WGC Professional Development Committee

Committee mandate

The WGC’s Professional Development Committee has a broad mandate to develop programs that provide WGC members with practical, inside knowledge about the industry to help members succeed at all stages of their careers, while also keeping Council informed of trending professional challenges and opportunities.

Laura Good

Committee Chair

Sonja Bennett

Committee Member

Jeremy Boxen

Committee Member

Kim Coghill

Committee Member

Keri Ferencz

Committee Member

Karen Hill

Committee Member

Cynthia Knight

Committee Member

Keavy Lynch

Committee Member

Abdul Malik

Committee Member

Karen McClellan

Committee Member

Murry Peeters

Committee Member

Anne-Marie Perrotta

Committee Member

Career advice column

You have career questions; the WGC’s Professional Development Committee has answers. Check out the WGC’s career advice columns, wherein members of the Professional Development Committee answer any and all questions about how to survive (and thrive!) as a screenwriter in Canada.

Contact us at [email protected], and we’ll use our experience, as well as advice from our WGC experts, agents, producers, and others, to help resolve the many sticky, tricky issues we all face in this business.

Join us

Looking for a casual, no pressure, off-the-record hang with fellow screenwriters where you can ask questions and get advice? The WGC’s Professional Development Committee hosts monthly virtual open house drop-ins. Hosted by Committee members, these sessions are a place for WGC members to pick the brains of fellow scribes, share war stories and laughs, or simply bask in the company of other creatives. Watch your e-mail for details.

Ride-along program

The WGC’s Professional Development Committee wants to generate more opportunities for writers of all levels. The Ride-Along Program enables writers to observe the writing room process and make new industry connections. The ride-along is an unpaid position, meaning ride-alongs are not to participate creatively (i.e., “camera off, mic off” in Zoom rooms). Length of ride-along time is recommended as one or two days, up to a maximum of one week. Exact time to be agreed between “ride-along” and “showrunner.”

The committee is actively seeking showrunners to host writers in their writing rooms or on set.

For more information, please click one of the links below.

Webinars

The WGC’s Professional Development Committee hosts webinars throughout the year, covering everything from craft fundamentals to the business side of the industry. Sessions are led by working writers and industry experts who bring real, practical experience to the topics that matter most to members.

Past webinars have covered topics such as:

Deal literacy
Giving and taking notes
Animation for writers
Owning and controlling IP
The art of pitching

Available until October 2026: Financial literacy workshops
Looking to get a better handle on your money? Our three-part financial literacy webinar series, hosted by certified financial planner Chris Enns, covers budgeting and debt, financial tools like RRSPs and TFSAs, and retirement planning for writers. Recordings and slide presentations are available for a limited time.

Note: this content will be removed from the site in October 2026, in keeping with our two-year agreement with the presenter.

Special projects

From time to time, the WGC’s Professional Development Committee partners with industry organizations to offer members unique opportunities beyond our regular programming. These partnerships have included joint events, screenings, and workshops with organizations like the Canadian Film Fest, and the Directors Guild of Canada.

Have an idea for a partnership or an opportunity we should explore? Let us know at [email protected].