Why I’m Not Submitting to Screenwriting Competitions This Year

February 28, 2022

I’ll be honest, I’ve never done that well in competitions of any kind. Whether it’s skill, luck or some other magical mojo, I just ain’t got it. As a result, my track record entering screenwriting competitions has been very sporadic. I’ve heard from many experts on strategies for winning, how diligence pays off (one eventual winner entered 12 years in a row), what readers look for, etc. I’ve even read winning scripts and wonder what am I doing wrong.

In the last 10 years or so, the amount of entries in the top screenwriting competitions has gotten insane. In 2021, Austin Film Festival (AFF) Screenplay and Teleplay competition received 14,648 entries while the Nicholl Screenplay competition received 8,191. I’d have better luck buying a lottery ticket. But, even though the odds of winning are long, one thing I usually look forward to is receiving “reader notes.”

Not to be confused with coverage (which is a much more extensive written evaluation), reader notes are usually a few paragraphs long and sum up the reader’s impression of the script. The notes can give you a general feel of where your script failed to connect and highlight possible areas of improvement.

In 2020, I submitted a script based on an event from my life to Nicholl and was very careful to follow the rules: The entrant’s name, address, phone number or any other identifying information should not appear on the title page or any other page of the script.

Instead of using my name as the name of the main character, I used “Heroine.” The note I got back from the reader was: Naming the character “Heroine” detaches us from her personally and makes for a distraction throughout the read.

It was obvious the reader hadn’t been instructed on the rules and actually penalized me for abiding by them. I entered a different script in 2021, and to the best of my recollection (and a thorough search of my emails), have not received any reader notes. I also logged into my account on the Nicholl website and checked. No notes. So, I just wasted my money.

I also submitted a script to the 2021 AFF competition and received notes that were so generic, they could have been written about any script. But, more telling, they were completely contrary to notes I’ve received from every other reader, including an Emmy-winner who said it was one of the best scripts he’s ever read.

While the AFF reader notes describe the script as a “drama,” it is actually an action-thriller in the vein of Jason Bourne. In particular, the notes I’ve received from other readers compliment the “non-stop action” and “thrilling plot,” while the notes from AFF describe it as “dragging scenes that slow the rhythm down.” I have to wonder, what script did this reader read?

Receiving poor quality notes makes a little more sense when you consider AFF readers are not compensated for their work, as stated in this job posting:

The Austin Film Festival is looking for readers. Ideal candidates should be voracious readers who are well-versed in the basics of screenwriting and have a keen sense for analyzing a story. They must also complete a “reader test” that they will provide. Industry experience is preferred but not required. There is no monetary compensation, but all readers would be provided a pass or badge to attend AFF in the fall depending on the number of scripts they can read.

You have to wonder how much a free badge to a festival is worth during Covid. In fact, this year’s AFF reader notes were so bad, there was considerable push back from many entrants. The accusations of “scam coverage” resulted in the AFF issuing the following apology:

For the past 28 years, the Austin Film Festival has been committed to furthering the art and craft of storytelling by supporting emerging voices. It has come to our attention that some of our script readers’ comments failed to meet our competition standards and unfortunately passed through our vetting system. We apologize for this failure as it does not reflect the care and attention our organization promises to devote to each submitted story. We are evaluating and removing those script readers who failed to provide personalized script notes at the caliber required. We are honored to be surrounded by a talented writing community and have asked the 2021 competition entrants to contact us directly with any concerns regarding their reader’s feedback. We will continue to evaluate our reading process for the future to ensure it continues to support our mission.

Some suggested I contact the AFF in order to receive more “personalized script notes,” but I just said, “Fuck it.” This obviously is not my jam, so maybe I should just focus my energy on more productive endeavors which have more of a chance of advancing my career.