Novelist, Poet & Screenwriter.

This talk demystifies the screenwriting process for prose writers. Rita explains how to think visually, structure scenes, and translate internal emotion into external action. She also shares insights from her own award-recognized screenplay journey.

Rita speaks candidly about embracing a creative career after decades in other fields, and how reinvention can become a powerful artistic advantage. She offers strategies for overcoming doubt, maintaining creativity, building long-term artistic identity across genres, and honoring the stories only you can tell.

Whether writing a novel, poem, or screenplay, unforgettable characters are the heartbeat of every story. This session delves into character psychology, motivation, and emotional stakes, while drawing on Rita’s strength in creating multicultural characters and vivid real‑world settings that feel lived‑in and true.

Dialogue is more than words—it’s rhythm, subtext, conflict, and revelation. Rita breaks down techniques for writing dialogue that sounds authentic, advances the story, and reveals character without ever feeling forced.

Rooted in the themes of her poetry collections, this talk explores how writers can approach difficult emotional material with honesty and craft. Rita discusses the balance between vulnerability and structure, and how personal experience can become universal on the page.

Drawing from her own experience in media relations and independent publishing, Rita offers a clear, realistic guide to launching and promoting books without a large budget. Topics include cover design, platform building, reader engagement, and sustainable marketing.