Screenwriting Blog

When writers decide they want to be a professional writer for television, they usually have a few different endgames in mind. Some writers want to work in a writers' room, where they collaborate with other writers to break stories and write storylines based on the show's creator's original premise and characters. And for some writers, they ultimately want to be that showrunner, also called the executive producer in the credits. No matter your goal, if you want to become any person on the writing staff, you'll need to have a basic understanding of how a TV writers' room is structured. To help us out with the topic ... Continue reading

"A hell of a day. A hell of a pair." That's the tagline for the Netflix action-thriller "Point Blank." And you know what? We know one heck of a writer who penned the script! Screenwriter Adam G. Simon started his career as a TV, film, and theater actor before writing and starring in his first film, "Synapse." He also wrote "Man Down," directed by Dito Montiel, starring Shia LaBeouf, Kate Mara, Gary Oldman, and Jai Courtney, and co-wrote a remake of the action thriller "The Raid" with Joe Carnahan. In 2021 he and his business partner at Boxcar Pictures Andrea Bucko produced "On Our Way," written and directed ... Continue reading

People often presume that careers in the film industry are all extremely high paying, but that's not always the case. As screenwriters, we write because we're passionate about the medium, as well as storytelling. So, while writing might not always be as lucrative as people outside of Hollywood imagine, we write because we love what we do. That doesn't mean we can't all aspire to strive and make more! Every screenwriter dreams of the day that they'll sell a script for big bucks! But what kind of big bucks should we be dreaming of anyway, and who's making them? Today I'm exploring ... Continue reading

Internship Alert! There are SO many more remote opportunities for film industry internships than ever before. Are you looking for internships this fall? If you can earn college credit, there may be an opportunity here for you. SoCreate is not affiliated with the following internship opportunities. Please direct all questions to the email address provided for each internship listing. Do you want to list an internship opportunity? Comment below with your listing and we'll add it to our page with the next update! Continue reading

Screenwriting competitions offer more than a shiny trophy or fancy certificate written in calligraphy. There are many reasons to enter a screenplay contest, and feedback on your script is one of them. Getting written feedback from an objective third party can help you take your screenwriting skills to the next level, offer insight you never considered before, and help you to understand where gaps may exist in your story. Then, if you enter a screenwriting competition again, you may be in the running to win! “As far as screenwriting competitions or contests, if you’re going to pay for one, make sure that it’s one that’s going ... Continue reading

Hey, doomscroller! Just kidding. If you're reading this, you're at least taking a short break from the social media rabbit hole to focus on all the things that are going right in this world, including your creative endeavors! But that doesn't forbid us from talking about social media, especially since we will focus on how social platforms like TikTok can amplify your creativity if you use them correctly. Today, I want to zoom in on TikTok for writers - how to use it, who to follow, and what to avoid. And I chose this topic because we're working on our own SoCreate TikTok account, so I wanted to share everything I've learned ... Continue reading

From Hollywood to Pakistan, screenwriters from around the globe tuned in to our Instagram Story to ask screenwriter Adam G. Simon questions about how to get their screenwriting careers off the ground. “I love contributing because no one really helped me,” he told the writing community. “I want more people to succeed. I want more people in. I want more people creating ideas. Before I broke in, I had negative 150 dollars in my bank account and a bag of scripts. It put me in a Screenwriter Adam G. Simon position where I had to do or die. It would have been nice to get some advice.”... Continue reading

You've probably heard of development executives, and you know they're the people behind the scenes that get your favorite TV shows and movies made. But what exactly do development executives do, really? Today I'm taking a bit of the mystery out of the film and TV development process. What is a development executive? A development executive is someone within a production company or studio whose responsibility is to find content that can be turned into a feature film or television show. They'll manage the various phases of development materials until a project is green-lit ... Continue reading

When we’re dreaming up new ways to help writers, we always think of the essentials: What do writers really need? We’ve tackled the challenge of a steady paycheck (“So, Write Your Bills Away!” and “Screenwriter Stimulus” challenges), quick wins (“SoCreate One-Page Screenplay” contest), and accountability (“Club Motivate with SoCreate”). We write tons of helpful content that’s published weekly to our blog. Next on our to-do list? Networking. Professional writers and just about any other person with a career in the film and television business will tell you that you won’t go far without connected friends ... Continue reading

SpongeBob SquarePants, May 1, 1999 - Marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg created the "SpongeBob SquarePants" cartoon series, which debuted on Nickelodeon on this day in history in 1999. It went on to be one of the most successful American animated series in history. The series follows a sea sponge and his friends, and many of the stories are based on Hillenburg's textbook about undersea life, called "The Intertidal Zone." It was renewed for a 13th season last year and has spawned three film spinoffs and more than $13 billion in merchandising revenue. The Celebration, May 2, 1998 ... Continue reading