TV writer to give class at UMass

TV writer Neal Boushell is scheduled to lecture at UMass Dartmouth Feb. 8 and 9. The two-day seminar covers the nuts and bolts of Hollywood sitcom writing and will address such topics as how networks find writers, writing a "spec" script, breaking into the business and finding an agent.

Mr. Boushell, a UMass Amherst alumnus, whose TV writing credits include Fox's long-running animated series "The Simpsons," Howard Stern's "Son of the Beach," and The WB's "Sabrina, The Teenage Witch," as well as "Brother's Keeper," "The Preston Episodes," and "Baby Blues," plans to run the seminar like an actual Hollywood "Writers' Room" with everyone seated around a large conference table.

"We will break a scene together as if we were on an actual TV show. And everyone will be encouraged to pitch jokes."

"I want to give the class an authentic Hollywood experience, minus the backstabbing," Mr. Boushell says.

The writer, who arrived in Hollywood 12 years ago knowing no one, worked many part-time jobs before landing his first writing job in 1995 on Fox's "The Preston Episodes."

"I've always wanted to come back to the Massachusetts area to share my experiences with local writers and expose them to the 'ins and outs' of the sitcom writing business. The knowledge they get in this class can give them a real leg up in Hollywood," Mr. Boushell says.

"This is a great opportunity for an aspiring writer to see if this is something that he or she wants to do. And it's a lot cheaper than moving to Hollywood."

The Feb. 8-9 seminar is offered through the UMass Dartmouth School of Continuing Education and is open to anyone interested. However, since the class is limited to 15 students, it is expected to fill up quickly. The fee is $200.

For more information on the course, people are asked to call the Continuing Education Office at (508) 999-8071.

Mr. Boushell, a member of the Writers Guild of America, lives in Los Angeles and has worked as a TV writer for seven years. His episode of Howard Stern's "Son of the Beach" airs this spring on F/X. And his episode of "The Simpsons" airs this fall on Fox.