Writing Career

Practical insights on building and sustaining a career as a working writer

Writing Career

Researching Writers: How long does it really take to become a screenwriter?

Oct 28, 2026

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7 min read

Researching Writers: How long does it really take to become a screenwriter?

How much writing, learning and failing happens before the success we recognise? A look behind the credits of some of our best-known screenwriters.

Helen Tompson

Writing Career

Oct 21, 2026

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5 min read

Are We Addicted to Opportunities?

When does chasing the next opportunity stop being career development and start becoming a distraction?

Helen Tompson

Writing Career

Oct 14, 2026

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6 min read

What the Fuck Is Talent Anyway?

Is talent something we're born with, something we earn, or simply a question of how much work we've put in when someone happens to notice?

Helen Tompson

Writing Career

What Revelations Have I Gained Recently (and why that almost made me throw in the towel)

Oct 7, 2026

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9 min read

What Revelations Have I Gained Recently (and why that almost made me throw in the towel)

What an agent, a script reading course and a near death experience taught me about protecting the work.

Helen Tompson

Writing Career

Sep 23, 2026

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13 min read

How to Avoid Networking When Networking

Networking is not speed dating. Stop trying to sleep with everyone.

Helen Tompson

Writing Career

Do Writers Schemes Really Give Your Career A Boost and How To Make the Most of Them

Sep 16, 2026

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7 min read

Do Writers Schemes Really Give Your Career A Boost and How To Make the Most of Them

From acceptance email to actual career move. It’s not the scheme that changes your career. It’s what you do with it.

Helen Tompson

Writing Career

Silly Season Is Here: BBC, BAFTA, BFI... and How Not to Lose Your Mind

Sep 9, 2026

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9 min read

Silly Season Is Here: BBC, BAFTA, BFI... and How Not to Lose Your Mind

Navigating schemes and compeitions without losing the will to live.

Helen Tompson

Writing Career

The Edinburgh TV Festival 2026 (move over Bridget)

Sep 2, 2026

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9 min read

The Edinburgh TV Festival 2026 (move over Bridget)

What is the Edinburgh TV Festival actually like when you're no longer attending as an emerging participant, but going back with a slightly different seat?

Helen Tompson

Writing Career

What I gained from my time in The Network at the Edinburgh TV Festival 2025

Aug 26, 2026

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6 min read

What I gained from my time in The Network at the Edinburgh TV Festival 2025

What happens when you finally get the opportunity you’ve been chasing, and discover it isn’t quite what you thought you wanted?

Helen Tompson

Writing Career

What I'm hoping to learn at Edinburgh TV Festival 2026

Aug 19, 2026

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5 min read

What I'm hoping to learn at Edinburgh TV Festival 2026

Is the Edinburgh TV Festival worth £1,500? I’ve spent years trying to get into it, and now I’m finally going back. Here’s what I’ve learned about the cost, the opportunities, and knowing when an industry event is actually worth your money.

Helen Tompson

Writing Career

Why short films? Believe in the power of telling a story in less than ten minutes

Aug 12, 2026

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4 min read

Why short films? Believe in the power of telling a story in less than ten minutes

Showing working examples of why a short film isn't a long story with bits taken out.

Helen Tompson

Writing Career

Why Most First-Time BFI Applications Don't Succeed (And Why You Should Apply Anyway)

Aug 5, 2026

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5 min read

Why Most First-Time BFI Applications Don't Succeed (And Why You Should Apply Anyway)

What the BFI is really looking for, why most first applications don't succeed, and how to know when you're ready.

Helen Tompson

Writing Career

How on Earth Do You Get Your Work Made? From page to production

Jul 29, 2026

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5 min read

How on Earth Do You Get Your Work Made? From page to production

What I’ve learnt from getting two funded shorts made, finding collaborators, navigating funding routes, and understanding what producers need to see before they take a risk.

Helen Tompson

Writing Career

How to Find Your Writer's Voice: A Practical Exercise for Screenwriters

Jul 22, 2026

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4 min read

How to Find Your Writer's Voice: A Practical Exercise for Screenwriters

Discover a practical exercise to help you find your unique writer's voice by identifying the themes, characters and ideas that connect your work.

Helen Tompson

Writing Career

L Plates and P Plates: Knowing WhereYou Are as a Writer

Jul 15, 2026

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4 min read

L Plates and P Plates: Knowing WhereYou Are as a Writer

Every screenwriter starts somewhere. Learn how recognising your stage of development can help you approach opportunities, rejection and career progression with confidence.

Helen Tompson

Writing Career

Why Does Everything Take So Long in Screenwriting? (And What Successful Writers Do While They Wait)

Jul 8, 2026

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4 min read

Why Does Everything Take So Long in Screenwriting? (And What Successful Writers Do While They Wait)

Waiting is part of every screenwriting career. The trick is learning how to use that time to build momentum, develop your craft, and be ready when the next opportunity arrives.

Helen Tompson

Writing Career

To WGGB or Not to WGGB (What It Actually Means for Writers)

Jun 24, 2026

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5 min read

To WGGB or Not to WGGB (What It Actually Means for Writers)

A practical look at how the WGGB supports writers through contracts, rights, and industry realities.

Helen Tompson

Writing Career

Jun 10, 2026

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4 min read

The 'Fuck It' Button

A screenwriter's guide to overcoming hesitation, building connections, applying for opportunities, and creating momentum in your career.

Helen Tompson

Writing Career

How Festival Pre-Selectors Rate Your Film / Script - Part Two

Jun 3, 2026

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4 min read

How Festival Pre-Selectors Rate Your Film / Script - Part Two

What happens after a script or film makes the shortlist? Part Two of an insider look at judging panels, award decisions, feedback, and why the best submission doesn't always win.

Helen Tompson

Writing Career

How Festival Pre-Selectors Rate Your Film / Script - Part One

May 27, 2026

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4 min read

How Festival Pre-Selectors Rate Your Film / Script - Part One

How film festivals and script competitions actually rate your work, from submissions to final selection decisions.

Helen Tompson

Writing Career

Rejection. Rejection. Rejection. (Why it is a good thing)

May 20, 2026

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4 min read

Rejection. Rejection. Rejection. (Why it is a good thing)

A candid reflection on rejection in screenwriting, resilience, career momentum, and why setbacks are often part of building a sustainable creative career.

Helen Tompson

Writing Career

Agents, why the rush? (And What Writers Should Expect)

May 13, 2026

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5 min read

Agents, why the rush? (And What Writers Should Expect)

A candid look at screenwriting agents, networking, representation, and building a writing career without an agent while balancing work, health, and family life.

Helen Tompson

Writing Career

Inside the WFTV Kay Mellor Screenwriters’ Lab

May 7, 2026

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5 min read

Inside the WFTV Kay Mellor Screenwriters’ Lab

What the WFTV Kay Mellor Screenwriters’ Lab taught me about resilience, access, opportunity, and the business of writing.

Helen Tompson

Writing Career

No time? No problem! Right? (Writing Around a Full Life)

May 6, 2026

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2 min read

No time? No problem! Right? (Writing Around a Full Life)

Time, energy, and the reality of building a writing career alongside everything else.

Helen Tompson

Writing Career

Why Read Scripts (and What It Teaches You About the Industry)

Apr 22, 2026

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4 min read

Why Read Scripts (and What It Teaches You About the Industry)

Continued Professional Development (CPD), your first task, and a top tip to keep you going

Helen Tompson

Writing Career

Researching Writers: How long does it really take to become a screenwriter?

Are We Addicted to Opportunities?

What the Fuck Is Talent Anyway?

What Revelations Have I Gained Recently (and why that almost made me throw in the towel)

How to Avoid Networking When Networking

Do Writers Schemes Really Give Your Career A Boost and How To Make the Most of Them

Silly Season Is Here: BBC, BAFTA, BFI... and How Not to Lose Your Mind

The Edinburgh TV Festival 2026 (move over Bridget)

What I gained from my time in The Network at the Edinburgh TV Festival 2025

What I'm hoping to learn at Edinburgh TV Festival 2026

Why short films? Believe in the power of telling a story in less than ten minutes

Why Most First-Time BFI Applications Don't Succeed (And Why You Should Apply Anyway)

How on Earth Do You Get Your Work Made? From page to production

How to Find Your Writer's Voice: A Practical Exercise for Screenwriters

L Plates and P Plates: Knowing WhereYou Are as a Writer

Why Does Everything Take So Long in Screenwriting? (And What Successful Writers Do While They Wait)

To WGGB or Not to WGGB (What It Actually Means for Writers)

The 'Fuck It' Button

How Festival Pre-Selectors Rate Your Film / Script - Part Two

How Festival Pre-Selectors Rate Your Film / Script - Part One

Rejection. Rejection. Rejection. (Why it is a good thing)

Agents, why the rush? (And What Writers Should Expect)

Inside the WFTV Kay Mellor Screenwriters’ Lab

No time? No problem! Right? (Writing Around a Full Life)

Why Read Scripts (and What It Teaches You About the Industry)

The Business of Screenwriting