Glenn Acosta, a recent winner of Stage32's sci-fi screenwriting competition, wrote an inspiring account of his multi-year journey from beginning screenwriter to consistently placing and winning a variety of screenwriting competitions. Give it a read and get motivated to keep writing.
https://www.talentville.com/snippet/from-rejection-to-recognition-a-scre...
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Was there any money from contests?
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Great share, Ben Cahan! It is motivation to keep writing.
“Drawn by the electric tension in the air, I wandered down to the boat dock — foolishly ignoring the storm swelling above. Lightning clawed across the sky in jagged, blinding branches. Then — CRACK! — a bolt struck the lake not far from where I stood, sending a shiver through the water... and through me. My heart pounded — but not just from the near miss. In that charged, adrenaline-soaked moment, a story sparked to life. What if a blind protagonist was struck by lightning... and saw a future murder? A fractured, flickering vision with almost no details. How would he stop it? And what if... it was his fiancée who was destined to die?”
It’s great to sit down and think of script ideas, but writers can also get ideas from events that happen around them/to them. And that’s why writers should carry a notebook, phone, voice recorder, etc. around with them.
Here’s what Glenn said in the article, Dan MaxXx:
“This year, my TV pilot CryoLife shattered expectations, winning three contests — including the Stage 32 Annual Sci-Fi Contest. The victory came with something every emerging screenwriter dreams of: industry access. Stage 32 arranged mentorship with a showrunner and lined up meetings with agents, producers, and literary managers — real opportunities to push my career forward.
Not long after, I landed a Zoom meeting with a producer and her reader who had requested CryoLife. They liked the script — the premise, the execution, the potential. For a moment, I felt the spark of possibility ignite again. But then reality hit.
“The industry’s in a contraction right now,” the producer explained. COVID. The writers’ strike. Studio cutbacks. Budgets had been slashed across the board, and only WGA writers were being considered for projects. She was blunt but kind — my script had impressed them, but hiring a non-union writer just wasn’t an option. “Budgets are everything now,” she added.
It wasn’t the outcome I’d hoped for, but it wasn’t a closed door either. She promised to keep me in mind when (not if) the industry recovers.
In the meantime, I’m gearing up for what comes next. Winning Stage 32’s contest opened doors I never thought possible, and I’m ready to make the most of every meeting, every mentorship, and every connection still to come.”
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I don't know what cash prizes are offered by various screenwriting contests, the gist of what Glenn was recounting related more to learning how to become a better writer and how his high placements and wins have fueled his ability to get connected with Industry folks.