Adventures in Writing, Publishing, and Bringing Your Story to the Big Screen
Special Event | Registration opens 5/1/2025 9:00 AM EDT
The publishing world has changed dramatically, making releasing a novel, memoir, or self-help book easier than ever. In this engaging talk, author and screenwriter Richard P. Ley shares his journey through traditional and self-publishing and the surprising challenges of turning a story into a feature film.
Students will learn what it takes to go from idea to finished book, including editing, cover design, formatting, marketing, and building a personal brand. But getting a story from page to screen is a different adventure filled with obstacles, industry twists, and valuable lessons. This lecture offers a real-world look at how creative ideas become published works—and sometimes, movies.
Richard Ley
Richard “Rick” Ley is an author and screenwriter based in Wexford, Pennsylvania. A lifelong Pittsburgher, he graduated from Penn State University with a degree in economics. He built a successful career in the banking, technology, and healthcare industries, including founding and operating two companies. Early in his career, he testified before the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee on federal tax policy—an experience that fueled his passion for public policy and governance.
Mr. Ley published his first novel, Escape from Serfdom, in 2014. He later revised and expanded it into The Ship of State, a six-book political fiction series. Since then, he has published five additional novels and a nonfiction work titled Common Sense Governance: Fixing the Cracks in the Capitol Dome.
His novel Fate: Book One is currently in pre-production for a feature film adaptation called A Twist of Fate. In addition to writing the screenplay, he is the film’s executive producer. Rick has been an active member of the North Hills Toastmasters Club since 2007 and was awarded the Distinguished Toastmaster award in 2013.