When I began studying screenwriting, one of the first resources I found was screenwriting fellowships. There were advertisements on all the screenwriting websites for the different types of writing fellowships, and it seemed like THE way for screenwriters to get a foot in the door next to film festival competitions.
A writing fellowship is a competitive writing program held over a condensed amount of time, filled with education, mentorship, and networking relating to the craft and business of writing.
In the winter of 2023, I was accepted into The Writer’s Guild Foundation Veteran’s Writing Project. I was very new to screenwriting. I had zero screenwriting credentials and zero published works, but I put a lot of effort into the application and my script and it paid off. The program required focus and dedication, and even though it didn’t run like I thought it would, I still highly recommend it to veteran’s looking for a safe space to write and learn. With applications opening in a couple months, I decided to share my experience. Let’s get into it.
What is the Writers Guild Foundation Veteran’s Screenwriting Project (And What it Isn’t)
The Writers Guild Foundation (WGF) Veteran’s Writing Project (VWP) is a mostly virtual mentorship program. While I do describe it as a fellowship it should not be confused with the Veteran’s FellIowship, a new program also listed on the WGF page. The Veteran’s Writing Project is described by the WGF as a program designed to “identify emerging writers from United States military backgrounds and provide them with the tools and insights to nurture their passion for writing and successfully navigate the entertainment industry.” So the first major point to make here is that yes, you have to be a Veteran or active duty military member to apply.
I also say it’s mostly virtual because at the moment, there is a requirement to attend the in-person kickoff in California and an optional but encouraged retreat partway through the program. Otherwise, the program is conducted via online evening meetings at varying frequencies throughout the program.
The second important point to make, is that nowhere in the description of the program does it say you will be guaranteed any sort of film or screenwriting deal at the end of the program. Do connection’s happen? Sure, but the program administrators will tell you, if you have a completed screenplay and you are applying with the focused goal to sell it to someone, this program isn’t for you.
The program is intended for emerging writers who want help developing their stories and learning about the industry. When I went through the program, the other writers in my group consisted of novelists, videographers, actors, screenwriting hobbyists, and others who were starting their screenwriting journeys and looking to learn. If you are a veteran or military member over the age of 21 with a passion for screenwriting, looking to expand your skills, then this program may be for you.
The Application Process
Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF): Check out the WGF VWP webpage linked above for complete details, and make sure you showcase who you are in the essay questions.
The deets: If you are interested in applying, the first thing you should do is go to the webpage and subscribe to the Veterans’ Writing Project (VWP) email list, where updates and information sessions are sent out.
For the application, be prepared to provide:
- A writing sample (TV pilot, feature, short film, spec scripts strongly preferred)
- Three original story ideas, formatted as loglines
- A personal statement (400 words)
- A copy of your DD214 with your Social Security number redacted, and
- Your resume
The webpage FAQs are pretty good with the basic details of each piece of the application, so I’m going to focus this article on my personal experience with the application.
To manage expectations, please note it is not uncommon for people to apply for multiple years before being accepted into the WGF VWP. It IS a competitive program, and each year, the WGF only accepts (per their website) 40-ish applicants. So when I tell you I was accepted on my first try, it isn’t to boast; it’s to give me some credibility with regard to the approach I used.
When it came to answering the essay questions, I made an effort to showcase who I was: a storyteller. I’ve worked for the military and the government for almost twenty years, where I have had to be constantly guarded on what I say based on the political climate, and I decided that as a writer, all that caution and restraint had to go. Be yourself in everything you write.
For each question, I didn’t just start my answer off like I was in high school, including the question as the opening of my answer– I figured the program readers had probably read a million of those kinds of answers. Instead, I crafted my answers as if I were telling a story.
Each question is an opportunity to tell a story and showcase your personality. Anyone who has studied any amount of writing has no doubt heard the advice to “show, don’t tell,” and I applied that advice to the essay questions. Rather than ‘tell’ how passionate I was about writing, I ‘showed’ by writing a story about the first time I realized I was a storyteller.
I also treated the application like a manuscript. I worked on it for weeks, coming back to it every couple days to make it as strong and clear as possible, just like I do my manuscripts. I removed unnecessary words, used strong words, looked for opportunities to add humor or emotion, and by the time I was finished with it, it was something I was proud of.
In addition to the essay questions the application process requires a writing sample. Your writing sample should also be strong and indicative of who you are as a writer. The instructions are to submit “at least” 10-15 pages of a writing sample and what I submitted was 15 pages plus a title page. I had a lot more I could have submitted, but again, my goal was to demonstrate I could tell a story, and so what I submitted was Act 1 of a Rom-Com I was working on. Rather than submit the entire script that had not been edited or refined, I decided to take the less is more route and focus on editing and refining Act 1 so that by the time they got to page 15 they felt like they had read a script from someone who knew where they were taking the story (spoiler alert, I didn’t).
Submitting Act 1 was also a way for me to demonstrate that I knew a lot about the structure of screenplays and the beats of Act 1. If the term ‘beats’ is unfamiliar to you, I recommend picking up books like, “The Foundations of Screenwriting” by Syd Field, and the ever-popular “Saves the Cat” by Blake Snyder (though one of my mentors in the program hated the latter book/method so if you read it, don’t mention it when you get to L.A.)
The program application also asks for a resume. This section stressed me out more than the others because I didn’t really have a ton of writing experience (or so I thought) to demonstrate I was a writer. But as the WGF webpage says, this program is for emerging writers, and even more important, they are looking for emerging veteran writers. So your resume should list military experience, writing groups you are in, classes you have taken for writing and so on. I went through my resume and looked at every job I had, in the military and out, and made sure that if I had done any writing for that position it was highlighted. Did you write an instruction manual or Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)? List it. Were you in charge of submitting troops for their award write ups and performance reports? Make sure it’s on your resume as one of your responsibilities.
And don’t forget to list the writing groups or memberships you are in. Not because of stature or accolades, but because it demonstrates that outside of your application to the program, you are involved with writing. You are living the life of a writer. It shows dedication and commitment.
What happens when you are accepted?
It’s important to note that I do not work for the WGF, or the Veteran’s Writing Project and this article is entirely written without their permission and based on my personal experience. Every year at the end they send out a sort of survey to ask for feedback, which implies that the program is constantly adjusting. So if something I write here seems off, I encourage you to reach out directly to the WGF.
Weeks after you apply, if you have made it to the final round, you will be notified via email. Shortly after, (for me, it was a week or two), you will receive an email notifying if you made it or not. The time periods I received these notifications were lined up exactly with the dates advertised on their website that said when they would notify people of acceptance, which I appreciated.
The Kickoff Weekend
After those accepted are notified, information about the in-person kick-off in Los Angeles, California, is emailed out. For my cohort, the kickoff took place in June over one weekend.
During the weekend, participants were divided into groups based on the mentors they had available and the type of script they were writing. For example, I was in “The Features Group” because I was writing a full-length movie, whereas the other groups were focused on “pilots”, meaning they were writing a series. It is worth noting that it seemed the majority of the applicants/participants were interested in writing pilots.
What if you don’t know what you’re writing? What if you change your mind?
Not a problem. Unless the WGF has changed policies, when I went through, it was ok to change your mind, especially during the kickoff meeting. You’ll just be moved that weekend with a new group. Overall, the program seemed pretty flexible with regard to script changes and group assignments.
Once in your group, you’ll meet your mentors and group mates, and go through the three log lines you submitted in the application with the goal of narrowing it down to the one you want to work on during the program. Your log lines will be shared with your group and there will be discussion, so take some time to think about your full story line before you make a decision (and before you get to LA). Above all, don’t choose the log line everyone in the room likes best. You have to choose the one that you are most passionate about because you’ll be working with it for the next 9 months.
The rest of the weekend is a series of briefings with guest speakers, meetings with your group, and, of course, socializing/networking.
The WGF Veteran’s Writing Program Mentorship
Each group in the program, whether they were writing features or pilots, moved at a different pace. This was one thing about the program that disappointed me and I was told early on not to worry about what other groups were doing after I noticed our group was moving much slower than others.
As it turned out, because we had to get approval from our mentors to progress through our script, the entire 9 months of the program was spent mostly working on our screenplay outlines (for the features group). I’d love to tell you this is because I am slow, but my whole group ran this way, and no one at the end of the program was pitching their idea with a finished script in hand. That being said, from what I have gathered from other groups, this problem/pace may have been unique to the features group.
After the kickoff weekend, weekly meetings occurred on zoom usually formatted the same way: an opening presentation from someone from the industry (lawyers, writers, accountants, agents and managers, etc) and then a break out into our respective groups to get feedback on the progress of their outline.
The presentations prior to the breakouts were hands down the most valuable part of the program. It was a ton of valuable information from really impressive people.
Working with the mentors taught me not only how to take feedback or ‘notes’, but also reminded me that I don’t have to take all feedback.
There will be times when you get harsh criticism that people will explain as “that’s Hollywood,” and they’ll tell you to have a thick skin. This is only partially great advice; you should position yourself to receive criticism, but remember that criticism doesn’t mean disrespect.
Pitch Night
Pitch night was a wonderful experience. It was great to hear praise and constructive criticism, and my only regret was walking into it without a finished script. The people we pitched to were all very active in the industry, had some amazing qualifications and connections, and it was great motivation for us all to continue.
To Recommend or Not Recommend?
Overall, I would still recommend this program to those who meet the qualifications to apply. The value of the weekly briefings of industry insider knowledge, the mentorship on screenplay structure and the experience of pitch night make it an amazing program to take part in, so long as you know what to expect. It was my experience that it was a great introduction to the screenwriting and entertainment world with an opportunity for camaraderie and connection.
For application details, please visit the Writers Guild Foundation webpage.
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