Hi everyone,
I’m Westley, a writer, director, and producer based in Sydney.
I recently placed Semifinalist in Stage 32’s 2025 Action/Thriller Screenwriting Contest with my feature script “The Afterlife Can Wait”. This marks my first major placement in a large international competition, so it’s been an especially meaningful milestone for me.
The process has been a great learning experience, and I’m grateful for the support and advocacy from the Stage 32 team along the way. If anyone has questions about the competition, writing, submissions, or what the experience was like, please feel free to reach out. I’m happy to share anything that might be helpful :)
Looking forward to connecting and being part of the community!
— Westley
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Congratulations again, Westley Cornwell! And congratulations on your first major placement in a large international competition! Do you outline your scripts or just start writing them?
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Maurice Vaughan Much appreciated! It all depends on the world of the story. This one is a bit less fantastical than other stories I’ve developed, so we just went straight the screenwriting.
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Congrats on the semifinalist placement, Westley -- that’s huge, especially for a first major international contest.
Love the title The Afterlife Can Wait. What was the biggest takeaway for you from the Stage 32 contest process?
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Westley Cornwell I outline my spec scripts, but I go straight to the script if it's a fan fiction. What program do you and Kristi use to outline?
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Comgrats Westley, that’s a huge accomplishment! I know our judges were blown away by the talent that they were reading in that competition. How did you get started in writing?
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Amanda Toney thank you for the support! It started in elementary with mini comic books and exploded when I met some equally weird kids in high school. We just wanted to make some fun stuff, so we all shared the duties. I would scribble the bones of a story and we would go from there. A classic tale of most writers I’m assuming?
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Congratulations, Westley — that’s a meaningful milestone, especially as a first major placement. Wishing you continued momentum with the project, and welcome to the community.
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G'day champ, I'm based in Melbourne just signed up to this site today.
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Ayesha Simra thank you! This time around, it all came down to patience. I’ve always been one to push projects forward without being fully ready, and this time it was important to get it right. We completed this draft in the fall of 2024 and continued to refine it until it sounded just right.
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Charmane Wedderburn thank you!
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Maurice Vaughan the outlining starts in the notes app, and once it’s completed we move onto the proper screenwriting tools like FinaDraft or Celtx.
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I use Final Draft, Westley Cornwell. I heard it has an outline feature. I plan on trying it out.
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Hi Westley Cornwell , congratulations on your semifinalist placement — that’s a great milestone.
I’m a senior 3D artist and animator, working with cinematic characters, environments, and visual development for film projects.
If you ever need visual or 3D support for a short, proof of concept, or pitch materials, I’d be happy to connect.
Portfolio: https://bento.me/pj-arts
Demo Reel: https://vimeo.com/1061099584
Best,
Pablo
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Pablo Oliveira thank you! And WOW, that reel is incredible. I will definitely keep you in mind!
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Andre Kemp welcome! This is a great website to connect with the film world. What are you working on?
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Westley Cornwell, That really shows, taking the extra time to refine always pays off. Congrats again, and best of luck with where it goes next.