Writers Boot Camp Founder, Jeffrey Gordon (JG), during our 2023 Career Progress Weekend, spoke with several successful alumni about their industry breakthroughs. Here’s a fun excerpt with LA Pro Member, Jason Ning, who went on from his Project Group with JG as his direct mentor to write and produce nearly a dozen TV series, including Burn Notice and five years serving on staff at Lucifer.  

JG:  “There was a moment, and I think we were meeting in the Thursday morning group, and I pointed to you and I told everyone at the time that you would be our next success story. Do you remember that moment?”

Jason Ning: “I do remember that. It was very validating at the moment, because I was always so unsure. I still am today, whether or not I’m gonna succeed in this business. But those, you know, it’s amazing how those little moments of encouragement can really boost you.”

Just a few years after pointing to Jason’s imminent career trajectory, JG noticed on IMDB that he had been writing/exec-producing on Lucifer for five years.

JG: “You have a strong work ethic. Have you stuck to your Creative Calendar?”

Jason confirmed, adding: “If I’m not excited to watch the show, I’m not going to be excited to get up early or stay home and write it, so I decided to only write stuff I was really excited to watch… Or if I got a chance to develop IP, what would be my version of this idea.”

A core tenet of the process at Writers Boot Camp is a focus on conceits—the distinctive sources of material and unique approach to the story content–essentially leading to a question JG will often ask:  “Why are you the right writer for this project?”