Writing contests provide an opportunity for writers to get recognition for their work, win monetary prizes, and even have their work pitched to literary agents.

Understanding how contests actually work and what types of projects typically resonate is essential to any writer looking to compete—the story idea, the quality of the writing sample, the voice of the author, etc.

Our Book Pipeline execs, Matthew J. Misetich, Ciara Duggan and Jeanne Veillette Bowerman, join contest-winning writer Laura Picklesimer to offer insider tips on writing competitions.

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Reckless Creatives podcast co-hosts, Jeanne Veillette Bowerman and Sadie Dean, had a live conversation with the legendary Scott Myers about screenwriting, the life of an artist, his new book, The Protagonist's Journey: An Introduction to Character-Driven Screenwriting and Storytelling, and so much more. This episode was recorded on May 16, 2023, during the WGA strike.

Our regular Reckless Creatives listeners and Symposium attendees participated and asked Scott questions, too!

Scott has more thoughts on the WGA strike, too. Check his blog for updates.

[Note: For the MovieMaker article on dos and don'ts for pre-WGA writers during the WGA strike, read here.]

Resources discussed:

The Protagonist's Journey: An Introduction to Character-Driven Screenwriting and Storytelling
Scott's site: Go Into the Story
Scott's WGA strike updates
Scott's Facebook group: Zero Draft Thirty
MovieMaker article "Dos and Don'ts for Pre-WGA Writers"
Follow Scott: @gointothestory
Follow Sadie: @SadieKDean
Follow Jeanne: @jeannevb

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Pipeline Executives Roni Brown and Spike Scarberry join Thomas Krajewski—the co-creator of Primer (DC), a really rad graphic novel series, and a former Script Pipeline TV Winner (2014)—to discuss the intricacies of the comic world.

You might even leave wanting to adapt your screenplay into a graphic novel!

Watch the video of this session on Symposium site.

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Nothing compares to the opportunity of doing a face-to-face pitch of your manuscript to a literary agent at a writing conference. While most writers are terrified of the pitching process, it's often the best experience an author can have in understanding not only how the publishing industry works but also the critical dynamics of the author/agent relationship.

But the trick is—you only get about five minutes to make a great first impression and (hopefully) receive a request to submit your work for consideration.

Jeanne Veillette Bowerman, Executive at Pipeline Media Group and former Senior Editor at Writer's Digest, has a decade of experience speed pitching both literary agents and Hollywood producers. She'll share tips on how to hone your pitch to get a decision-maker excited about reading your work.

This event will cover:

• Setting realistic goals
• How a speed-pitching event works
• Creating an effective quick pitch for fiction and nonfiction
• Logline tips
• Dos and Don'ts of pitching an executive
• Post pitching event action items

Download the slideshow PDF.

[Recorded July 6, 2022]

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Doug Richardson has spent decades writing for the film industry. You might have heard of Die Hard 2, Hostage, and the OG Bad Boys. He's that Doug.

But he's also a novelist, scotch aficionado, and producer ... and a hell of a lot of fun.

Pipeline exec Jeanne Veillette Bowerman sits down with Doug to chat about all things writing, and also asks Doug your questions, live, in our Q&A.

Doug's bio:

Doug Richardson, born in Arcadia, California, grew up on a ranch near Sacramento and developed a passion for cinema after discovering Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels. He studied at USC’s School for Cinematic Arts, initially aspiring to direct, but shifted his focus to screenwriting, which led to a contract with Warner Brothers and the opportunity to write for major studios. His breakthrough came with the screenplay for Die Hard 2, followed by successes like Bad Boys, Money Train, and Hostage. In addition to his screenwriting career, Doug authored novels, including the Lucky Dey Thriller series, known for their dark and gripping storytelling. Living in Southern California with his wife, Karen, Doug balances his Hollywood projects with writing novels, enjoying golf, scotch, and cooking for loved ones.

Resources from this session:

Jeanne's Script Magazine article about lessons learned from Doug
How Doug got the Die Hard 2 gig
7-Figure Sale Story: A Million-Dollar View
One-on-One with Lane Shefter-Bishop
Hard Truths: What Film and TV Reps Actually Want
Logline Workshop (Quarterly)
Doug on X: @byDougRich
Doug's Linktree
Doug's Books

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If you've ever wondered about the comic industry, or considered how to adapt your screenplay into a graphic novel, we've brought together a stellar writing team to answer your questions: Jimmy Palmiotti (Harley Quinn, Painkiller Jane, Jonah Hex) and Craig Weeden (Killing Time in America).

Some of the topics we'll cover:

• Realistic expectations of the industry
• Writing in multiple mediums
• Cost of creating comics
• Adaptation to film and TV
• Optioning process
• Crowdsourcing

Resources from this session:

• Jimmy Palmiotti's PaperFilms
• "Gutter Talk: Graphic Novel Technique for Screenwriters" by Craig Weeden
• Fantasima Kickstarter
• Craig Weeden's Pipeline Artist Articles
• Spike Scarberry's Pipeline Artist Articles
• Book Pipeline's Unpublished Contest (NEW Comic & Graphic Novel category)
• Brene Brown Empathy Videos
• Jimmy on X: @jpalmiotti
• Jimmy on IG: @jimmypalmiotti
• Craig on X: @craig_weeden

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Pipeline Exec Ruth Sabin chats with producers Eric Brodeur and Ty Leisher of Exit 44 Entertainment about all things production, from script development to post-production—most importantly, what makes a story stand out as worthy of producing.

Exit 44 Entertainment was co-founded by Eric Brodeur and Ty Leisher to create mind-bending action and horror stories that leave your head spinning and your heart pumping as the credits roll. Based on the Manhattan Beach Studios Lot, the company acquires, develops, packages, and produces films that push conventional genre boundaries for film and television.

With a decade of experience in feature film post-production, Eric brings a unique understanding of what it takes to create cost-effective and engaging films. Ty is an expert in bringing concept-driven films to a global market, having received critical acclaim for his directorial debut. His writing has also been recognized by prestigious organizations, including the Sundance Film Festival.

Exit 44 has strong relationships with industry-leading studios, sales agents, financiers, and distributors, making it a rising player in the production industry. Their supernatural horror film, 11th Hour Cleaning, was released in 2022 and received critical acclaim, further solidifying Exit 44's place in the industry.

[Recorded February 20, 2023]

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It's never been more important for writers to cast wide nets and write in multiple mediums. Lee Matthew Goldberg does just that.

Lee has been a finalist in both Script Pipeline and Book Pipeline, and continues to create stories for not only the screen but also for your bookshelves.

Don't miss this one—especially if you're considering adapting your script into a novel!

[Recorded May 15, 2023]

Resources from this session:

EM Forster's Aspects of the Novel
Stephen King's On Writing
Elmore Leonard 10 Rules of Writing
Jeanne's writing sprint clock
Follow Lee on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok

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Because of writers' passions for pursuing their dreams, we seem to be prime victims of scammers. No one works as hard as Writer Beware founder, Victoria Strauss, to investigate and educate writers on the people trying to rip money out of our hands. 

Jeanne Veillette Bowerman chats with Victoria about her career and passion for protecting writers, including you in the conversation with a live Q&A during the chat.

Join us and learn what to watch for when an unexpected email shows up with an offer that's too good to be true.

Resources:

Writer Beware Website
Writer Beware Blog
Impersonation List
"How a Book Really Becomes a Movie" by Jeanne Veillette Bowerman

[Recorded November 13, 2024]

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Get comfortable.. it's therapy time!

With screenwriting career coach Lee Jessup and writer-turned-therapist Phil Stark (Dude, Where's My Car?), we'll not only discuss the state of the industry but also the mindset needed to stay in the game.

Perhaps, the biggest question for survival is, “Are you a screenwriter or a storyteller?” We'll discuss the pitfalls of writers painting themselves into a corner by not at least exploring other writing avenues. Let's dispel the myth of “all I need is a manager” or “all I need is to sell one script.”

Yes, it’s hard out there, but it’s always been hard. 

Lee and Phil will share advice on getting your mindset straight, and words on the page.

[Recorded October 8, 2024]

Resources:
The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander
Symposium: "Hard Truths: What Film and TV Reps Actually Want"
Symposium: "Town Hall: Insights Into the Post-Strike Film and TV Industry"

Lee Jessup is a career coach for screenwriters, specializing in guiding emerging and professional scribes toward long-standing and prolific screenwriting careers in both TV and feature writing. Additionally, she has provided consulting services to NBC International, the Universal Writers Program, the Final Draft Big Break Contest and Inevitable Foundation, and is an adjunct professor with the David Lynch Graduate School of Cinematic Arts. Her one-on-one coaching clients include everyone from showrunners and studio writers to contest winners, TV writing fellows as well as writers just starting out. She is the author of the best selling books Breaking In: Tales From the Screenwriting Trenches and Getting It Write: An Insider's Guide to a Screenwriting Career.  Site | X: @leejessup

Screenwriter (Dude, Where’s My Car?) turned therapist, Phil Stark, sees clients virtually from all over the state of California. He also writes about mental health and personal growth as experienced through talk therapy. His book Dude, Where’s My Car-tharsis? is available on Amazon. Site | X

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