Thanks for the info, Scott.

I wasn't aware that the Nicholl and AFF are the only contests that hold weight for agents/producers. But that's good to know.

And thanks for the Guide to Literary Agents link. Very helpful.

Other screenplay competitions may carry some heft as far as reps are concerned. And over time, this comp or that may evolve into a more influential one. But Nicholl is, I think, the most important one. And you need only look at the "success stories" from the AFF to see that it is a strong one as well.

Write more! That's the best piece of advice that your article implies, Scott.

I won in the sitcom category last year. It was an amazing experience, and a few folks in high places requested my script, but doors certainly didn't fling open. Nor did I expect them to, because that script was all I had (my first script!).

If I'd had a stack of other samples lying around then I might have an assignment or a spec sale by now, lol.

Instead, I went back to my day job after the festival and in my free time I continue to learn and write and make connections...oh yeah, and I read GITS.

Hopefully, a 2008 AFF win hasn't gone completely stale yet!

--Beau