Have you had any experience with [Writers Boot Camp?](http://www.writersbootcamp.com/) If you have, would you recommend it for a first time screenwriter?
–Cayrn Rose
I don’t have any first-hand experience with it. After visiting the website, it looks like an intensive course designed to get writers through the first draft. I say, if it helps you get your script written, great. I’d liken it to one of those upscale spa retreats where you pay a lot of money to eat grapefruit. Sure, you could do it yourself for less — but would you? Sometimes, paying money is good motivation for taking something seriously.
That said, I’m always leery of Patented Screenplay Secrets and script gurus (self included). There’s no magic, no shortcuts, no perfect second-act template. Most of the screenwriters working in Hollywood learned their craft through trial and error, along with massive rewriting. Workshops often bill themselves as helping writers avoid the painful mistakes, but sometimes what you really need are the painful mistakes.
If any readers out there have experience with Writers Boot Camp or other workshops, please write in.