Screenwriting

Thank you, Katrina! Your insight hits the nail on the head. That is exactly where the emotional core of the story lies — the truth doesn't just sit there as an abstract concept; it has a fatal, devastating impact on my protagonist's life.

If you're open to it, I would be thrilled to send over the logline or a short synopsis of Seller of Truth to show you how this contemporary dilemma unfolds on the page.

Thank you again for your incredible feedback!

Thank you Katrina Wolfe you’re absolutely right, original story in a script exists everywhere. One thing stands out to the audience is the characters, the protagonist has a journey to go through after their life takes a rough patch.

Special Thanks, Katrina -- and not just for answering my question. Reading through the questions and answers was a Master's Class for the industry. Cheers. Tom

Katrina, I can't believe you're still here doing this! This has been amazing! Thank you so much! My question for you is this: If multiple producers have requested a script, how does a writer figure out who to go with? Or, what is the process to determine that?

Thank you Katrina Wolfe

Hello

My name is Hassan Al-Zahrani, an aspiring screenwriter from Saudi Arabia.

I have created an original action-thriller trilogy titled The Last Promise. Given your outstanding work in action cinema, I believe this project may align with the type of compelling storytelling and high-intensity action films you are known for.

If you are open to it, I would be honored to share a short synopsis and pitch package for your consideration.

In addition, I have a strong passion for acting, and if the project were ever to move forward, I would be grateful for the opportunity to be considered for a role in the film, if possible.

My goal is to see this story reach an international audience and become a world-class production.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Best regards,

Hassan Al-Zahrani

Darrell A Pennington That might be the case, but there are also people who genuinely feel more inspired or find themselves more thoughtful, focused, and less distracted when writing on a typewriter. That said, it takes a certain amount of intent to sit at a typewriter to write something like a TV series? Formatting a screenplay to industry standards on a typewriter must have been a nightmare. From that standpoint, you have to give credit to the writers who managed to do it the precomputer way.

Kenneth George true! Not ti mention that now thanks to writing software on basically your phone you can go anywhere and write, where before you had to be at a specific desk and had to heave everything with you.

Heck a couple of days ago I was doing post-production work on a feature film from a couple thousand miles away just as easily as if I was in a cutting room splicing shots together.

Kenneth George absolutely - I understand it. There are many times when I prefer the vinyl listening experience for listening to music. But I would not want to return to a timeframe when the only way I could enjoy music is to be in the same space as my turntable and vinyl collection. I've been a fanatic for music over 50 years at this point but I wonder if my passion would have exploded to the all consuming level it is now without the access technology offers. Do I like contemporary music as much as older music, not usually but I much prefer to enjoy it via streaming where I can access it 24/7.

Vital Butinar Strangely, I usually need to be at a laptop or desktop to do any meaningful work. Writing anything substantial on a phone keyboard is almost as torturous as using a typewriter.

Oh yeah Kenneth George. I get that, these tiny keyboards are impossible, but if you attach a bt keyboard to a tablet. Last summer I took mine with me on the beach, you know just to write a treatment or maybe work out some scenes. Well I ended up writing about 60% of the 1st draft while sitting by the water and listening to instrumental blues.

What I am devoloping. A production company in Australia tries to find funding for a TV movie script I wrote. Sweden's public service television company liked my idea for a 5 hours long TV series for children. And when I commented upon a posting about vertical drama, I was encouraged to contact production companies with my idea related to urban legends.

I honestly see more of the inverse: Awful concepts (or, to be charitable, "non commercial concepts") but good writing.

Abhijeet Aade , you have put it beautifully! That point about writers focusing on what happens while overlooking why the audience should emotionally care is exactly where most scripts fall apart. A compelling concept gets you in the room but it is the emotional investment that keeps people watching. Thank you for adding such depth to this conversation!

Are you currently working on a project by any chance?

Göran Johansson three projects moving across different countries and formats at the same time that is seriously impressive! The urban legends angle for vertical drama really caught my attention though. That is such a rich space to work in. How are you approaching that one?

Michael David you make a fair point and honestly that is just as big a problem! Great writing on a concept nobody can sell is just as frustrating as a brilliant idea that never gets properly developed. The sweet spot is when both come together and that is exactly what makes this craft so challenging. What genre do you find this happening most in?

FYI they've changed the announcement timeline on the competition webpage. The new dates are:

Quarter-Finalists Announced June 19

Semi-Finalists Announced July 3

Finalists Announced July 24

Contest Winners Announced August 7

Hey friends, yup that was my bad!

I made a scheduling snafu. We typically have 6-8 weeks between contest closing for submissions until the QF announcement. This gives us time to have scripts read multiple times and fully vet them.

However, when making the schedule at the end of last year, i mistakenly left only 4 weeks in between close for submissions and the QF announcement. So we just didn't have enough time, and we had to push the announcement date by 2 weeks.

Then I realized I didn't update the contest page either to reflect that - just our own internal system. But it has been updated now and like it mentions on the contest page:

* Announcement dates subject to change.

This is one of those instances. Just a swing and miss on my part - apologies! Like Erin mentioned, we'll announce on the 19th!

shoutout to everyone who entered, and congrats to everyone who placed! My Christmas Angel is on to the semis. Would love to read some other folks' scripts

Congratulations everyone! So happy to hear who made quarterfinals :) Good luck with the semi's and finals!

Big congrats to everyone who made the quarters! "Silly Love Songs" made it! Good luck with the next rounds!

Jason, all good points you bring up. It's a business, and it's budget v. revenue as well. And there's box office revenue domestic and int'l to back this up. It's perception v. reality/facts when evaluating material. And sadly, perception wins. There's amazing stories out there, it's getting them through a biased perception. Execs aren't looking to use their brain power figuring things out. They, we, I, read it, and decide then and there. And this decision usually happens early during the read (or worse, based on the readers synopsis and comments -- this runs approx 1.5 to 2 pages).

Lindbergh Hollingsworth I know. I fully accept that The Bushmen is going to be my independent venture. It just happens to be the first thing I wrote and have the full vision of. When I started I wasn’t sure the best order of movement, write what I know or write a story that I had been thinking. I’m at the point now, my originals are performing well. Bushmen is my shedding of that identity and my goodbye/love ya note to the boys. I realise also starting off I’d not relinquish control execs would need anyway.

If you believe in the story and are passionate about it, don't second guess yourself. Write the best story you can and get it out there. My script, "Nobody's Heroes" is based on my time in Vietnam as a Marine. It was a semifinalist at the Austin Film Festival is 2024. Right now it's in the hands of four well-know producers/managers that I pitched on this site. Get it out there but have experienced readers find it's flaws and shortcomings. That's what I did and after numerous rewrites, the structure, the characters and the story are exactly where I want them. Good luck.

Michael Alan Elliott Thanks for this — genuinely. Hearing it from someone who’s lived their war and shaped it into a story that’s landing in the industry means a lot.

With the feedback I’ve gotten so far, I realized the issue wasn’t the writing as much as the order of the story. I’ve already decided to restructure the series: instead of launching with the original pilot, I’m opening at the culminating point of Episode Nine and then working my way back through Episodes One to Thirteen.

It’s a “how did we get here?” approach — more in line with the emotional truth of the deployment and the nonlinear way memory actually works. It also lets the character arcs breathe in a way that feels closer to the lived experience.

Your point about believing in the story and pushing it until the structure and characters are exactly where you want them really hit. That’s the phase I’m in now — refining the architecture so the authenticity lands without losing the propulsion prestige TV needs.

Appreciate the insight, and congrats on Nobody’s Heroes moving through the industry pipeline. That’s the kind of trajectory I’m aiming for as I keep shaping this thing.

Jason....I've been at this since 2019 so it can be a slow, hard grind (like the month it took to liberate Hue from the NVA). If you get to a point where you think I can be of help, hit me up.

Azel, congrats on finishing 21 LETTERS after years of grind.

I feel that pain. Just locked my script CARL MASON after 3 years rewrite hell.

Cutting scenes that don’t serve story is brutal.

If you ever need a Congo writer’s perspective or swap notes, I’m here.

Respect for finishing what you started.

Hey Junior France Mavie NGAKOSSO tell me more about the "3 years rewrite hell".

Azel thank you for asking, and congrats on finishing 21 LETTERS! 106 pages is a huge win. I felt every word about the grind.

My "3 years rewrite hell" with CARL MASON:

Year 1: First draft. Too much excitement, zero structure.

Year 2: Learned structure the hard way. Cut 40 pages. Killed scenes I loved because they didn't move the story forward. Brutal.

Year 3: Rewrote dialogue 20 times. Made CARL more human, more complex. Focused on making the story breathe.

Biggest lesson: The script you finish is never the script you start with. But every painful rewrite makes it stronger.

I’m Junior Ngakosso, screenwriter from Congo. I write sci-fi thrillers.

If you ever want to swap notes on rewriting or story structure, I’m here.

Respect from Brazzaville

Junior France Mavie NGAKOSSO that sounds hectic brother! To cut 40 pages kills a person's spirit but congrats on not stopping the grind there. I truly hope you reach all your goals! Respect from South Africa

Thanks Azel Cutting 40 pages hurts, but CARL MASON is stronger for it.

From Brazzaville to South Africa → same grind, same dream.

Link to CARL MASON in my bio if you wanna see what survived the "hell".

Respect to you too for finishing 21 LETTERS.

Congratulations on winning the award! Well deserved

Vanessa, congratulations! Here's wishing you even more success!

Outcast has real bones three women, one mystery, a town built on rot. That's a compelling engine. Where are you in the script process?"

Thank you, Amry Lucy. The producers/financiers are out to cast.

Thank you, Eric Charran, for your comments. The town is a way station for the three woman, the nexus where their paths are fated to change and are irrevocably connected.

Well done Francisco. Can you tell us a little about how this project made it this far?

Thanks, Richard Buzzell. It's been a long slow slog, but the script got the producers of RUSH HOUR, MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA and ABOUT SCHMIDT attached, then a financier and now a director. We're out to cast.