Rasheed Newson is a television drama writer, producer and showrunner. He co-developed and launched Bel-Air, which has won three NAACP Image Awards and earned numerous nominations, including three for Outstanding Drama Series. Rasheed has written and produced for The Chi, Narcos, Animal Kingdom, Shooter, The 100,and Lie to Me, among other drama series. Rasheed has also sold pitches to and developed drama series for several networks and streamers, including HBO, Amazon, and CBS. Outside of his screen work, Rasheed authored the novel My Government Means to Kill Me, a Lambda Literary Award finalist for Gay Fiction that was also named one of the the “100 Notable Books of 2022” by the New York Times. His forthcoming novel, There’s Only One Sin in Hollywood, is slated for publication by Flatiron Books in 2026. Rasheed was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is a graduate of Georgetown University. He currently lives with his husband and their two children in Pasadena.
Noteworthy
16-year TV industry veteran
Written/sold pitches in many genres (e.g., crime procedurals, historical fiction, family drama, grounded sci-fi, action-thriller)
Former screenwriter faculty for the Lambda Literary Writers' Retreat
Neurodivergent & LGBTQ+ friendly
HOOKS, SURPRISES & SUBTEXT: HOW TO FRAME & ELEVATE YOUR PILOT SCRIPTS | GROUP SESSION
With more than fifteen years of screenwriting experience, Rasheed Newson cowrote the pilot for the drama series Bel-Air, which has won three NAACP Image Awards and earned numerous nominations, including three for Outstanding Drama Series. He has also sold pilot scripts to HBO, Amazon, NBC, and CBS, among other networks/streamers. As a showrunner and executive producer, Rasheed has read dozens of pilot scripts as part of evaluating which writers to staff. In this interactive lecture, Rasheed will lead participants through different ways to create, implement and sharpen the premise, the story turns, and the underlying themes of their pilot scripts. Because clear and creative hooks, surprises and subtext are what will make a pilot script stand out from the pack, it is vital that writers know what showrunners and producers expect from these story elements.
April 27, 2025 12:00PM-2:00PM PT | Limited to 12 participantsRESERVE NOW
You don't get a second chance to make a great first impression when it comes to buyers and reps. Next-Level Scribe mentors will share with you what they learned on their way to the top, which, in turn, can fast-track your success. In addition to setting goals for you and showing you how to achieve them, Next-Level Scribe mentors know the producers, agents, managers, studio and production executives you want to be in business with. If they determine your project is market ready, Next-Level Scribe mentors can introduce
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After a writer booked a session with Next-Level Scribe mentor Pam Falk (The Wedding Planner), Falk set up meetings for her with managers and producers.
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