Exactly. 😂

⭕️ Finish Line: 3x. Finalist first try. Honorable Men. second try. Waiting on 3rd try. ⭕️ Final Draft. 1 try. Semi-Finalist (9 yrs ago). ⭐️ ISA: 4th place, won $3k (9 yrs ago). ⛔️ Starz Take The Lead: 2 tries. Nothing. Applied several times ~10 yrs ago: PAGE, Slamdance, Tracking B. Never placed.

More programs I forgot about, including contests: ⭐️ The Stunt List: Submitted once and got it (Originals Bureau). ⭕️ Catalyst Content Festival (FKA SeriesFest): Semi-Finalist 1st try and never applied again. ⭕️ Tracking Board Launchpad: Top 50-Top 100 maybe 4 times? Applied 6ish times. [Cont]

Programs I forgot about! ⭕️ OWL Workshop. Shortlisted on 1st try. Will apply again. ⭕️ Sundance Screenwriting Lab. 5 times. Second Round on 1st try. Then nothing. ⭕️ 1497 Lab: 3 times. Semi-Finalist 2nd time. Will apply again. ⭕️ Antigravity Academy: 1 time. Semi-Finalist. Will apply again.

I love your list and use it and tell people about it all the time! Will take a look to see if I have updated programs for you!

So basically. Some places I’ve tried 8x times and gotten nothing. Some I’ve tried once and gotten in. And most is everywhere in between. There is no magic method to get in except a) Having an EXCEPTIONAL sample b) being GREAT at selling yourself in the essay/interview and c) tenacity. That’s it!

And now the most fun one! Programs I’ve applied to and never gotten in: ⛔️ Sundance Episodic Lab: 8 different scripts/tries. Nothing. ⛔️ Film Independent Lab: Same stats as above. ⛔️ Disney/ABC: 14 different scripts (they require 2) across 7 tries. Nothing. ⛔️ FOX Writers Lab: 2 tries, nothing.

⭕️ Support.Her (now defunct): Finlaist on first try. ⭕️ Almanack Episodic Lab: Finalist on first try. Will apply again. ⭕️ AFF: 3 tries. Second-rounder on third try. Became ineligible after staffing. ⭕️ BAFTA Breakthrough: 3 tries. Top 30 on first try, then nothing. [Continued]

Now all the ones I’ve been a finalist in that I didn’t get into: ⭕️ WB Writers Workshop (now defunct): Applied 6 times. Second round on 6th try. Got staffed and had to withdraw. ⭕️ NBC WOTV/Launch: Applied 6 times. Semi-Finalist on 3rd try. Withdrew 6th try bec staffed [Continued]

⭐️ Rideback Rise: Applied 3 times. Got Circle twice (capped at 2). Never gotten a finalist interview for the fellowship. ⭐️ Unlock Her Potential: 1 out of 2 programs I’ve gotten on the first try. ⭐️ Big Pivot: The only other program I e gotten into on the first try. [Continued]

⭐️ Moonshot Initiative: 3 tries, 3 scripts. Semi-finalist 1st try. Nothing on the 2nd. Fellow on the 3rd. ⭐️ Orchard Project Episodic Lab: 3 tries/scripts. Finalist 1st try. Nothing 2nd. Fellow 3rd. ⭐️ IFFLA Launchpad: Finalist 1st try but didn’t win the $10k grant. Will apply again. [Continued]

Programs I got into: ⭐️ CBS/Paramount: 5 tries, 10 different scripts (CBS wants a new spec and pilot every year). Finalist on 2nd try. Fellow on 5th. ⭐️ CAPE: 5 tries, 5 scripts. Finalist on 4th try. Got in on 5th try 5 years after the 4th try (was staffed in between) [Continued below]

Off my Moonshot announcement, I‘ve been getting a lot of Q’s about fellowships and how to get in. The one I want to focus on is how many tries and scripts it takes to get into programs. People assume you apply once and get it. Nothing could be father from the truth. Here’s my fellowship breakdown:

Next week I’m pitching my show and tomorrow is practice pitch with a showrunner in the fellowship I’m in. And this is my horoscope. 💫

Screenwriting Reddit is filled with people who have never worked in Hollywood who are absolutely convinced they know how it works in Hollywood.

Super stoked to be a part of Moonshot’s Pilot Accelerator! We get to pitch our bad-ass shows to 20 studios and production companies including ABC, Hulu, Netflix and HBO in a few weeks. LET’S GO!

The more studios continue to eat each other, the more indie film, digital series, narrative podcasts, books and other mediums of storytelling are going to thrive. This is where we’re being driven whether we like it or not. So let’s make it happen our way. 💪

Kalos was in the CAPE Writers Program. Lauren is a CBS Writers Mentoring Program alum. Don’t let anyone tell you fellowships don’t lead to immense success! Sometimes immediately, sometimes down the road. But eventual success all the same. As an alum of both fellowships I’m SUPER stoked for them! 🎊

It randomly rained in my area for 3 minutes. I got so excited and now it’s stopped. 😢

Woman: “My doctor told me I don’t need more exercise I need a different diet.” Her friend: “That doesn’t sound right. Did you ask ChatGPT?” We are cooked, fam. Cooked.