Spec scripts, first timers, fellowships and more! Your time is now. 🔥

Boo hoo, the market's dead. It's not! It's transforming. And actively looking for new talent as evidenced by Backrooms, Obsession and the spec script market that's alive and well. Check out the stories below and think about where you are now and what you really want to achieve from your writing. From being here. And what stands in your way.

If you have a vision and a voice, now's the time to take it to the next level.

The spec market is still alive in 2026. Studios and streamers have kept buying original specs and pitches this year, continuing the rebound that started in 2025. The takeaway for you is not "chase the market." It is that original material with a strong hook is selling again. The writers getting reads are the ones who finished something distinct and were ready when the call came.

First-time and emerging writer-directors owned Sundance this year. Beth de Araújo's "Josephine" sold to Sumerian in a seven-figure competitive deal. Australian writer-director Adrian Chiarella made his major debut with the queer horror film "Leviticus," bought by Neon. Nigerian-born Olive Nwosu, a Sundance Lab alum, took a Special Jury Prize. Different countries, different genres, same lesson. A specific, personal story with a clear voice still cuts through.

The Nicholl window is open. Deadline is July 20. Submissions for the 2026-2027 Academy Nicholl Fellowships opened June 22 and close July 20 at 5pm PT, or when 2,000 scripts are in, whichever hits first. That cap matters. Every year writers wait too long and the door shuts early. If you have a finished feature you believe in, this is the most prestigious free-to-enter shot you'll get all year. Up to five $35,000 fellowships. No agent required. Just the script.

A viral short became a Sundance feature. Again. Casper Kelly, the mind behind the cult Adult Swim short "Too Many Cooks," landed his feature debut "Buddy" at Sundance 2026, picked up by Roadside Attractions and Saban Films. This is the whole game in one story. He made a strange, personal short. It found an audience. That audience became a career. You do not need permission to make the thing that gets you noticed.

Palm Springs ShortFest just wrapped, and it's a talent pipeline. The festival ran June 23-29, screening 329 films pulled from a record 7,000-plus submissions. Over 100 alumni films have gone on to Oscar nominations. Short film is the most honest proving ground there is. You control the whole thing, and a strong one travels. If a feature feels like climbing a wall, a short is a door.

Discussion question: For those of you sitting on a finished feature right now, what's actually stopping you from entering Nicholl before July 20? Name the real reason in the comments. Let's talk it through.

Ready to go deeper? Premium Membership is where the real work happens. Live coaching, script feedback, and the full Emotional Authorship method that turns a good idea into a script that lands. If you're serious about finishing something that sells, this is your room. Upgrade today and start joining us on our 2x weekly coaching calls.

And speaking of transformations, keep your eyes on this space. Something is coming that's going to change how you approach your writing from the ground up. I've been building it quietly, and it's almost ready. When it drops, it will transform your journey as a screenwriter. You'll want to be here when it does.

13 comments

Spec scripts, first timers, fellowships and more! Your time is now. 🔥