# Prestige Screenwriting Contests Are Not Choosing The BEST Writers

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/storyray-podcast-7103059/prestige-screenwriting-contests-are-not-choosing-the-best-writers
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/storyray-podcast-7103059/prestige-screenwriting-contests-are-not-choosing-the-best-writers.md
Podcast: [StoryRay Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/storyray-podcast-7103059)
Published: 2026-07-07T18:02:49+00:00
Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/marlon37/episodes/Prestige-Screenwriting-Contests-Are-Not-Choosing-The-BEST-Writers-e3lpf1p
Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/1119343bc/podcast/play/122518009/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-6-7%2F427533203-44100-2-ee0a4b43ed102.mp3
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Duration seconds: 572

## Resource

Are #screenwriting contests like Nicholl Fellowship and Sundance actually selecting the BEST writers and BEST screenplays?Every year, aspiring screenwriters spend money entering contests and fellowships hoping this will be the thing that finally opens the door.There is a major difference between saying a program has a specific taste and saying it objectively discovers the “best” writers.That difference matters.In this video, I talk about the cottage industry built around the dream of becoming a screenwriter, why “it’s all subjective” usually gets said AFTER the money has already been collected, and why writers should be careful not to confuse so-called prestige with truth.It is about seeing the reality of the game writers are paying to play.Let’s talk about it. For a deeper dive check out my post on Substack .

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