Organization of Black Screenwriters
A non-profit organization committed to the development and advancement of African-American writers.
Writer Resources
/ Resources / Writer Resources
It’s your story. Tell it.
It all starts with the blank page. It can take a lot of courage and dedication to be a writer of any sort, and especially so in the entertainment industry, where it seems like just about everyone is working on a script of some sort. You’re a long way from Mrs. Francis’ high school English class now, but we’ve got your back. We want you to be the very best writer you can be, so we’ve provided some solid resources just for writers below.
Catalyst Writers Group
For even more writing opportunities, make sure you check out The Catalyst Writers Group and our list of Recommended Books for writers. With the right tools and a firm commitment to apply the seat of your pants to the seat of your chair, you could just find yourself writing the next great American screenplay!
Check out the resources below, and don’t forget to dive into our list of Recommended Books for writers. And if you run across other resources that would be good to include here, let us know!
Writers Resources
The International Screenwriters’ Association
An international organization for screenwriters.
Writers Guild of America – East
A labor union composed of the thousands of writers east of the Mississippi River who write the content for ...
Writers Guild of America – West
A labor union composed of the thousands of writers west of the Mississippi River who write the content for ...
Nashville Screenwriting Competition
Hosted by the Tennessee Screenwriting Association.
AMPAS Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting
An international competition sponsored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences that seeks original ...
PAGE International Screenwriting Awards
Founded by Hollywood producers to discover new screenplays by up-and-coming writers. Cash and prizes awards.
Screamfest Screenplay Competition
Annual horror film and screenplay competition. Finalists and winning horror screenplay finalists to be read by ...
Screenplay Festival
Feature-length screenplay contest with industry exposure and cash prizes in five categories.
The Screenwriter Showcase
An annual screenwriting contest, to find and promote talented new screenwriters; awards prizes in kind, but not in cash.
Script Pipeline Writing Competition
Offers cast prizes. Hundreds of production companies have requested the winners for their consideration.
Scriptapalooza Screenplay Competition
Annual screenwriting competition offers a cash prizes and promotion for the best film and television scripts submitted.
Shore Scripts
Screenwriting competition offers cash and prizes for the best feature, TV pilot, and short scripts.
Slamdance Screenplay Competition
Indie-oriented competition aims to promote and support talented new writers.
TrackingB Writing Contests
Two separate contests for television and feature film scripts.
WriteMovies.com Writing Competition
Offers a cash prize, representation, and possible option money, plus submission of the top three entries to ...
The Black List
What started as a survey of development execs about their favorite unproduced screenplays has grown into a ...
InkTip.com
InkTip.com is a paid service that connects producers and screenwriters.
Virtual Pitchfest
This paid service helps writers pitch their scripts to industry pros, with a guarantee of a response.
The Black Board Blog
The official community blog of The Black List
By Ken Levine: The World As Seen By a TV Comedy Writer
The blog of Emmy-winning writer Ken Levine, who gives a great insights on television writing.
CineStory
A nonprofit dedicated to developing screenwriters, offering a fellowship that includes a year-long mentorship ...
Creative Screenwriting
An online and print magazine that interviews writers about the creative processes of writing for film and television.
Go Into The Story
The official screenwriting blog of The Black List.
JohnAugust.com
An insightful blog by screenwriter John August, who penned Go & Big Fish.
John Truby’s Screenwriting Take
Screenwriting mentor John Truby has taught his screenwriting and genre classes to thousands of students worldwide.
On Story
The Austin Film Festival’s half-hour series on the creative process for well-known movies and TV shows.
The Q and A with Jeff Goldsmith
A podcast about all things related to screenwriting and the creative process.
Script
Interviews with and articles written by working writers and filmmakers.
Scripts & Scribes
Interviews with screenwriters, producers, executives, literary agents and managers.
The Scriptwriters Network
An educational, non-profit, volunteer-driven organization created by and for writers.
Writers Guild Foundation Blog
A blog featuring in-depth analysis, podcasts, interviews, scripts, articles, and more from the Writers Guild ...
Dramatica Pro
This software will help with character development and plot formation. Click here to purchase.
Dramatica Story Expert
Cast and build your characters, plot out your story, layer in themes with universal meaning, and put it all ...
Final Draft
The Final Draft software has become the industry standard for screenwriting and formatting. Click here to purchase.
ScriptBuddy
A web-based application with no software to install.
WriterDuet
A web-based application with no software to install, WriterDuet also gives options for offline writing, ...
Celtx Script Editor
Taking the same Celtx software and making it available on your mobile device.
Fade In
Fade In
A clean, straightforward app for writing and formatting without all of the extra bells and whistles that ...
Final Draft Writer & Reader
The Final Draft software also has two apps for iPhones and iPads.
Lists for Writers
Brainstorming lists for writers based on characters, settings, plot points, and more.
Storyist
A writing app for screenplays and novels, with index card support, customizable plot & character sheets, and the ...
Sundance Screenwriting Labs
Gives independent screenwriters the opportunity to work intensively on their feature film scripts with the support ...