Happy New Year from The Write Room!
Given that Epiphany is looming, why not take a break from taking down those Christmas decorations and start planning your next writing project?
In Conversation Event
The Royal Television Society is holding an ‘In Conversation’ event with the creators of TV show ‘Breeders’. Edith Bowman will talk to Breeders co-creators Simon Blackwell, Chris Addison and Martin Freeman, and co-star Daisy Haggard, about this dreamed produced by Avalon and FX Productions for FX Networks and Sky One. The session will take place on Monday (January 11) from 1pm-2pm. Book here.
Documentary Call
Netflix has launched a Documentary Talent Fund open to anyone across the UK and will give ten filmmakers, and their teams, the chance to make a short documentary film with a budget of between £20,000 and £40,000 each. Each documentary must be between 8-12 minutes long and the brief for these fully funded short documentaries is Britain’s Not Boring And Here’s A Story. The submission window is now open and lasts until January 31. Further information is available here.
Competition for Radio Comedy
Independent comedy producer Pozzitive is looking to find four radio scripts for development. Funnydotcomp is open to single writers and teams, as well as to existing acts or writer/performer combos. The only criterion is that any submissions must be a 30 minute audio comedy script. Further information is available here. The deadline is Sunday (January 10).
Fiction Podcasts Competition
Shore Scripts is seeking submissions for its 2020 Fiction Podcast Contest. Open until January 21, further information about the competition – as well as how to adapt a script for another format for a podcast, visit their website.
Prize for Authors
The Nine Dots Prize asks writers to respond to a question in 3,000 words, with the winner receiving $100,000 to write a short book expanding on their ideas. The question for 2020/21 is: What does it mean to be young in an ageing world?. Entrants must submit their 3,000-word response, an outline structure for their proposed book, and a justification statement of their ability to complete the book within seven months. The deadline is January 18. Find out more here.
TV Writers Awards
The TV Foundation, in association with the Edinburgh TV Festival, is calling for emerging and established writers to enter its 2021 New Voice Awards. Information about the categories, which also includes producers, directors, presenters, (as well as companies and agencies), can be found here. The deadlines for applications for all categories is January 25.
BAFTA Masterclasses and Q and A’s
BAFTA is holding a series of virtual masterclasses and Q and A’s with directors, actors, and writers, over the next week, including a session with director Garrett Bradley and one with director Jerry Rothwell and producer Jeremy Dear, both taking place later today (January 5). You can find out more about these free events and sign up for sessions of your choice here.
Irish Crime Drama Competition
Sony Pictures Television and Stellify Media, in partnership with Northern Ireland Screen, are launching a brand-new All-Ireland screenwriting prize. They are looking for ideas for a maximum of six high-concept, contemporary, returnable crime drama projects, that can be filmed on the island of Ireland. The winning submissions will receive funded development to bring a project to pitching stage. Submissions are open here until January 15.
Writing for Children’s Animation
ScreenSkills is holding a panel session on ‘Writing for Children's Animation’ on March 16 at 6pm. Chaired by writer Myles McLeod, it is an opportunity to hear from a range of professionals involved in the making of an animated series for children on how they work with writers and what they need from a writer. The panel will include a storyboard artist, director, producer and broadcast commissioner. Bookings are now open via their website.
Still open for submissions…
BBC Scriptroom
BBC Writersroom’s annual window for accepting drama scripts is open until 5pm on Wednesday (January 6). Find out more here.
Emerging Playwrights
Bush Theatre is seeking playwrights that tell contemporary stories with wit, style and passion. They want to hear voices and stories that reflect the diversity of contemporary society featured in plays that are both provocative and entertaining. Full length plays (i.e. those running at 60 minutes or more) are accepted from writers based in the UK or Ireland up until Sunday (January 10). More information on its website.
Aspiring Scottish-based Screenwriters
Short Circuit has launched Convergence, a new film talent initiative accepting applications for a new programme aimed at Scotland-based aspiring screenwriters. A total of eight professional writers, filmmakers and creative practitioners from other mediums who are interested in moving into writing for screen will be selected to develop their screenwriting skills and industry knowledge with Script Consultant and Screenwriter David Pope through online development workshops, peer group discussions, masterclasses and 1-2-1 sessions. Get in quick: the deadline for applications close today (January 5). Go here for more info.
And, if you hear of any interesting opportunities for writers, please do get in touch and we can circulate them for FREE to our growing community of budding and accomplished writers. Simply drop us an email using the button with ‘Newsletter’ in the subject line.
The Write Room Newsletter is sent to you for FREE weekly. Subscribe to receive the next edition straight to your Inbox! And please do us a favour and share it with your networks!