How do I join a writers group?
Contact the moderator of the group you want to join at the email address listed on the Writers Groups page.

How much does it cost?
Nothing. Writers groups associated with the Scriptwriters Network are not allowed to charge a fee of any kind to join. However, some groups agree on splitting external costs such as renting a confernce room or running a meetup.com group.

When do you meet?
Each group is run independently and chooses its own meeting time and frequency. Most groups meet once month, some meet weekly.

Where do you meet?
It's up to each group to find a location. Some meet in bookstores, coffee shops or restaurants, while others meet in private residences or perhaps in a conference room that one of the member's has access to.

What do we do when we meet?
The focus of each meeting is to provide feedback on members' screenplays. Many groups focus on one full-length feature script per meeting. The script is distributed to all members in advance of the meeting and feedback is often provided both in written form and verbally. Other groups have all members bring in 10-15 pages per meeting, giving each attendee a turn to have their pages evaluated by the group. Groups may also choose to do a table read of the pages/script at the meeting rather than having members read the material in advance.

Who can join?
Each group defines its own criteria for membership. Some may be geared toward beginning screenwriters, some may be open only to more advanced writers. Some are open to anyone, others may request a writing sample to evaluate before accepting a new member. No group associated with the Scriptwriters Network may discriminate on the basis of race, creed, gender, sexual orientation, etc. If you feel any such discrimination has occurred within a group lised on our site, please contact writersgroups@scriptwritersnetwork.org immediately.

Do I have to be a member of the Scriptwriters Network to join a writers group?
No, but why wouldn't you want to be? Look at all the benefits!!!

How big are the groups?
Usually between five and ten people. With less than five, groups tend to fall apart. With more than ten, meetings become unruly and people wait too long to get feedback on their work.

Will I get feedback on my script from a writers group?
Yes. Absolutely. Keep in mind, however, that as a courtesy to the other members, you shoud not join a writes group with the intent to "dine and dash" -- to get feedback on your script without returning the favor. This is considered stealing time from everyone in the group. Most groups expect (and some require) new members to give feedback for a set number of meetings before they can have their work submitted to the group. An added benefit to such a policy is that new writers often learn more about what does and doesn't work in screenwriting by reading other members' screenplays and recognizing the same mistakes in those scripts that they make in their own.

If you are unable to commit to participating regularly in a writers group, you may instead be interested in submitting your script to the Hollywood Outreach Program, which provides at least two pieces of studio-style coverage for every script submitted.

Will a writers group be able to get my script produced or get it to a studio, production comapny, agent or manager?
Writers groups provide feedback to writers on their scripts. If you choose to incorporate the group's notes when you rewrite your script or apply what you've learned to your next sript, it may improve your writing to the point where your script will be more atractive to producers.

Keep in mind, as a regular participant in a writers group, you will be making connections with other writers who might be in a position to help your career in the future. You just never know.

Also, once you've improved your script with input from your writers group, you should consider submitting it to the Hollywood Outreach Program. Scripts that are recommended by this program are made available to productions companies, agents and managers with whom the Scriptwriters Network has a relationship.

I have a great idea for a screenplay. Can I get someone in a writers group to write it for me?
Most writers in a writers group have plenty of their own story ideas to write about. They are happy to give you advice on how to improve a completed first draft of your screenplay. If you have not already completed a first draft of a screenplay, the writers groups program may not be of much value to you.

Of course, some writers may be willing to write a script for you for hire (for pay, as in for actual money), though soliciting this type of work is not the function of a writers group.

Can I find writers to collaborate with in a writers group?
It is always possible for members of a writers group to "click" personally and decide to collaborate on a script together, though this is not a primary function of a writers group.

How do I know other members of the writers group won't steal my idea?
All scripts submitted to a writers group are to be treated as confidential. Any member who violates this rule may be immediately ejected from the group. Group members are on the honor system. The longer you stay with your writers group, the stronger the trust will be built between you and your fellow writers group members. Remember, most writers have plenty of their own ideas to write about. (If you are still concerned about this, you should register your work for copyright protection. Keep in mind, however, that copyright does not protect an idea, only the expression of an idea.)

The group hated my script and it's brilliant. What do they know?
They don't know nothing. Screenplay analysis and (constructive) criticism is all very subjective. Don't be defensive. Don't take it personally. Listen to their comments carefully (and appreciatively) and take careful notes on what they are telling you. Step away from the script for a week or a month to get some distance from it, then look over the notes again and see if you can understand where they might be coming from.

Maybe there was something that didn't make it from your mind to the page and its absence is what confused them. Or maybe you're right and it's perfect the way it is and you'll show them when it makes $100m at the box office. Who knows?

I have a question that wasn't answered here.
Contact writersgroups@scriptwritersnetwork.org.

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