This year's TV Symposium heads into the bastion of snacks that is the writer's room. Last year's Symposium was a hit, and no wonder. The class is a series of weekly panels, and guests included former NBC president Warren Littlefield, legendary sitcom director Barnet Kellman, award-winning Lost writer Drew Goddard, and Weeds producer Mark Burley.

Jennifer Godwin, who covers TV for E! Online, kindly filled us in:

Q. Which panelist made the stongest impression on you?

A. Warren Littlefield! He was the head of NBC back in the '90s, and one of the students raised his hand and said, "You're so smart and funny and great, and everyone we've met at the Symposium has been smart and funny and great. Why does the combined power of that smart and funny and great so often result in such terrible, terrible television?" Warren paused, thought for a second, and replied, in perfect deadpan, "Sh*t happens."

Q. What did you learn? You've also taken practically every class Symposium moderator Chad Gervich has taught for us.

A. I learned that when I was 21 years old, I should have moved to L.A. and gotten a job as a writers' PA. Who even knew there was such a thing?! But that, apparently, is the door which gets you to (and I learned this from Chad) the job of staff writer and from there to story editor to [insert droning buzz of 20-odd job titles that include the word "producer"] all the way up the ladder to show runner! Oh, Chad, where have you been all my life? Why didn't I know of your wisdom when I was but a wee lass, with the time and the patience to pick carrot shavings from the lunch salads of unshaven, hung over, and generally deadline-deranged TV writers?

View all upcoming TV courses.

Upcoming TV industry courses and workshops in LA:

• Screenwriting - starts June 5 >> learn more
• TV Writing: TV Pitch Package - starts June 6 (Online) >> learn more
• The TV Writer's Symposium - starts June 7 >> learn more
• Writing the TV Pilot - starts June 11 >> learn more
• Write for (and Pitch to) Women's TV Networks - July 18 >> learn more