Marla DuMont

Instructor Biography:

M.F.A., television writer/producer, WGA member, whose credits include Bob Hearts Abishola and Mike & Molly for CBS. She was selected for the WGA Writers Access Project in comedy and is also a playwright whose plays have been performed across the country including California, New York, and Florida.

Instructor Statement:

First of all, if you want to be a writer, write. I can teach you structure and rules and ways to develop and flesh out characters and compelling stories, but if it is not made a priority to put these things into practice, there will always be a ceiling to how much your writing can improve. That is why I incorporate exercises, weekly writing challenges, and small group feedback sessions into my courses in addition to a few (short) lectures. It is of the utmost importance to me to provide a safe space for ideas to be explored honestly and without self-consciousness, so fostering trust in my classroom is step one. Writing is not a competition, it’s an intensely personal thing that should be respected as such. To this end, I encourage my students to support one another in achieving their unique goals, and to offer feedback that prioritizes the author’s intent and how to best help them communicate that.