Hollywood is looking for veteran writers like you

The Writers Guild Foundation has put out a call for applicants for a veteran-specific screenwriting mentorship program.

The program, The Veterans Writing Project, lasts one year and provides around 50 veterans with the opportunity to work with a mentor to grow and develop screenwriting skills. The program is free and welcomes military veterans and active-duty service members who are U.S. citizens.

The deadline to apply is Friday, March 26 at 11:59 pm PST.

Applicants and program details

Interested applicants can head to the WGF’s website to fill out their application and provide a resume, a short personal statement, a copy of his or her DD-214, sample loglines (ideas for stories) and a 10 or fewer page writing sample. From there, applicants may be selected for a phone or Zoom interview.

The WGF will pair veterans with an experienced mentor who is an active member of the Writers Guild of America, one of the country’s foremost entertainment writers unions.

The program begins with a weekend retreat in July and weekly meetings through June 2022 at WGF’s Shavelson-Webb Library in Los Angeles. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, sessions will begin virtually via Zoom and in-person meetings will commence when social distancing guidelines allow. Though the program is free, selectees who live outside of the Los Angeles area will need to pay for transportation and lodging expenses.

Veterans turned Hollywood stars

Veterans who have gone on to become Hollywood stars are plentiful.

Comedian and actor Rob Riggle is most well-known for his roles in “The Hangover” and “21 Jump Street.” However, he also served as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, with deployments in Liberia, Kosovo, Albania and Afghanistan.

Adam Driver, the American actor who is best known for his Academy Award nomination for best actor in “Marriage Story” and for playing Kylo Ren in the “Star Wars” sequel trilogy, is also a veteran of the Marine Corps. He also co-founded Arts in the Armed Forces, a nonprofit that brings theater to U.S. troops.

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