Margaret Lester

Instructor Bio:

Film and television writer, WGA member whose credits include NCIS (CBS), Manifest (NBC) and Snowfall (FX). Ms. Lester was selected for the inaugural class of Universal Pictures’ Emerging Writers Fellowship and is currently writing a feature film for Universal with Will Packer Productions.

Instructor Statement:

Story starts with character. Finding the world you want to explore and the characters that inhabit that world is the first step in the journey of writing. But character isn’t everything, there’s also structure. And understanding the fundamentals of television writing structure is essential to getting your story on the page. I believe in first learning and mastering the rules in order to break them and ultimately find your own authentic voice. I believe writing is a messy, creative endeavor that is done best when sharing ideas without judgment. And I also believe writing is talking. Being able to express ideas and pitch story in a group setting is not only an integral part of development, it’s what is done in the TV writer’s room every single day. I know how vulnerable it is to share creative work and it’s my job as an instructor to give you the necessary tools to get your words out of your head and onto the page to achieve your writing goals.