The Veterans Writing Project

Eligibility and project requirements

Applicants must be a veteran of the United States military, a US citizen or permanent resident, and at least 21 years old. Non-veterans may apply only if their writing partner meets all eligibility requirements, and a team is admitted only if both applicants demonstrate sufficient skill. You need a clear interest in writing for film and television, knowledge of screenwriting fundamentals and some scriptwriting experience personal or professional, and must commit to completing one full screenplay or television pilot during the programme and to attending all meetings. Veterans who took part in 2015 or later cannot return, though previously unsuccessful applicants are encouraged to reapply. You cannot work on an existing project with your mentors: you must develop a new concept from start to finish. The Foundation states the programme is not recommended for anyone entirely new to screenwriting, anyone interested only in business contacts or in workshopping an existing script, or anyone wanting to write a personal or autobiographical story.

Formats

Feature, TV Pilot

Eligibility

US residents21+

Open to

United States

Deadlines & fees

Dates and fees checked against the official site 19 Oct 2026.

Prepare your entry

Prizes

No cash, stipend or grant of any kind. The value is instruction and access: ten months developing one complete television pilot or feature script under working WGA writers, in a small group of four to six peers with two or three mentors matched to your format and genre, and on completion a pitch opportunity to industry executives, managers, agents and showrunners. Tuition is free thanks to donors. THE REAL COST IS GETTING THERE: the Foundation states plainly that those from outside the Los Angeles area are expected to cover their own transportation and lodging. Sessions are typically at the Foundation's Shavelson-Webb Library in Los Angeles, currently hosted online via Zoom with some in-person events, and the cycle opens with an in-person weekend retreat. Monthly workshops run Tuesday evenings Pacific time, so a participant outside the US must also be available on Pacific evenings for ten months. RIGHTS: none published. No option, first refusal, exclusivity, development consideration or misappropriation waiver appears anywhere on the programme pages.

Judging

Assessed by a committee comprised of writers and showrunners, most of whom serve as mentors in the programme; individual mentors are not named. Interviews are possible but not guaranteed. Applicants rank three format and genre preferences, which drive group placement. Note that the early-bird deadline buys process advantage rather than a discount, since there are no fees at all: it offers early review by the admissions committee and a smaller pool of competing candidates in the first round, though all admission decisions are released on the same date regardless of when you apply. Mentor notes run throughout the ten months for participants; no evaluation is offered to unsuccessful applicants.

Frequently asked questions