This year, the aspiring screenwriting community lost Screencraft. A month later, the Nicholl Fellowship announced that it would be moving under the pay-to-play Black List umbrella.
One of my greatest screenwriting accomplishments so far relates to the Nicholl Fellowship: It was the point at which I made too much money as an actual working screenwriter and was no longer eligible!
This was so informative and also so very positive. I had a huge self doubt writing day yesterday where every word I put down just felt like the wrong one. Amazing how powerful it is to remove the word aspiring. To tell myself that I’ve been training for this.
Days of self doubt are unavoidable, but you don't have to let them get you down! You got this, and I'm glad you are able to see yourself as the professional that you truly are.
All screenwriting competitions are a complete joke and a scam, and Nicholl is no different. They’re not really interested in quality, it’s just about one type of genre for them: pretentious “prestige” dramas. If your script doesn’t fall into that category, you might as well not even bother. Save your money.
That “save your money” rule also applies to every other competition, too. None of these will ever get you anywhere, except lighter in the wallet. The only way to really get anywhere is to start MAKING your own work and do it really damn well.
I actually think there is value in competitions and fellowships if only for the artificial external deadlines, and if that’s what a writer needs to push them to finish the latest draft of something, that’s fine! Just don’t have any delusions that it is going to be a big break for you.
I’m still a bit sad about the change in the Nicholl Fellowships qualification process. I was a quarterfinalist three times in the Nicholl Fellowships, and two out of the three times I did find the experience to be more valuable than being a semifinalist or finalist in other competitions. The third time I was a QF was 2020 - the height of COVID-19, so I can’t really blame AMPAS for the lack of industry response that year. Both of the other times I was a QF, however, I received numerous emails and phone calls from managers, production companies and a few agents requesting the OF script. One script actually got me a few phone meetings, and it felt like I was making some real progress until Sony greenlit a project with proven producers and writers that had a very similar concept (and no, I don’t think they stole it, it was just one of those ideas whose time had come). The thing I learned was that if you have a screenplay that already has some industry appeal, the Nicholl Fellowships can give it some legitimacy and put it in the hands of a lot of people you might have trouble connecting with otherwise (a plus for people like me who may not have the best networking or self-promotion skills). Most screenplay competitions don’t have nearly that reach.
Wow what a way to motivate the next group of writers. Any more land mines out there they should be aware of?
The bulk of it is free. If one is more serious about their craft the whopping $5 premium price will be easily overcome. It’s not like it’s final draft. Fools want a dollar for every little iteration.
And John August took care of that nonsense. His app is fine for me. And isn’t so pretentious as FD is.
One of my greatest screenwriting accomplishments so far relates to the Nicholl Fellowship: It was the point at which I made too much money as an actual working screenwriter and was no longer eligible!
Lmao congratulations!!
Excellent. Thank you.
This was so informative and also so very positive. I had a huge self doubt writing day yesterday where every word I put down just felt like the wrong one. Amazing how powerful it is to remove the word aspiring. To tell myself that I’ve been training for this.
Days of self doubt are unavoidable, but you don't have to let them get you down! You got this, and I'm glad you are able to see yourself as the professional that you truly are.
Thank you for explaining this!
I really enjoy reading your posts - they're extremely insightful, but they're also just interesting to read.
Thank you! I am glad you find them helpful and entertaining ☺️
Glad I came across this today as an "aspiring" screenwriter lol.
Wonderful. As always. Thanks!
Audrey, your voice is like a breath of fresh air.
Thank you
Tim Lott
All screenwriting competitions are a complete joke and a scam, and Nicholl is no different. They’re not really interested in quality, it’s just about one type of genre for them: pretentious “prestige” dramas. If your script doesn’t fall into that category, you might as well not even bother. Save your money.
That “save your money” rule also applies to every other competition, too. None of these will ever get you anywhere, except lighter in the wallet. The only way to really get anywhere is to start MAKING your own work and do it really damn well.
I actually think there is value in competitions and fellowships if only for the artificial external deadlines, and if that’s what a writer needs to push them to finish the latest draft of something, that’s fine! Just don’t have any delusions that it is going to be a big break for you.
Aspiring is a four letter word
I’m still a bit sad about the change in the Nicholl Fellowships qualification process. I was a quarterfinalist three times in the Nicholl Fellowships, and two out of the three times I did find the experience to be more valuable than being a semifinalist or finalist in other competitions. The third time I was a QF was 2020 - the height of COVID-19, so I can’t really blame AMPAS for the lack of industry response that year. Both of the other times I was a QF, however, I received numerous emails and phone calls from managers, production companies and a few agents requesting the OF script. One script actually got me a few phone meetings, and it felt like I was making some real progress until Sony greenlit a project with proven producers and writers that had a very similar concept (and no, I don’t think they stole it, it was just one of those ideas whose time had come). The thing I learned was that if you have a screenplay that already has some industry appeal, the Nicholl Fellowships can give it some legitimacy and put it in the hands of a lot of people you might have trouble connecting with otherwise (a plus for people like me who may not have the best networking or self-promotion skills). Most screenplay competitions don’t have nearly that reach.
For new writers; Listen to the entire Scriptnotes catalog. What’s the worst that can happen? And it’s free!
Wow what a way to motivate the next group of writers. Any more land mines out there they should be aware of?
The bulk of it is free. If one is more serious about their craft the whopping $5 premium price will be easily overcome. It’s not like it’s final draft. Fools want a dollar for every little iteration.
And John August took care of that nonsense. His app is fine for me. And isn’t so pretentious as FD is.
It’s not entirely free, since you need a premium subscription to access the full back catalogue. But it’s not expensive and WELL worth it.