Hispanic & Latino Stories Fellowship

30 Aug 2023, posted by Brad Miller

THE DEADLINE FOR THIS APPLICATION HAS ENDED. PLEASE DO NOT APPLY FOR THIS FELLOWSHIP. THANK YOU!

Hispanic & Latino Stories Fellowship

Candidates to be selected based on inspiration and project potential.

The Original Deadline of this Wednesday has been extended two days to this Friday, Sept. 15th (by 5pm, PST).

Apply on this web page below!!

Three $2500 Basic Training Awards for Writers & Filmmakers

We encourage Fellowship candidates NOT to wait until the last minute. The pace of summer provides an opportunity to truly consider your topical answers and the fresh entertainment of your project. While we don’t want you to rush through the application, it’s free, very straightforward and doesn’t take long to complete. We wish all candidates the best of luck!

Writers Boot Camp is offering three spaces in the Thursday, September 21st, 10-Week Basic Training to deserving writers and filmmakers who are writing movies, TV pilots or books pertaining to the above topic. We encourage all candidates to apply based on the availability to commit 10 hours per week for creative exercises and writing for the duration of the 10-week process.

The only project requirements are lead characters of Hispanic or Latino heritage and/or subject matter related to that background and experience, as well as your self-identification of that heritage. Stories of any genre are eligible (see more below).

Selection of winners will be based on excellence of prior writing and industry experience, coupled with inspiration expressed through point of view and project distinction.

Emphasis on Hispanic & Latino Stories and Themes

As is true with most Fellowship categories and parameters, Writers Boot Camp’s focus is to expand areas of creative material and to support new and distinctive artistic voices.

Whether your story is one of family, harrowing immigration, cultural divide or preservation, departure or homage to romantic encounter or about human rights or overcoming injustice, there is great latitude this month. Genre projects, from indie-style to studio and network productions, may be classically approached as well as filter updated themes accordingly. As always, projects will ideally focus on audience engagement and fresh entertainment. Please think through and articulate distinctions that will separate your story from the rest that have come before. Ultimately, that kind of distinction in your work will connect your passion to the challenges and tenets of the profession of writing in the entertainment industry.

The 10-Week Basic Training is a Way to Support You

The September 21st Basic Training will be conducted by Writers Boot Camp founder Jeffrey Gordon, offering the tools that more than 12,000 writers have learned to be productive on their path to success. The three fellowship winners will be empowered as hundreds of alumni who have gone on to work at the highest levels of the entertainment business, including writers and filmmakers who have garnered Academy Awards, Golden Globes, WGA awards, Emmys and even the Tony Award.

The brief application includes questions about the candidate’s background in the arts and entertainment, writing experience and topical questions to articulate one’s distinctive vision and creative voice within the Fellowship theme. Feel free to forward this application to both aspiring and accomplished writers, artists, actors, producers and filmmakers. The notes provided in follow-up are very helpful to writers who truly aspire to become professional writers in the entertainment industry.

Experienced writers will find that Basic Training is more than basic. The terms and tools we impart will be intuitive and confirming without being formulaic. They empower any writer and industry collaborator. Writers who have written before may have an advantage in making the case for their ability to execute their story on the page, yet we find that even veterans of the creative process tend to have similar problems of Premise Lines that are missing 2nd-Act Adventures, missing key characters and wind up to be disappointingly more like vague loglines that barely set up the story, versus more complete structural expressions of how the story will work.

The application process is designed to have a short window because we find too many candidates will wait until the last 48 hours anyway. While there is no prejudice of the timestamp in the determination of winners, we encourage you NOT to wait until the last minute.

As always, we believe at Writers Boot Camp that the best idea is the one you’re actually working on–and that is usually the project that you can sustain passion for the many stages of work necessary to fully develop it. The stories that create a relationship adventure beyond the physical adventure of the plot have the best chance to be seen and succeed.

You can apply in less than 10 minutes, though you may also take your time to consider your short answers and proposed story idea–as long as it’s received by the deadline. The emphasis on single sentence answers can be deceiving. Consider how these statements will convey your distinctions as an artist and how vague answers or generic comments may fail to do justice to your voice and uniqueness. One trick is to make sure the second half of each sentence is explicit.

Eligibility Notes

Writers Boot Camp alumni who have applied to a prior fellowship within the past six months–or who have won before–may apply for fun yet are not eligible to win.

Winners must confirm their availability to participate in Basic Training, along with 10 hours per week for exercises and writing for 10 weeks.

Only winners will be notified individually. All non-winners will be notified by email in a timely manner. Based on the quality and volume of applications for any fellowship category, Writers Boot Camp reserves the right not to award as many as three full Basic Training scholarships. Of session, it’s always our intention and goal to do so.

Writers Boot Camp has a remarkable track record in support of diverse voices, including women. In our 34-year history, a higher percentage of our alumni successes and credits have been by women.

Again, alumni who have applied in the past six months–or who have won a fellowship in the past–are not eligible to win. Still, you may apply for fun and as a creative exercise.

Please don’t wait until the last minute to apply!

While the application is straightforward, we encourage you not to wait until the last minute. Please keep all answers to a single sentence and consider the distinctions you can make to stand out from the crowd.

For more info about Writers Boot Camp you can call 310/998-1199, check out writersbootcamp.com, or email jg@writersbootcamp.com.

We always love to hear from alumni with news and success stories.

Name:

Mailing Address:

City, State & Zip Code:

Phone Number:

Email Address:

How You Heard About Writers Boot Camp (if through a person, please include their name):

Name of Reference & Professional Relationship to You:

Reference Contact (Phone & Email):

Your Occupation or Job Title:

Your Entertainment Industry Background and Experience:

Prior Writing and Filmmaking Experience:

Are you currently working--and can you comment on your employment situation?

Do you consider yourself to be of Hispanic or Latino heritage?

Please answer these four topical questions in order in only one sentence each within one paragraph--and without including the questions yet ensuring that the answer makes clear what it's answering: What is your personal view of your heritage and how you relate to it? Share with us an extraordinary experience that would only have happened due to your heritage and background. What is your understanding of the status of Hispanic and Latino people in America? In only one sentence within this paragraph of only four sentences, please express a personal idea, insight or realization about recent or current events relating to your heritage.

If you win a Writers Boot Camp scholarship, please state the title and format of the project you will write, and share the premise in a single sentence only. A Premise Line is more than a logline or set-up and may include up to 50 words, focusing more on the middle of the story and what characters actually do along the 2nd-Act Adventure. If your project is for television, then the A-Story of the first episode will be more relevant than a general series description.

Please include above: Title, Format (Movie, TV Pilot, Book, etc.), and Premise Line (One Sentence Only).

For the purposes of announcing winners, please provide a single-sentence bio about yourself written in third person, including your full name, where you're from, where you live, your educational accomplishments, your professional background and entertainment industry goals.

My name below certifies that all my answers on the above application are true. I understand that my email submission will be kept confidential and not shared with anyone outside Writers Boot Camp's staff without my permission. I understand that if I win an award, it is not transferable and if I cannot fully utilize it, then it will be offered to the the next eligible writer. I understand that the award is not a cash prize but if I accept that I am potentially keeping someone else from going through Basic Training. I understand that due to the short timeframe until the fellowship process that only the winners will be notified of their standing by telephone. All applicants will be notified by email with the results and guidelines for additional benefits, if applicable. My name below acknowledges Writers Boot Camp’s pledge of confidentiality regarding my application, answers and project details. I understand that all internal staff discussion of my project idea is in the interest of determining winners. I understand that I am sharing my ideas and answers to be eligible for a fellowship award and that submission of this application does not guarantee me receipt of conceptual notes or story services. I understand that I can protect my material by registering and/or copyrighting my written materials prior to submitting them. I give permission to Writers Boot Camp to verify my information and answers with the above reference and understand that this verification, if necessary, is only for the finalists and only to determine award eligibility.

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