The phrase “boot camp” is commonly associated with army training; however, self-employed producer and writer Shirley Long has given it an alternative meaning.

Since 1994, Long has helped organize week-long screenwriting boot camps designed to teach aspiring screenwriters the basics of the trade.

Most of the seminar involves sessions instructed by New York City-based screenwriter and former Paramount Pictures story editor Ron Peterson, who currently co-owns LP (Long/Peterson) Productions with Long.

During the seminar, Long said Peterson takes participants “from A to Z on how to write a movie.” He shows them how to develop their conflict and carry out a complete step-by-step method for developing their screenplays. Workshop participants learn how to master film paradigms, original subplot theory, the real uses of dialogue and the story editing process.

“It’s a boot camp,” Peterson said in a press release. “I’m interested in people who really want to get their movie done, not just talk about it.”

After the initial instruction session, 12 to 14 writers are given an opportunity to have works-in-progress edited by Long or Peterson.

“We provide unlimited follow-up for how ever many weeks it might take to finish the movie at no additional charge,” Long said.

And after screenplays are completed and polished, some of Peterson’s students take the next step. Long said some students have sold their movies to big Hollywood production companies or produced their scripts independently.

In the past, Peterson’s students have sold screenplays for $150,000, had movies made starring Melanie Griffith, John Ritter,and Tom Berenger; and have secured jobs on “Seinfeld,” “Murphy Brown,” “Northern Exposure,” “Saturday Night Live” and “The X-Files.”

Because of the boot camp’s reputation, aspiring writers from all over the United States have traveled to Iowa to take part in the intense camp. Long said past workshops have drawn writers from Indiana, Nebraska, Kansas, Texas and Minnesota. This year, the roster may even include writers from California.

Since the camp’s home base is Iowa, most of the workshop participants are students and faculty from Iowa colleges such as Drake, the University of Iowa, Grinnell, Grandview and Iowa State.

Long said in past years, since the number of writers from ISU has been so great, this year’s camp was specifically scheduled to take place during ISU’s spring break.

But those who wish to participate in the program don’t necessarily have to have college or writing experience.

Long said workshop participants in the past have varied from postal workers to bikers to writers to musicians.

“People who write movies come from all walks of life,” Long said. “We have people who have never written a screenplay and people who have written four to five screenplays.”

LP Production’s Screenwriter’s Boot Camp will be held Saturday through Friday at The Inn at University in Des Moines. For more information about the camp, call Shirley Long at (515) 964-4599.