Raised in a tiny Alaskan fishing village, educated at Yale University, Derek is a writer that appreciates a good contrast. Forever drawn to story, Derek graduated, with honors, from Yale’s Film Studies program, where he explored narrative elements shared between film and literature.

Within the industry, he spent time acquiring creative development experience with Open Road Productions before taking a job at Acme Talent & Literary. There he was mentored by the head of the literary division, and 30 year industry veteran, Mickey Freiberg. Together they wrote a popular industry advice column for Screentalk Magazine. Derek eventually established an in-house Story and Development Department within the agency to support and improve represented properties.

Returned to Yale, Derek has spent the last decade engaging with creative-minded students, helping them navigate arts related careers. He is currently the Senior Associate Director for Creative Careers in the Office of Career Strategy, where he manages advising and programming. Derek also found the time to complete the MFA creative writing program at Fairfield University; a life changing experience.

Each day Derek becomes more aware that it is only his wife, and their precious/precocious co-conspirators, that afford any hope for his sanity.

More at ivanhope.com/writing, @ivanhope77

Referrals

Derek Webster has one of the most brilliant minds for story analysis that I’ve ever come across—his feedback has been of immeasurable value to me over the years—which is why I’m happy to endorse his services to anyone wishing to make their story better. 

J.M. DeMatteis
author Abadazad, Brooklyn Dreams, Moonshadow

I have rarely met anyone with as instinctive an editorial hand as Derek Webster. In over twenty years of content development for properties ranging from Barbie to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Hot Wheels to X-Men, I have found his understanding of story, structure and character to be consistently beneficial to the improvement of my work. 

Fabian Nicieza
creator X-Force, Turok, The Blackburne Covenant

Derek has an impressive and intuitive sense for story. Even more, he has the uncanny knack for helping others find their own story. In my experience, throughout the industry, his combination of insight and articulation is an elusive commodity.  It would be hard to overstate the value of these services.

Carlo Carlei
writer/director The Flight of the Innocent, Fluke

Starlight Runner Entertainment has benefited greatly from Derek Webster’s remarkable story analysis skills for several years now. We develop intellectual properties for simultaneous launch across multiple media platforms, and maintaining the integrity of our stories, characters and themes is incredibly important. Derek has helped us capture the essence of our intellectual properties, structuring them to withstand the rigors of various media incarnations. He possesses an innate understanding of fictional worlds and universes, and knows how to help us shape dramatic stories out of them that can also validate and celebrate the participation of our audience. Few people know how to do this, and that makes Derek special to us. 

Jeff Gomez
CEO, Starlight Runner Entertainment