About Laura
Laura Grabowski-Cotton, MA, MFA, is the creator and developer of Once-Upon-A-Story, a Creative Writing Program that she implemented into several private schools in the Memphis, Tennessee metropolitan area. The purpose of the program is to educate children and young adults about the importance of reading and writing, teach them various forms of stories, poetry, plays and essays, and foster a lifelong love of Shakespeare.
Laura also created The Wonderful World of Writing, a writing show that she writes and broadcasts on YouTube to help aspiring writers achieve their writing goals and dreams.
Teaching Accomplishments
Prior to creating the Once-Upon-A-Story program and The Wonderful World of Writing, Laura taught English, Writing, and Reading Comprehension through The University of Memphis, Crichton College, and George Mason University’s New Bilingual Institute. In 2008, her teaching evaluations enabled her to be selected as the only adjunct instructor in the Honors Program in 2008. A few months later, she was also the only adjunct instructor chosen to be a Learning Communities Program Teacher, a ground-breaking program at The University of Memphis. In 2005 Laura was granted the Award for Superior Teaching Excellence by the New Bilingual Institute of George Mason University where she taught Creative Writing, Essay Writing, Vocabulary Development, and World Literature classes to children and young adults.
Laura also taught at St. Mary Episcopal School’s Summer Reading and Writing Program of Memphis, Tennessee (where she served as the assistant director), through The Fairfax County School System of Northern Virginia, Kaplan’s Score Tutoring Centers of Northern Virginia, and Brainiac Tutoring of Memphis, Tennessee. In addition, Laura has tutored students of all ages, from toddlers to senior citizens, in every subject area including ACT/SAT prep, GRE prep, Phonics, Math, Science, History, Reading, Social Studies, French, Theatre and Film.
Private Writing Coaching
Laura privately mentors students of all ages in novel writing, screenwriting, and play writing. Her clients are instructed in all stages of the writing process. Several of her clients have finished novels and/or screenplays under her guidance. Most recently, one of her screenwriting clients was offered representation.
Education
Laura has an MFA in Play Writing and Screenwriting from Florida State University’s College of Motion Picture, Television, and Recording Arts. She also has an MA in English Literature and a BA in Communication with a specialization in Media Studies from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.
In addition to her formal education, Laura was mentored by Marc Lapadula of Yale University; Hal Ackerman, screenwriter, playwright, and co-chair of the Screenwriting Program of the University of California, Los Angeles; Heather McDonald, playwright; Sheila Callahan, playwright and television writer for The United States of Tara; John Walch, playwright; Lisa Soland, playwright; Dan Dietz, playwright; Adam Bock, playwright; and Leilani Downer, television writer for The Fresh Prince of Bellaire, Full House, and Growing Pains.
Screenwriting Accomplishments
Each of Laura’s five feature-length screenplays has won multiple awards. Her screenplay, The Accidental Engagement (previously The UnEngagement), won first place in the 2010 Atlantic City DownBeach Film Festival, was an official selection of the 2010 Astoria/LIC International Film Festival, was a finalist in the 2010 20/20 Screenplay Contest, won the 2009 Art Within Labs Screenwriting Fellowship, and was a semi-finalist in the 2009 Cinestory Screenwriting Competition.
In addition, Laura’s screenplay, Dating Santa’s Daughter, won first place in the Writer’s Place Competition and was in the top 10% of the Nicholl Fellowship Competition, the most prestigious screenwriting competition in the country. The script was also a finalist in the Austin Film Festival and a semi-finalist in the StoryPros Screenwriting Contest. Her screenplay, Eight Days Till Dawn, was a finalist in the Virginia Governor’s Screenwriting Contest. Her screenplay, Dragonhood, won the Judge’s Choice award in the Writer’s Initiative Contest. Her television spec script, The Office: Sick Day, was a AAA Quarterfinalist.
Play Writing Accomplishments
Laura’s plays have been performed all over the nation and have placed in numerous contests and competitions. Her play, The Perfect Proposal, published in 2007, was an official selection of several play festivals including the 2010 Bradley University New Faces Festival, the 2010 Rio Hondo Ten Minute Play Festival, the 2010 Point Loma Nazarene University Ten Minute Play Festival, the 2010 Enter Stage Left Ten Minute Play Festival in Hopkinton Massachusetts, the 2010 Shark Theatre’s Spring Ten Minute Play Festival, and the 2010 Speech Contest in the Union Community School District in La Porte City, Iowa.
Laura’s ten minute play, Something Called Truth, was performed as part of the 2007 Provincetown Spring Playwrights Festival. Her one man show, Houdini: The Final Escape, was selected to be a part of the 2007 15th Annual Last Frontier Theater Conference. In addition, Laura’s children’s play was a semi-finalist in the 2007 Jackie White Children’s Play Writing Contest, the most prestigious children’s play contest in the country.
Publications
Laura’s monologue, Running Giraffe, was published in volume II of Young Women’s Monologue’s From Contemporary Plays. Her ten minute play, The Perfect Proposal, was published in The Best Ten Minute Plays of 2007, for 3 or more actors. Her ten minute play, The Charm of the British, was published in The Best Ten Minute Plays of 2008, for 2 Actors. Her ten minute play, The Baby War, was published in 2008, in The Best Ten Minute Plays of 2008, for 3 or more actors. All of her plays are published under the name “Laura Cotton.”
Magazine Writing Accomplishments
Laura wrote monthly columns for Memphis Health and Fitness Magazine and Memphis Parent Magazine as well as book reviews for NortheastBookReviews.Org.