Strategies for Writing the Competition-Winning Screenplay
ABOUT THE WEBINAR
Winning or placing in a screenplay competition is a great way to propel your writing career forward. Since the major writing competitions all receive thousands of entries, it’s crucial to make yours stand out.
Many contests hire readers to first score the submissions, and choose which ones will advance to the judges. In this OnDemand webinar, instructor Rebecca Norris will teach you specific ways to drastically increase the readability of your pages, make your dialogue and description sing, and improve the clarity and structure of your script so you can have a better shot at advancing to the next round.
You’ll also learn common pitfalls to sidestep that will help your chances of success. Finally, you’ll be introduced to which writing competitions are most beneficial to enter, and other resources to make the most of each contest season.
Competitions can be expensive and time-consuming to enter, but can open doors if approached in the right way. Rather than leaving it to chance, make sure you have a contest strategy and that your script is in the best shape it can be.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:
- What screenplay competitions look for in scripts
- Examples of categories used for scoring
- How to help make your script a “fast read”
- Ways to make your narration brief yet descriptive
- How to decrease your page count
- Tips to make your dialogue sound more authentic
- Places in a script where you can best show off your unique voice
- Proper script format and adhering to contest requirements
- Common pitfalls to avoid when submitting to contests
- Which contests could be most helpful to a screenwriter’s career
- The value of feedback and script coverage services
- Why it’s valuable to submit to contests even if you don’t win
WHO SHOULD LISTEN?
- Writers who want to advance their careers to the next level
- Writers who have been submitting to contests and festivals without much luck
- Writers who want to get signed by an agent or manager
- Writers who want to jumpstart their careers
- Writers who want to make the most of their time and money
- Writers who are looking for simple and effective ways to improve their writing
- Writers who want to know what contest readers and judges are looking for
- Writers who are talented yet waiting for their big break