There will not be a speaker luncheon in March.  RICHARD LEWIS (Producer/Director of the CBS hit, CSI) is being rescheduled.  Watch your "in-box" for more information.

For those of you who were unable to attend November's Guest Speaker luncheon with Frank Furino, you missed an amazing afternoon.
 
Once again, SHERRY HALPERIN was MC and had everyone in the room in the palm of her hand.  Informative and funny, she was perfect.  The cold poached salmon luncheon at Miramonte was delicious - a glance out the windows was reminiscent of overlooking a balcony in Italy.
 
And then there was Frank. 

 

In less than an hour he summed up the essence of the writing process: The Do-s, Don't-s, Should-s and Never Do-s, the difference between Story and Plot, how to work exposition into your dialog - and when, character development, the four kinds of conflict, and the list goes on.   He commanded the room with his anecdotes and examples from films we've all seen, but never realized the specifics of what made them so special and unique.  We wish there had been more time.   He still was able to give way too many tips to include here.
 
Frank will be starting his 5 week workshop, The Write Stuff, again in January.  Please see more information under the Classes & Workshops section of this newsletter or on the website: www.pswift.org.
 
We hope to see all of you at our Holiday Shopping Spree at Saks Fifth Avenue on El Paseo, December 16th, from 5 - 7pm.   Members are FREE, and non-members only $5.00 to attend.   Sullivan's Steak House is providing the hors d'eourves, and Saks is offering a 15% DISCOUNT on purchases (and generously giving PSWIFT a portion of their profits!).   You MUST RSVP to PSWIFT to receive your "Discount ID". 
 
Mark your calendars:  January 16 we're having a mixer - we'll be sending out a notice with the location and time.

 
More exciting guests and activities are planned for the balance of the season.  We look forward to seeing you.