Calling all writers! Win a paid development commission with Audible!
Following the success of WriterSlam with Amazon Studios, we’re partnering with their sister company, Audible, to find new and exciting scripted projects that are perfectly suited for audio. With over 400,000 audiobooks, Audible Original dramas, podcasts and short stories, Audible are constantly on the hunt for new writing talent.
We’re looking for new voices who come from all backgrounds. We champion diversity of experience – if you include everyone, you don’t need to exclude anyone.
Through the WriterSlam, Audible is looking to provide fresh, diverse talent an opportunity to share and develop their untold stories in the form of audio drama with help from industry experts. We’re looking for ambitious and transformational stories that celebrate the medium of audio and spotlight themes of diversity and inclusion. We’re open to all genres with a particular love of Crime and Thriller, Fantasy and mythology (especially those tales inspired by non-Western traditions), SciFi, smart Horror, RomComs, dramatizations of true stories, and History that sheds light on the present. Beyond a great story we look for global appeal, series with the potential to return for multiple seasons, and worlds and characters that will inspire fandoms.
The winning writer will be selected by Audible’s panel of judges. The winner will receive a paid development commission and will work with Audible’s commissioning editors and casting team to develop a treatment and a one hour pilot episode. A successful pilot may even go on to be commissioned for a full series!
‘We’re so excited to be working with the Triforce Creative Network on WriterSlam.We know there’s so much fantastic writing talent out there, and we’re looking forward to celebrating original, emerging storytellers!’ Rachel Naughton, Audible.
The selected finalists will have extracts of their work performed at a showcase event in London on Thurs 14 May 2020, when the winner will be selected by a panel of judges. The event will be attended by industry guests and a limited number of tickets will be available to the public.
WriterSlam is open to everyone – you do not have to have an agent or have written anything before.
Make sure you have a listen to some series on Audible before you submit – you can adapt a script initially conceived for screen or stage or write an original one, but please think carefully about it being an AUDIO script – it is a bit different to it being for TV! Think about ways in which you can experiment with ambitious ideas that might be less achievable on screen.
Some tips for writing audio drama:
- The only limit is the listener’s imagination.
- Your audience can’t see! Be their eyes!
- Is your dialogue flowing while also providing necessary information?
- Aim for a variety of characters, voices, locations, and sounds.
- Don’t overpopulate scenes.
- Embrace silence as well as sound.
- Provide concise stage directions, but speech is the most important tool in telling the story.
- Use subtle signposts for changes in scene, location, and time.
- Keep things simple.
- Keep up the pace and hold onto your audience’s interest!
- There are always exceptions to the rules—be creative!
You can sign up for a 30 day free trial at https://www.audible.co.uk/
Submissions are open from Monday 10 February – 11.59pm on Sunday 22 March 2020. For more information on how to submit, go the WriterSlam page.