consulting. | CQ Quintana: Writer

About

QuintanaTown Consulting is a writing consultancy devoted to the development of full-length scripts, pitches, and other creative projects, program statements, applications, cover letters, and beyond.

Through one-on-one writing consultations and workshops, we’ll hone in on what makes your vision singular and lead you toward a clear piece of writing that sings you brightly from the page.

Since 2017, I’ve helped countless writers. Many of my wonderful clients have gone on to staff in writers' rooms, sell pitches, publish, garner prizes, and land dream jobs.

It has been one of the great honors of my career to support and elevate the craft of other writers and see their work flourish in the world. I genuinely love this work and have a real talent for unlocking writers’ potential.

For more about my expertise, see below.

Rates & Process

Current standard rate for one-on-one consults is $150 per hour (with an hour minimum).Or, we can negotiate a flat rate for specific project needs. Sliding scale available upon request.
- Note: This $150/hr base rate includes the time it takes for me to read and provide feedback on your project, as well as email correspondence, and our 30 minute one-on-one session.

All material-oriented consults include in-line comments, a letter of feedback, and a 30 minute video conference or call (in person subject to availability and location).

Below you will find a general overview for a script, pilot, or creative project review:

Email your manuscript along with any questions you'd like me to consider during review. These can be both craft-oriented questions, as well as practical/professional ones (i.e. sending to agents or managers, development programs, etc.)
After my review, we set up a 30 minute consultation session via Zoom. (Note: A two week turnaround is my standard timeframe, however, I may require longer depending on the scope of project and fluctuations in my workload.)
Via email, I provide a copy of your project with in-line comments and a letter of feedback, including answers to your questions. I will also submit my invoice to you at this point, listing payment options. (See above for payment information.)
We meet for our 30 minute consultation via Zoom wherein we discuss any questions that may have come up for you while reviewing my notes on your project. This is also an opportunity to review professional questions and whether you're interested in a follow-up session.

If you're looking for creative coaching or another type of support, contact me and we can tailor the process to your needs.

For more information about consults or current classes and workshops, please contact me, CQ at cq@cquintana.com

Recent Reviews

"As a TV writer and feature writer who has written for ABC, Netflix, Disney, Dreamworks, Apple+ and Mattel, I hired CQ after working with her on an ABC show. CQ is a master of tone, structure, character development and plot logic. She served as a sounding board for my ideas and vision, asking questions and optimizing their execution on the page. She also instructed me on how to deepen and clarify my world, genre and character's wants. Working with her is a joy!"

---Nayna Agrawal

"CQ absolutely RULES. Period. CQ’s kindness, attention to detail, and love of the work always shines through. I always come away from our talks with new energy, ready to take on the next steps of my project!" ----Chris Leyva

"After first working with CQ several years ago, I continue to consult with her on my plays. Her feedback is always detailed, thoughtful, and encouraging. And her questions and concerns about character and plot allow me to then bring the play into deeper focus. Most of the time, her questions and concerns are not ones I would have ever thought of myself- which is why she's invaluable to my writing process. Whenever I consult with CQ, I always have a much more focused direction for the next draft. With CQ's help, I continue to grow as a playwright."

---Sohyun Kim

"CQ is so clear and efficient in highlighting the most important parts of your job history. She helped me simplify my resume while making sure that it would stand out amongst a stack of other applicants. Absolutely the best!" ---Stephen Agosto

"CQ is as efficient as they are insightful (which is a rare combo to find). If you are in a moment of your pilot development where you could use a skilled & experienced outside perspective to help clarify the structure & narrative you are grappling with, I highly recommend CQ!" ---Ita Segev

Background & Expertise

For three years, I served as a writing consultant for creative and argumentative writing in the Writing Center at Grace Church High School. While a fellow at the Lark Play Development Center in 2017, the artistic director inspired me to launch my own consulting company.

As a professional writer, my television writing credits include AMC’s Oprhan Black: Echoes, ABC’s The Baker and the Beauty, and most recently Fox’s Alert: Missing Persons Unit (Seasons 2 and 3). I currently serve as co-chair of the Writers Guild of America East LGBT+ Salon, a member of the Guild's Lower Level Committee, and have taught pilot/television writing courses for Paragraph: Workspace for Writers, Primary Stages' Einhorn School of Performing Arts (ESPA), and independently.

My audio plays, stage plays, and musicals have been developed, licensed, and produced across the country with theaters including Diversionary Theatre in San Diego, Barrington Stage Company in the Berkshires, and INTAR in Manhattan, and I am the recipient of commissions from Life Jacket Theatre Company, Audible, New York State Council on the Arts, The Kennedy Center, and the Ensemble Studio Theatre/Alfred P. Sloan Project, among others.

In 2024, I served as Guest Editor in Hybrid/Nonfiction for Foglifter Journal. My prose has appeared in Third Coast, Wildness, The Latino Book Review, BOMB Magazine, and more. I am the recipient of grants & fellowships from NYSCA, Café Royal Cultural Foundation, MacDowell, Playwrights Realm, Van Lier/New Voices at The Lark, CubaOne, Lambda Literary, and Queer|Art. Last, and the Granum Foundation selected an excerpt from my novel-in-progress for its 2024 Prize Longlist.

This past year, I served as a playwriting mentor for YoungArts and the Latinx Playwrights Circle Mentorship program, and I've taught playwriting and hybrid writing workshops for Roots. Wounds. Words. Inc., Candela and Latinx Playwrights Circle, Williamstown Theatre Festival, the Miranda Foundation, MCC Theater Youth Company, Office Hours Workshop, Latine Theatre Commons and HowlRound, Playwrights Realm, Tulane University, Seton Hall's Latino Institute, 92Y's Unterberg Poetry Center, and more. I hold an MFA in Playwriting/Dramatic Writing from Columbia University School of the Arts.