Screenplay Competitions: Tools and Insights to Help You Choose the Best Screenwriting Contests for You and Your Script

Screenplay Competitions explains the competition process (and the myriad of differences among competitions) from eligibility requirements, to how competitions advance entries, to the prizes that accompany a win. In addition, Ms. Williams discusses what judges look for in scripts, and she reveals ways to determine a script's rank--even if it doesn't place. Equipped with this information, writers can better select the competitions that are most likely to reward their particular scripts and help advance their writing careers.

What makes Screenplay Competitions especially unique is that it is designed for all aspiring screenwriters (not just the few who will win). Throughout the book, Ms. Williams provides strategies to turn the competition process into an educational experience so that writers can use the competition process to help improve their scripts (and themselves as writers) no matter how far they advance in a competition.

Throughout seven sections, Screenplay Competitions explains:

    ...the benefits of screenwriting competitions, even if you don't win.
    ...how to identify screenwriting competitions that are more likely to reward the script you've written and are deserving of your entry fee.
    ...what judges look for in scripts
    ...common judging criteria so you can use this information to improve your script prior to entry.
    ...types of written critiques offered in conjunction with competition entries.
    ...ways to analyze written critiques so you can determine which comments necessitate revisions to your script.
    ...the competition, judging, and advancement processes so you can better determine how far your script advanced in a competition and the ranking process utilized.
    ...common types of prizes and awards.
    ...common entry fees, eligibility requirements, and entry guidelines.
    ...how to proactively protect your script.
    ...strategies to get the most from your entry so you can improve yourself as a writer no matter how far you advance in the competition.

Screenplay Competitions includes three templates designed to:

    ...help screenwriters keep clear and consistent records of submissions and results.
    ...identify each competition's judging process in order to better determine which competitions to enter.
    ...help determine where the entered script ranked among other entries.

Ann Marie Williams scripts have placed in several screenwriting competitions including the semifinals of the Austin Film Festival Screenplay Competition and ScreenCraft's Sci-Fi Screenplay Contest, as well as the finals of the Nashville Film Festival Screenwriting Competition. Ann was also a Reader for the Austin Film Festival Screenplay & Teleplay Competition, which allowed her to experience the screenwriting competition process from the judge's perspective. Ann graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in media communication, and has spent over 10 years in the publishing industry, building a strong background in writing, editing, marketing, sales, distribution and customer service. Ann has been a guest lecturer at Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts to discuss the pros and cons of script contests.