A new diversity initiative aims to provide opportunities for underrepresented TV and film writers over 45 years old. It comes from Roadmap Writers, which has said it will help writers chosen for its “Empowering and Lifting Up Writers Over 45” effort to market themselves and their screenplays to industry executives and representatives.
“Knowing the amount of valuable life experiences writers over 45 hold, having often transitioned from a first or even second career, it’s unfair that the industry isn’t more excited to accept their beautiful, lived-in stories,” Roadmap Writers cofounder and CEO Joey Tuccio said in a statement. “Roadmap Writers continues to support and elevate writers of all points of view, and we’re excited to find exciting voices from this initiative and do what we can to push their screenwriting careers forward!”
The program is seeking writers over 45 who don’t currently have literary representation as of January 2024. Interested writers can submit their scripts and loglines for consideration here.
Selected scripts will be shared with industry contacts to help writers potentially find representation, get on a television staff and/or sell scripts. The application window is open until Thursday, Feb. 8.
Roadmap Writers provides a variety of training to writers that involves connecting them with members of the entertainment industry, developing their pitching and meeting skills and polishing their work. The organization touts that it has helped more than 370 writers to find representation since its founding in 2016. Roadmap Writers alumni have staffed on shows for streamers including Amazon, Paramount+ and Peacock, as well as setting up shows with other platforms including Hulu and Starz.
