Masters of Professional Writing Program

The MPW Experience

Student Life

Life in the MPW Program means the chance to concentrate on creating and polishing a portfolio of original work. We expect MPW writers to be productive. MPW writers also feed their creativity and launch themselves into the professional writing world by availing themselves of the numerous Program resources — productions, panel discussions, visiting writer's workshops, readings, internships — all designed to provide a supportive environment for the serious writer.

MPW Student Handbook

The MPW Handbook (PDF) is a guide to help MPW students navigate life in the MPW Program.

Southern California Reviewvolume1 num 2

Southern California Review (SCR) is the student-run biannual literary journal of the Master of ProfessionalWriting (MPW) Program at the University of Southern California (USC). Formerly known as the SouthernCalifornia Anthology, it has been publishing fiction and poetry since 1982 and now also accepts submissions of creative nonfiction, plays, and screenplays. Printed every October and April with original cover artwork, every issue contains new, emerging, and established authors.

SCR is proud to announce the arrival of Volume 2, No. 1  Order now!

New Submission Guidelines for Summer 2009
Please be aware of SCR's new submission guidelines.
SCR will no longer be accepting new, regular submissions between June 1, 2009 and August 31, 2009. Any submissions received will be recycled unread. If you have already submitted, please resubmit after September 1, 2009.

2nd Annual Fiction Prize Contest entries are currently being accepted through August 31, 2009.
Submission guidelines can be found here.

Contact SCR at scr@college.usc.edu.

One-Act Play Festival

Since 1982, the annual MPW "One-Act Play Festival" is a cornerstone in the Program's unique multi-genre approach, encouraging student writers of all disciplines and expressions to experiment with and delve more deeply into the craft of playwriting. All MPW students are eligible to submit work for consideration in the annual Festival. A jury comprised of professional playwrights selects four works to be produced and presented to an audience in a professional mid-size theatre. These four students have the rare opportunity of working with a complete professional theatrical team in bringing their work to life on stage.

jucherulesJust five months after winning the 2007 One-Act Play Festival, Kristina Sisco Romero had her play "Red Carpet" open in New York as part of the Estrogenius Festival at Manhattan Theater Source.

Actors, directors, and judges in MPW One-Act Play Festival productions include Academy Award winner Kathy Bates, Academy Award nominee Paul Winfield, Tony Award nominees Orson Bean and Patricia Barry, Emmy Award nominees Cliff De Young, Jeff Corey, John Glover, Ron Pallilo, Nan Martin, Lawrence Pressman, Susan Anspach, Carole Cook, Sheree North, Penny Fuller, and Concetta Tomei, as well as Broadway directors James Sheldon, Jack Manning, John Bowab, Lorenzo De Stefano, Shelley Berman, Michael Ewing, and Louis Fantasia.

One-Act Play Festival Winners

2009 Matthew Cunningham
2008 Mark Niu
2007 Kristina Sisco Romero
2006 Cynthia Ferrell
2005 Ralph Fertig
2004 Devon O'Brien
2003 Kara Holden
2002 Durrell Nelson
2001 Adina Buna
2000 Terrie Silverman
1999 Kristine Hren
1998 Joe Eastburn
1997 Mary Beth Brophy
1996 Duane Rue
1995 Chung Mi Kim
1994 Lara Naughton
1993 Victoria Karess
1992 Richard Krevolin
1991 Michael Sahhar
1990 Alexandra Morgan
1989 Lee Wochner
1988 Sven Baldvinsson
1987 Beth Martin Brown

1986 Russell Leavitt
1985 Frederick Johnson
1984 Jerry Bennett
1983 Jeffrey Bender
1982 Daniel DuPlantis

Academy Internship Program

Thanks to a generous grant from the Foundation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the MPW Program funds screenwriting students to intern with screenwriters and other industry professionals in film production. Interns receive course credit for their work. Past interns have worked in script coverage and development, have been part of production teams on location, and have produced their own projects under the direction of leading directors.

2007 – 2008 Academy Interns:

Jay Antani (Boxoffice Magazine)
Kizziah Burton (Castle Creek Productions)
Susan Caldwell (Brancato Productions)
Katherine Clark (HQ Pictures)
Jake Cotler (New Regency Productions)
Kyle MacKinnel (LivePlanet)
Mark Niu (Hyde Park Entertainment)
Dustin Thomas (ReneAissance Productions)
Christy Wegener (Becker-Swibel Productions)
Detra Wilson (Police Activities League)
Nancy Yuen (Ophite Productions, Inc)

Apply for an internship in the 2008 – 2009 Program.

Professional Writers' Association

The Professional Writers' Association (PWA) is the student organization for the MPW Program.

The PWA presents a number of events in support of an MPW community, including a reading series for students, faculty, and alumni, tailgaters, and social outings. Past outings have included visits to the Santa Monica pier, the Getty Museum, and Venice Beach.

PWA members support the MPW Program by volunteering at the USC MPW One-Act Play Festival and at the MPW booth at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.

2008– 2009 Board:

Christie Cleveland , President
Stephen Silke, Reading Series
Melody Lutz, Secretary/Treasurer
Katherine Clark, South California Events

2008-2009 Readings Series

Readings:

March 2009 P1
February 2009 P2
January 2009 P1 P2
November 2008 P1 P2
October 2008 P1 P2
September 2008 P1 P2
August 2008 P1 P2

Posters:

January 2009
 
2007-2008 Reading Series

Posters:

April 2008
March 2008
February 2008 @ Edison
February 2008 @ Skylight
November 2007
Halloween 2007
October 2007
September 2007

See the MPW calendar for upcoming PWA events.

Career guidance

The MPW Program believes that the best way to support our students in their career planning and job search efforts is to familiarize our students with practices in the literary and entertainment industries, to support our students in developing their own network of professional contacts, and to familiarize the literary and entertainment community with the value of the MPW degree and with the high caliber of our students and alumni.

To these ends, the MPW Program presents a number of events throughout the year for students to network and build their career skills:

  • August reception with faculty, alumni, staff, and current students to welcome new students
  • "Literary Marketplace" Series which brings reviewers, agents, publishers, radio and television producers, and other to campus for an evening panel discussion
  • Professionalization Workshops on topics such as resume writing, preparing the perfect pitch, and working with agents and publishers.
  • Distinguished Speaker Series, which recently has includedGary Garrison of the Dramatist Guild, long-time Samuel French editor Larry Harbison, renowned "Beat" poet Diane di Prima, award-winning screenwriters Lorenzo Semple, Jr., Robin Swicord, and Nick Kazan, and New York Times best-selling author A.M. Homes.
  • An MPW booth at the annual two-day Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on the UCLA campus with faculty reading and book signings.
  • At the May "Turning the Page" reception, the MPW community celebrates student accomplishments and faculty contributions.

The MPW Program also encourages students to strengthen their ties to the literary and entertainment industries through membership and participation in professional organizations. The Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) and Poets & Writers are among the organizations which offer many useful services, conferences, and publications. Many of the professional organizations offer special rates for student members.