition to this panel David Beaubaire former Executive Vice President at Sony, both at Columbia Pictures and TriStar. Before that he held the same position at Paramount and DreamWorks. David is also known for his work in the Clinton administration.

PANEL 2: Unforgettable Films Featuring screenwriters whose stories have not only succeeded at the box office but lingered in our cultural memory. These are the storytellers who craft characters that live on in our imaginations. Want to learn how they do it? This is your chance.

Lunch & Learn: Final Draft Refuel and reconnect during a networking lunch outdoors, then head inside for an interactive look at how screenwriters use Final Draft software to build worlds from words. I am upgrading from Final Draft 10 so can’t wait to see the new features. Important- if you also have Final Draft 10, you have till June 30 to upgrade as all activation support for that release will be discontinued.

Among Featured Writers You Need To Hear

This year’s lineup reads like a syllabus of 21st-century storytelling:

Eric Roth(click to hear interview), Oscar-winning screenwriter (Forrest Gump, The Insider, Benjamin Button), besides being a gold standard for adaption, I love this guy cause he works in an outdated writing program on MS DOS. It is of course not the program but the person ….not the software but the story.

Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith(click to hear interview), the whip-smart writer behind Legally Blonde and 10 Things I Hate About You, whose journey from published poet to Hollywood hitmaker proves that genre-jumping is a form of courage. As Ray Bradbury once told me, poetry is the closest to screenwriting of all forms. And Kirsten is an example for all those poets out there.

Zak Penn,(click to hear interview), whose fingerprints are on everything from X-Men to Ready Player One and Free Guy. His insight into technology’s role in narrative evolution is not theoretical—it’s lived.

Marta Kauffman Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner Creator, FRIENDS

Edward Ricourt(click to hear interview),, Peabody award winning screenwriter and producer who helped bring Now You See Me 1 and 2 to the screen.

Why You Should Be There

Storytelling isn’t just entertainment—it’s how we make sense of ourselves and our world. Whether you’re a newcomer finding your voice or a veteran looking to evolve, Storytelling360 offers more than panels and presentations. It offers perspective. It offers possibility.

And maybe, like me, it’ll help you find your next chapter.