Shore Scripts TV Pilot Mentorship Program
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The Shore Scripts TV Writer Mentorship Program prepares writers to get staffed or have their pilot picked up, while offering behind-the-scenes looks at working on top TV shows. This isn’t your typical screenwriting contest! It’s a one-of-a-kind game-changing experience to level up your TV writing career.
TV WRITER MENTORSHIP PROGRAM
This year, SIX winners will be invited to attend our 8-week TV Writer Mentorship Program where writers will meet over a series of sessions that will include meeting with:
- Showrunner Beth Schwartz (ARROW, SWEET TOOTH, DEAD BOY DETECTIVES)
- Dev Exec Duane Luu, Director of Drama Development at NBCUniversal
- Industry Leader Karen Horne, who ran the NBC and Warner Discover programs for over a decade
- 1:1 mentorship with TV Writers from YOUNG SHELDON, AVATAR:THE LAST AIRBENDER, SUPERMAN & LOIS, DEXTER: ORIGINAL SIN
- Sean Charles, Development & Production Manager at AMC Networks
- David Katsman, Manager (Sugar23 | TRUE DETECTIVE, DICKINSON)
- 1:1 work with Shore Scripts' Writer Development Manager
- And more!
In an intimate, small group setting writers will get an insider’s look at what it’s really like to work in a TV writers' room, develop the pitch-perfect presentation to help them land rep and writing gigs alike, and get their most pressing questions answered with direct mentorship from established industry pros.
Plus, writers will be part of a close-knit community of TV Pilot winners and Shore Script staff who will support you every step of the way. This experience is a career-defining opportunity that will open doors and shape writers’ future in the TV industry!
With the rise of TV since the advent of streaming, the prestige of the showrunner, and the growth of the writer's room, there has never been a better time to set your sights on a writing career in the industry. Backed by our unique Writer Development Program, our alumni have gone on to write and get staffed on shows for Netflix, HBO, HULU, Universal, SYFY, FOX, Sony, and SkyTV. Take a look at some of our successes.
This year’s panel of EMMY & BAFTA Judges will be selecting both ½-hour and 1-hour pilot script winners to attend our inaugural TV Writers Mentorship Program. We welcome submissions from writers around the world creating ongoing shows or limited series.
The 2025 JUDGES PANEL includes:
Randall Keenan Winston, Emmy-nominated Writer & Producer - SHRINKING, GRACE & FRANKIE, COUGAR TOWN, SCRUBS.
Emma Luffingham, Development Exec and Producer – SHOWTRIAL, THE GOOD KARMA HOSPITAL, THE DIPLOMAT
Bill Thomas, Showrunner, Director, Prop Maker – STAR WARS, HARRY POTTER films, V FOR VENDETTA, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, JAMES BOND, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES.
Joseph Mallozzi, Writer & Producer – STARGATE SG-1, DARK MATTER, TRANSPORTER: THE SERIES.
See the full list of our TV Pilot Judges here - http://www.shorescripts.com/judges/.
FOR ALL THE INFO: https://www.shorescripts.com/tv/.
SHORE SCRIPTS | DISCOVERING NEW SCREENWRITING TALENT FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
Benefits
* Comprehensive 8-Week TV Writer Mentorship Program for 6 Winners. This year, 3 winners in each ½ hr and 1-hour pilot category will win spots in our career-changing Shore Scripts TV Writers Mentorship Program. The Program will include weekly Zoom sessions over 8-weeks in the fall of 2025 where participants will have sessions with showrunners, development execs, mentors, agents and managers, and more.
MENTORSHIP PROGRAM SCHEDULE
(a Zoom-based program) Please note that this program is subject to change based on the guest speaker’s schedules. If something needs to be updated, we will ensure it is an equally valuable session.
WITH SARAH EAGEN & AJIT SAMRA
The kickoff to the entire program! Meet the Shore Scripts staff, get to know fellow winners, run through expectations for the lab, get your questions answered, and dive into notes sessions on your winning scripts.
NOTE: This week each winner will also meet 1:1 with our Writer Development Manager.
WITH KAREN HORNE
Meet with industry leader Karen Horne, who served as SVP of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion for Warner Bros Discovery as well SVP of Talent Development & Inclusion for NBC. This session will focus on presenting yourself as a writer, pitching your work, and navigating the industry.
WITH SUGAR23 & MORE!
Meet with reps including manager David Katsman of Sugar23 to chat about how to take meetings, how they decide which writers to take on, and what makes a healthy rep/client relationship.
WITH PROFESSIONAL ACTORS!
Each script will get a scheduled Zoom table read by professional actors. Hear your work read aloud, meet some incredible artists, and celebrate your winning pilot script!
WITH DUANE LUU
Meet with Duane Luu, Director of Drama Development at Universal Content Productions (SUITS, THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY, TED) to discuss what it looks like to take meetings with development executives at major studios. What they look for when staffing their shows, tips and advice for pitching your original work, and how to make your writing stand out.
WITH MARIE CHENG, JAI JAMISON, KATIE MATHEWSON, TERESA HUANG, & MORE!
Each writer will have 1:1 meetings with working TV writers, reps, and/or production companies – based on your script and your individual goals. Put the skills & insights of the last several weeks to use – and walk away with some great connections or even representation! Mentors currently on board are Marie Cheng (YOUNG SHELDON), Jai Jamison (SUPERMAN & LOIS), Katie Mathewson (DEXTER: ORIGINAL SIN), and Teresa Huang (AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER).
WITH BETH SCHWARTZ
Meet with legendary Showrunner Beth Schwartz (ARROW, SWEET TOOTH, DEAD BOY DETECTIVES) Learn what really goes into showrunner meetings, what Beth looks for for in staff writers, how a writers’ room works – and if there’s time, we’ll host a mock writer’s room session where you break story on a pretend episode of a popular show!
GUESTS TO BE ANNOUNCED
An exciting send off to wrap up this 2 month program! Give your perfected elevator pitches to the Shore Script staff, TV Pilot finalists, and some exciting industry guests. Solidify the community you’ve been building and walk away with clear next steps for your TV writing career!
WITH SARAH EAGEN
In addition to the main sessions, there will be weekly check in calls to answer questions, prepare for upcoming meetings, and provide the opportunity for connecting with fellow winners. Mini sessions may include topics like social media presence and websites, understanding the writers room hierarchy, different pathways into TV, preparing for agent/manager meetings, and more.
With prep calls and support from the Shore Scripts staff, each session will cover distinct subject matter that will help writers move toward working in television. Additionally, writers will build community with one another, supporting each other’s goals and writing. This is a once-in-a-lifetime program!
* 5 Additional Finalists in each of the ½ hr and 1-hour pilot categories will be invited to attend an online mixer as part of the TV Writer Mentorship Program. The mixer will include Shore Scripts Staff, Mentorship Program winners, and special industry guests. Get your questions answered, network, and become part of a larger TV Writing community!
* All of our Winners and Finalists have the opportunity to participate in our Writer Development Program receiving one-to-one support from our Writer Development Manager who will send out scripts to our roster of over 300 Managers, Agents, Producers, and Directors. This bespoke and personal approach to script circulation, built on knowing what our roster members are looking for, and what our writers wish to achieve, is what makes Shore Scripts stand out from the crowd, and has enabled us to help launch the careers of over 100 screenwriters to date.
Placing in Shore Scripts contests will boost your rating on Coverfly’s Red List. At the end of 2024, over 100 scripts by Shore Scripts writers were listed in Coverfly's Top 10%.
Plus, every writer who enters will receive a FREE 18-page booklet on HOW TO GET YOUR SCREENPLAY PRODUCED.
Writer Success
Announcements
Rules
* ½-Hour Pilots should be within 20-35 Pages. 1-Hour Pilots should be within 40-65 Pages.
* Writers can exceed the recommended limits by up to 15 pages, with an additional fee of $1 per page.
* Please only submit the first episode/pilot of your TV series.
* Writers from all countries are welcome to enter. All scripts must be written in English.
* The script must be the writer’s original work. Adaptations are accepted but the writer must own all copyright. At no point will Shore Scripts ever have any rights over your work.
* All ages are welcome.
* Each writer, or writing team, may not have earned more than $50,000 in screenwriting fees in the preceding 18 months. This clause is in place to help us support emerging talent. (Contest & Fellowship awards and writing fees received outside of fiction screenwriting do not count toward this total).
* Please only include the Script Title on the cover page.
* You may enter a newer draft of an already submitted script. There will be a small additional fee as the script will be reread. You may re-enter your script through the Resubmission page.
* A writer can enter as many scripts in as many categories as they wish.
* If a script is optioned or purchased during the competition, then it will no longer be eligible for the contest.
* Scripts should be in standard formatting and submitted electronically as a PDF.
* We accept all genres, including animation. It’s absolutely fine if your script is a combination of multiple genres or sub-genres. If that’s the case, use the Coverfly Genre dropdown to indicate the main genre on your submission, and make a note of other Genres, and any other information you feel will be relevant to the reader in the Comment to Reader field.
* The winners consent to Shore Scripts using their name, script title, and any other relevant information for promotional purposes on their website. This will be used to inform other contestants and the media of the results.
* If Shore Scripts helps a writer gain representation, option, sell, or have his/her screenplay produced, then we are entitled to state this on our website and on any other platform, whenever we see fit.
* Shore Scripts staff and associates are ineligible to enter.
* The decision of Shore Scripts is final. By applying to this contest each participant agrees to hold Shore Scripts, our judges, and sponsors immune from any competition disputes, claims, liabilities, and expenses.
* By entering Shore Scripts, you authorize us to use any trusted third-party online, cloud-based, and email services and databases for hosting, managing, and/or sending/transmitting your submission file(s).
* If we see fit, we can extend the final deadline for the competition. (Please note that this has never yet happened).
FOR ALL THE RULES & FAQ: https://www.shorescripts.com/rules-faq/#tv-rules.