By: Laura Huie
As we reach the end of 2022, we want to take a moment to review and celebrate the biggest moments of the year at Shore Scripts.
Across all our annual contests for features, television, and short films, we are so grateful to all our participants, as well as our Judges, Readers, and behind-the-scenes team who dedicate their time and effort to supporting screenwriters and opening doors in the entertainment industry.
Without further ado, let’s jump into our 2022 review of the year!
We want to congratulate all the writers who have graciously shared their work with us this year. With so many great stories, we are sure that a large number of this year’s participants will go on to have successful careers in the industry.
When a bumbling podcaster chronicles his journey to Florida to confront his biological father and finds out he got the wrong guy, he learns he’s not just on the hunt for a good Christmas story he’s searching for the family he didn’t know he needed.
A geriatric punk re-forms a 1980s eco-terrorist group in a Cheshire retirement home to plot one last triumphant act of eco-sabotage against the UK’s nuclear future.
A sedentary pensioner must find the inner fire to fight his local council before he is turned into a coffee shop.
A driver for a family transportation business has to find an open medical bed for a long-time alcoholic involuntarily committed for medical detox by the state, which turns out to be more difficult than it should be.
A murder in Cold War East Berlin draws a disgraced British intelligence officer and a cynical German detective into a conspiracy of espionage, scientific discovery, and the future (and past) of the world.
We could not make such great things happen for our writers without the people who dedicate their time to making authentic connections with new talent. As Shore Scripts enters into a new year, our list of Judges, Industry members, and Directors continues to grow. We want to take a moment to express our appreciation to those who joined Shore Scripts in 2023.
Katie Dickie is a multiple award-winning Scottish actress. Her numerous film credits include RED ROAD, THE WITCH, TELL IT TO THE BEES, GET DUKED! and THE SILENT STORM, FILTH, and Ridley Scott’s PROMETHEUS.
Michael Hyatt can currently be seen on the FX series SNOWFALL and the Sony feature film adaptation, WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING. Her television credits include THE WEST WING, THE WIRE, and TRUE DETECTIVE.
Kirstie MacDonald started her television career at World Productions where she script edited many shows including BAFTA-winning THE COPS, OUTLAWS, THE FEAR, LINE OF DUTY, and SAVE ME before exec producing the true-crime dramas.
Sean Charles is a Development & Production Manager at ALLBLK an AMC Networks property. He is responsible for producing and developing all original content for the streaming service.
BEST 3 COVERAGE SCRIPTS MONTHLY INITIATIVE
This year, we decided to go even further in our support of new and emerging screenwriters with our Best 3 Coverage Scripts monthly initiative. The Top 3 scripts submitted each month to our Coverage Service are sent with the writer’s approval to industry execs for their consideration. A huge thank you to these agents and managers who are taking part in this initiative and always looking to represent new writers.
Looking for the most comprehensive screenplay coverage in the business? Click here to learn more about our Coverage Service.
PUBLISHING THE ANATOMY SERIES
Here at Shore Scripts, educating and championing new writers is at the forefront of our mission. We have a wide range of screenwriting articles for writers to learn the craft and hone their ideas. This year we created the Publishing the Anatomy series with the goal of breaking down and analyzing what makes our previous contest-winning scripts the best of the best. We want this series to create greater transparency about what it takes for a script to become a winner.
HERE’S TO THE NEW YEAR!
We’re so excited to see the writing talent that 2023 has to offer, and we’re honored to be a part of so many screenwriters’ journeys. All great and transformative stories begin with sitting down to write—and Shore Scripts is here to support writers’ careers every step of the way.
That’s why in 2023 we’re introducing the Shore Scripts Development Fund!
The Script Development Fund is an exciting new opportunity that has been established to help emerging screenwriters find the precious time needed to finish their screenplay. Many aspiring writers struggle to find the time to write whilst supporting themselves and their families financially in other paid work. The cash awarded in this contest is intended to finance greater freedom for writers, be that taking time off work, attending a writer’s retreat, or any other way the writer sees fit that will help them find time to write.
Two Winners will receive:
● Grand Prize Winner – a cash grant of $2,000.
● 2nd Place Prize – a cash grant of $1,000.
● Both Winners will receive multiple rounds of FREE script coverage and development from Lee Hamilton, Head of Development at Shore Scripts over the following year.
● Top 5 Finalists will each receive a free 3-Page coverage report.
So, there’s a lot to look forward to next year, let’s get ready to jump into 2023!
Don’t miss a deadline. Download our Contest Calendar!
Laura Huie is an experienced writer and editor involved in comedy-drama screenwriting, fiction editing, and full-time marketing copy. Laura is also a freelance article writer for Shore Scripts and has worked with Script Pipeline on their live Symposium series. She is one-half of the screenwriting duo, Bloom & Huie. Together, they have written multiple television series, as well as a feature-length film. Their mission is to write honest and witty female stories wrapped up in unbelievable worlds.
