It's All About Who You Know: The Writer's Assistant Network

In Hollywood, it is REALLY all about who you know! Screenwriter, Brandon Tanori, has made it his mission to help other up-and-coming writers grow their careers through the Writers Assistants Network.

In our last blog post, we highlighted screenwriter and founder of the Writers Assistants Network, Brandon Tanori. If you haven't had a chance to read about Brandon and his journey to Hollywood, check it out here! But today, we will focus on the amazing networking group that Brandon and his team have built over the last four years - The Writers Assistants Network.

The Writers Assistants Network (WAN), founded in 2014, is an invaluable resource for support staffers working in Primetime TV. The Writers Assistants Network offers biannual mixers and writers workshops that serve as networking and learning opportunities for up and coming writers trying to "make it" in Hollywood.

Writers Assistants Mixers

The Writers Assistants Mixer is an event that is near and dear to the SoCreate team's heart! We have the wonderful privilege of being the event sponsor which gives us the opportunity to show our support for industry support staff and promote our new screenwriting software.

WAN has put on seven mixers to date (one in the Fall and one in the Spring) and continues to grow every year. These mixers are highly anticipated events by the entire support staff community. You can bet that if a show airs on primetime television and is written out of LA, there will be someone coming to the mixer from their office! This presents an extremely unique opportunity for industry literary assistants and network executive assistants to meet and talk with people who currently work on shows that they enjoy or aspire to work on someday. 

The mixers can oftentimes offer opportunities that you may not find at other networking events. You may walk away from the mixer with a new manager or a meeting with someone to discuss projects or job opportunities! Our SoCreate team is looking forward to supporting the writing community once again this fall at the November mixer!

Writer Workshops

In 2016, Brandon and the Writers Assistants Network created the WAN Writers Workshop after a friend convinced Brandon to put together and host a writers group. Just like the mixers, what started as a small project blossomed into a full-on writing workshop. The WAN Writers Workshop is a 12-week program that offers ten lucky writers the opportunity to workshop their material with established industry professionals including show runners, show creators, and other EP-level writers. At the end of the 12-week program when the script is at its absolute best, writers will have their material read and potentially repped by an agent from one of the major Hollywood companies.

The future of the WAN Writers Workshops is looking bright. 2018 is set to be an exciting year, according to Mr. Tanori! Among some other exciting developments, WAN is looking into extending its primary writers workshop and developing it into a SECOND workshop that is focused on diversity. 

How Can I Learn More? 

Interested in learning more about the Writers Assistants Network? Be sure to follow them on social media or sign up for their newsletter. 

We are so thankful for the connections that we have to the Writers Assistants Network! What Brandon and his team are doing for the writing community is truly terrific. 

It is a tough world out there in Hollywood. There are a lot of people who want to see you fail, but it is comforting to know that there are still genuine people and groups out there willing to lend a hand and help how they can. If you are an industry support staffer, we highly encourage you to learn more about the Writers Assistants Network. It could be the key to your big break! 

Cheers to you, writers!