WGF names five veterans for 2026 fellowship, paired with mentors including Dennis Lehane

The Writers Guild Foundation named five military veterans — Jon-Alexander Genson, Kat Castañeda, Manda K. Skelton, Shain Brenden and Shannon Corbeil — to its 2026 Veterans Fellowship, as first reported by Deadline on 27 August 2026. Each fellow receives one-on-one mentorship from an established TV writer. The five mentors are Dennis Lehane, David Schulner, Aron Eli Coleite, Dayo Adesokan and Brian Studler. An eight-week course begins in October 2026. The third-year programme builds on a decade-long veterans writing mentorship. Alumni have landed staff positions on Paradise, Watson, Memory of a Killer and American Blue.