Fellowship Prep: How to Land a Spot in a Writing Program

Video, blog, and links from The Writers Guild Foundation to answer all your questions about applying for a Hollywood writers fellowship.

The Writers Guild Foundation is a fantastic resource for writers interested in working in the film and television business. Case in point, this video which is a tutorial on how to maximize your chances of being selected for one of the many Hollywood fellowship programs.

In addition, the Foundation entitled: 10 TIPS FOR FELLOWSHIP APPLICATIONS. Here are a couple of excerpts:

6.) GRAB ’EM BY THE THROAT

Hooking a reader in the first few pages of your sample(s) is a must. Did we mention that many of the major writing programs receive applications numbering in the thousands?

A sample of your writing is NOT the time to make a reader wait many pages to see your brilliance. If the character twist or series hook or most emotional moment comes toward the end, you’ve lost your first advocate — your reader — and you need them on your side from the outset.

Hook them in the first few pages to let them know they are in capable hands.

9.) WRITE FROM THE HEART

If you write about things you care about, you’re that much closer to unleashing your distinct voice, which is arguably your greatest asset as a budding writer as well as the most vital thing to showcase in any film/TV writing application or sample.

Odds are, if you really care about what you’re writing about… you can get someone else to care about it too.

Write for yourself.

Finally, they provide a comprehensive set of links for all of the current Hollywood fellowship programs.

I encourage all of my graduating students to apply to these programs and a number of them have been accepted which in turn has jump-started their writing careers.

For The Writers Guild Foundation YouTube channel with hundreds of videos featuring interviews and panel conversations with working Hollywood writers, go here.