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Instructor Brysen Boyd is a playwright, TV writer, and essayist originally from Tacoma, WA. He served on the writing staff for HBO’s SUCCESSION (in a position created for him), is the inaugural Playwright-in-Residence at Reverie Theater Company, a proud member of Youngblood/Ensemble Studio Theater and was an Artist-in-Residence at Williamstown Theater Festival. His work has appeared or is forthcoming in The Kenyon Review, The Florida Review, Orca: A Literary Journal, and elsewhere. His plays include FAMILY SIDESHOW (Playwrights’ Center Venturous Prize Nominee, O'neill Conference Semi-finalist, 2022 Juilliard Finalist, Winner of KC-Melting Pot National New Play Competition), CLOSING COSTS on 6101 NYANZA (Blue Ink Award Semi-finalist, Kennedy Center Short Play Semi-finalist), POD:ORCA:POD (Ensemble Studio Theatre/Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Commission, Publication in The Kenyon Review, Presentation @ The Orcas Center, WA) and others. His work has been recognized or received support from Tin House, Page 73, The Kennedy Center, Sewanee Writers Conference, Columbia University, Napa Valley Writers Conference, Seattle Playwrights’ Saloon and others. Having come to playwriting and creative nonfiction in undergrad by way of his first love, TV, his goal in life is to write stories that make others feel as excited as 9-year-old him felt when watching David and Keith on SIX FEET UNDER. Writing means everything to him—second only to his miniature wiener dogs, Simon and Alvin. Brysen holds and MFA from Columbia University.

Unlock the potential of your screenplay or play with the expert guidance of Brysen Boyd, a celebrated playwright, TV writer, and essayist with a wealth of experience across multiple prestigious platforms. Whether you’ve been wrestling with your draft or struggling to bring a crucial character to life, this personalized mentorship is designed to help you finally finish and finetune your work in just four or eight weeks.

With an impressive background, including writing for HBO’s Succession, Brysen brings a deep understanding of storytelling, character development, and dramaturgy. His mentorship begins with a one-on-one consultation to tailor the experience to your unique project needs, whether it’s breaking open a complex plot, refining character arcs, or aligning the story's structure.

Throughout this 1-on-1 mentorship, you’ll engage in targeted exercises and receive personalized feedback to overcome your creative blocks. Each week is dedicated to deepening your understanding of the elements that will elevate your work to its highest potential. By the end of the program, you’ll not only walk away with a polished, completed draft but also a clear path forward for submitting your work to professional opportunities.

Take this chance to work with a mentor who is as passionate about your success as you are. If your project has been haunting you, begging to be finished, now is the time to bring it to life. Let Brysen Boyd guide you through the final steps of your creative journey, ensuring your screenplay or play becomes the masterpiece you always knew it could be.

The ideal mentee for this program is a dedicated playwright or screenwriter who has a strong passion for storytelling and a project that has been lingering unfinished, waiting for that final push. You are committed to your craft but may be struggling with specific challenges such as plot development, character depth, or structural alignment. You are ready to invest the time and energy needed to bring your work to completion and are eager to receive personalized guidance from a seasoned professional. Whether you are early in your career or an experienced writer seeking to refine your latest work, you are motivated by a desire to produce your best possible draft and are open to constructive feedback and creative exploration.

The 4-week & 8-Week mentorship consists of the following:

• One-on-one initial consultation via phone or Zoom to discuss your experience, specific needs, and aspirations
• Meetings for one hour, twice a week with Brysen via phone or Zoom to discuss writing assignments, screenwriting structure, questions, and research/resources
• A personalized plan for achieving your current and future goals
• Accountability
• Access to Brysen via email and phone during weekly office hours
• Weekly assignments tailored to your project needs (movies, music, books, scripts, art)
• Building sustainable confidence in your voice and work
• A final plan for how you’re going to move forward when the program ends

MENTORSHIP TAKEAWAYS:

Completed, Polished Draft: Walk away with a fully completed and finely tuned draft of your screenplay or play, ready for submission to industry opportunities or further development.

Enhanced Storytelling Skills: Gain a deeper understanding of narrative structure, character development, and plot dynamics, equipping you with the tools to craft compelling and cohesive stories in future projects.

Personalized Feedback and Revision Strategies: Receive targeted, expert feedback tailored to your specific needs, along with actionable strategies for revising and improving your work both during and after the mentorship.

Professional Development Guidance: Learn how to navigate the next steps in your writing career with advice on potential submissions, networking opportunities, and ways to present your work to the industry.

TESTIMONIALS:

Brysen Boyd's imaginative prompts, thoughtful feedback, and insider industry tips made for a rich and delightful learning experience. As a veteran teacher, playwright and novelist myself, I found the class to be exceptionally well-designed. Brysen was so generous with his time and expertise. I'd yelp him all the stars! ---Dr. Jennifer Natalya Fink, award-winning novelist, playwright, and professor, Georgetown University

Brysen Boyd gives experienced advice on the creation of characters, the structure of action, and the execution of story development in a laid back environment filled with solid advice and compassion. I highly recommend workshopping with Brysen! This workshop can nurture one’s first glimmer of an idea to one’s own finished script. --- Michanne D.

Class with Brysen is WORTH EVERY PENNY. I took his Cinematic Nonfiction class last summer, and beyond the prompts (which were fun and challenging in the best way possible), Brysen is a truly remarkable teacher who makes you feel seen. The feedback he gave me was invaluable, and what I appreciate most about Brysen is that he is everything and more I’ve ever wanted a writing teacher to be--but had yet to find until I took his class. --- Emily V. 

I'm so happy I invested in Brysen's workshop -- it is among the most valuable courses I've taken over the years. At the time, I was stuck and struggling with a few shorter fiction pieces. In Brysen's Cinematic Nonfiction class, we examined the craft of several notable essays; I was then able to apply those techniques to my own writing. The weekly writing prompts were challenging and generated new ways for me to tell the stories and write the scenes that I had been struggling with. The whole experience was a breath of fresh air and elevated my writing! -- Anju T.

I grew so much as a playwright and screenwriter under Brysen's guidance, not only because of the thoughtful prompts he gave, but also because of his willingness to share about his own experiences. One of the greatest perks of the class was the sense of community he helped to create; I walked away from the course with pages of dialogue, new ideas, and a group of writers eager to continue supporting each other's work. --- Kate F.