The Write Room is sending a cup of something warming to your inboxes for you to enjoy while you’re reading this week’s newsletter.
So, why don’t you put your feet up and find out what’s going on with all things writing this week…?
BAME Female Scriptwriters
The Thousand Stories competition, which is focused on finding exciting new female writers, is this year looking for writers from Black, Asian, and ethnic minority background. They are seeking scripts for a pilot episode of a TV drama or comedy series of between 30-60 minutes. The winning writer will receive a prize package that includes mentoring, development plans and networking opportunities – as well as guidance about the process of creating a treatment for the winning original series idea by expert John Yorke. Find out more.
Interested in Children’s TV?
ScreenSkills and the Children’s TV Council have launched a mentoring scheme for those with TV experience interested in working in kids telly. Open until January 4, you can find out more here.
Writers’ Festival Social Media Role
Bloody Scotland, Scotland’s International Crime Writing Festival, is seeking a new freelance Digital and Social Media Manager to join its team on a part-time basis. The deadline for applications is Friday, December 18, at 5pm. Find out more about the role here.
Mentoring for Women in TV
Women in Film and Television UK (WFTV) are still accepting applications for their Northern Irish, Scottish and Welsh mentoring schemes that will run in 2021. Open to mid-career women working in the film and TV industry, the schemes are aimed at helping develop their skills and careers, specifically in areas where there is a recognised shortage of female talent. Applications for each of these schemes are accepted until 9am on Monday (December 14). Find out more here.
BBC Drama Annual Call
BBC Writersroom’s annual call for drama scripts is now open for submission of unsolicited scripts (written for TV, film, radio, stage or online). Writers can enter their work until 5pm on January 6, 2021. Get all the details 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 provocative and entertaining. Full length plays (running at 60 minutes or more) are accepted from writers based in the UK or Ireland between now and January 10, 2021. More information on its website.
Still available…
International Screenwriting Opportunity
TIFF Writers’ Studio is opening up its Canadian programme to international screenwriters and writer-directors. The programme offers a whole host of mentoring and workshops for anyone at mid-level in their career and, for this round, it will all be delivered online. Applications are open until next week, Friday, December 18. For more visit the TIFF website.
Screenwriting Competition
The Screenwriter Showcase @Pinewood Studios has a call out for scripts from screenwriters for its next event as part of the Lift-Off Network, which includes the Lift-Off Film Festivals and Showcases. Scripts should be submitted before the final deadline of December 7 in order to be considered for the next event on January 29. You can find out more here.
Call for Plays
Act Your Age has a call out for writers who have written plays that feature actors over the age of 40. They are looking for either one act plays or radio series of either four or six episodes. The vast majority, if not all, of the characters have to be playing roles over 40-years-old and plays should be of 30, 45 or 60 minutes in length. They can be in any genre but must be fully formed and complete. The deadline for submissions is also next week: Friday, December 18. Find out more on 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. Find out more here.
Playwrighting Shorts
Slackline Productions is accepting submissions for Slackline Sleepover, its latest Slackline Stories event. Running overnight and online from January 13-14, it aims to showcase the best new short plays written by female playwrights, directed by female directors and featuring at least one strong female character aged 35 and over – all written, rehearsed and ready to perform online in 24 hours. Submissions will be accepted until Sunday (December 13). Find out more how to enter.
Writing for TV 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 are all in late January.
If you know 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 below putting the word Newsletter in the subject heading.
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