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Hey guys, wondering when in your opinion is the best time of the year to enter a screenwriting competition?

I'm looking to enter, but have missed a lot of the deadlines. It seems a great deal of them end around May/June time. Do you enter the ones which go on later in the year, like Bluecat? Is near Christmas a good time, or does it not really mate what time of the year they're on, as long as it's a good competition?

Cheers.

On another note - I'm new to all this and wondering what your favourite competition(s) are and why?

Is it more about the prize money, or industry exposure in your eyes?

Thanks.

I guess I mean, because I've missed a lot of the deadlines, and my script isn't ready yet, are there any good comps that end at the end of the year? Like you said all the good ones seem to be around May time and not nearer the end of the year. I wondering why this is? Do people not really enter much around xmas time for whatever/budgetary reasons?

Thanks.

That's interesting, thanks. I spoke to a friend who says he always tries to enter a competition near the end of the year, as when the industry people get back from their hols in Jan, they're always looking for new scripts to take in and read for their upcoming projects. I don't know if you believe there's any truth in that at all?

Also, out of curiosity, how long would you say a script comp normally stays open for? Three, four months or something? So when they do open next year I'll have plenty of time to remember about them and send mine through Im guessing... Thanks.

OK great, so you would be as likely to enter a competition that ran near xmas, then one that finished round June time?

Hi, I need help creating three dimensional characters that are engaging. I fall into the easy trap of making them too passive.

There's a bunch of books on Amazon about this but they either have none or one or two reviews. They are obviously not that popular and in many cases Im sure friends, the author wrote the comments themselves, as I know that happens.

Do you know any books that really help and are good in this field?

Thanks a lot.