For Mid-Level Diverse Writers

The mission of the Writer Access Project (“Project”) is to identify excellent diverse writers in order to provide a hiring resource for television writer-producers. WGAW members who meet the criteria for participation below are invited to submit two pieces of literary material: one spec script for a television series in first run on either network or cable as of September 16, 2009 and one original spec pilot teleplay, both in either the half-hour or one-hour format. The deadline for all submissions is 6P on November 30, 2009.

It is our hope that the Project will provide increased access to WGAW members from groups that have been historically underemployed in television and will also be of benefit to showrunners and other executives who are staffing television shows by creating a strong pool of diverse candidates for their hiring consideration.

WGAW members interested in participating in the Project should carefully read this description.

Judging process:

Scripts will be submitted to a panel of WGAW members including current and former showrunners and writer-producers, who will serve as judges for the Project. There will be two rounds of judging. Writers whose scripts are selected by the first round judges will be considered semi-finalists. These scripts will be automatically submitted to a second round of judging, which will result in the selection of finalists in each category. These final selections will be made available to showrunners and other hiring executives for their consideration in the upcoming television staffing season. All judging will be on the basis of blind submissions; no names or other identifying information will appear on the literary material submitted to the judges. Judges will be required to return or delete the literary material upon completion of judging. Judges will not read spec scripts for shows on which they are or have been employed.

Please note: First round judging will be on the basis of the spec script submission only. In the second round, judges will have the option of reading both the spec and the pilot script. There is no guarantee that pilot scripts will be read as part of the judging process, but they remain a requirement for submission (see below).

Project guidelines:

As of September 16, 2009, a Project participant must be a Current Active (including Lifetime Current) or Post-Current Active member in good standing of the WGAW. If submission is made by a writing team, both writers must be Current Active or Post-Current Active members in good standing of the WGAW. All dues must be current at the time of application. If your membership status is listed as “In Arrears”, please contact the Dues Department at 323-782-4351 in order to arrange for payment in full (payment can be made by credit card) before submitting your application. WE CANNOT MAKE EXCEPTIONS TO THE ABOVE REQUIREMENTS.

1. Each Project participant must be a member of one of the groups represented by a diversity committee at the WGAW, or a writing team comprised of at least one such person.


2. Scripts will judged in five categories:
   
   Category 1: Minority writers
   Category 2: Writers with disabilities
   Category 3: Women writers
   Category 4: Writers age 55 and over (as of September 16, 2009)
   Category 5: Gay and Lesbian writers


3. Writers shall specify the category in which they wish to be considered and shall only submit in one category.


4. Participants must have the following work experience: (a) past employment in one half-hour or hour staff writing position under WGA jurisdiction; and (b) EITHER one produced, credited television script OR one pilot teleplay written or sold under WGA jurisdiction in a half-hour or hour format.


5. Participants must submit two pieces of literary material: (a) one spec script for a series that currently has episodes in first run (on network or cable); and (b) one spec pilot script. NOTE: (1) Episodic scripts written while on staff or as a freelance writer for a television series are not eligible for consideration. (2) Participants may not submit spec scripts that have been sold or are currently optioned to any company. Participants must submit a pilot and spec script in the same genre (drama or comedy).


6. Please be advised that spec scripts should include characters and situations in keeping with the current season’s usage in order to receive the most favorable response from judges. Judges will be advised that they can reject scripts that are improperly formatted or have an unacceptable number of typographical errors.


7. Spec scripts submitted last year to the 2008-09 Writer Access Project are not eligible for re-submission – writers must submit a new spec script to be eligible for the 2009-10 Writer Access Project. However, the same pilot script may be submitted.


8. Participants may make separate submissions for the half-hour and the one-hour formats only if they have two pieces of material for each (four different pieces of material altogether).


9. Participants must submit an application and signed release form together with the submitted material. Forms may be downloaded below.
   


10. Participants must submit proof of WGA script registration or copyright registration for each piece of submitted material.

Project timetable:

1. The deadline for all submissions (including literary material, application, signed release form and proof of registration) is 6P Monday, November 30, 2009. Participants will receive an e-mail acknowledgement when their completed application has been received.


2. Participants will be notified by e-mail of the results of the judging process in both the semi-final and final round.


3. It is anticipated that final selections will be made by March 10, 2010.

If you have any questions about the submission process or the criteria for submission, please contact the Diversity Department at Diversity with “Writer Access Project” in the subject line, or call 323-782-4589.

Application Form (.pdf)
Release Form (.pdf)