Go On, Bite Off More Than You Can Chew

1) First of all, are you sure you're not a writer? This is Austin. Everybody's a writer. Wanna give it a shot? The AFF conference is chockablock with superinstructive panels on the nuts and bolts of the craft – how to write female-driven stories, say, or how to put your own spin on been there, done that zombie genres – as well as professional advice on how to market your script once you've tapped it out.

2) Okay, you're not a writer. That's fine. But we bet you're a fan of good writing. Want a peek behind the curtain on how it happens? This year's Script-to-Screen series features Fight Club author Chuck Palahniuk and screenwriter Jim Uhls in conversation, as well as Rob Thomas dissecting his pilot for that irresistible gumshoe Veronica Mars.

3) Screenwriters, by definition, are storytellers, and boy, do the shockingly candid screenwriters who show up at AFF have some stories to tell about working in Hollywood. By all accounts, Oscar-winner Michael Arndt's panel last year on how to write endings was can't-miss; he'll reprise it this year, along with a panel on the four-year process of writing Toy Story 3.

4) You can get an early look at what's coming down the pike with Sunday's staged reading of a new noir script by Shane Black (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) and Anthony Bagarozzi called The Nice Guys. Shoeless wonder Thomas Jane headlines the reading at the Long Center's Rollins Theatre.

5) You like to party? So does AFF. A badge gets you in the door to barbecue fetes, boozy schmoozes, and hangover brunches. Surely a pounding headache pounds a little less when that's Luke Wilson passing you a bowl of mixed nuts.