POV: How the ScreenCraft Screenwriting Fellowship Opened Unexpected Doors for Etan Muskat

2021 Screenwriter Fellowship winner Etan Muskat shares his insights on what it's like to win this competition.

by Etan Muskat - updated on December 18, 2024

Hi ScreenCraft readers! My name is Etan Muskat, and I was a 2021 Screencraft Fellowship Winner. I’m happy to have the opportunity to share some of the takeaways from my whirlwind week of meetings, mentors, and major industry breakthroughs!

More info coming soon | Remind Me

Contests

So I’ll start with this: I was never a contest person. I’ve been writing for a long time, and contests always felt like… a long shot, at best. "It’s good for a deadline," I’d say, "but I'm never gonna win." Or else, maybe there was preferential judging, or they picked people who were already at a certain level in the industry.

But imagine my surprise when I placed twice and then won with the first pilot I ever submitted for the competition. It was, at the very least, a huge boost to my belief that my writing was at the level I’d hoped. Not only that, in winning the Screencraft Fellowship, I was going to be given an incredible opportunity to mix and mingle with some absolutely mindblowing talent, writers at the top of the industry, and get face time with executives from dozens of studios and networks and learn about them and their processes. And all because I’d taken a chance and clicked submit.

My Fellow Fellows

The first happy surprise I got was the opportunity to meet Dan [Williams] and Vanita [Borwankar], the other winners from my cohort. I can’t stress enough how lovely it was to be in the company of two such great writers and great people.

We bonded and worked out our little routine for when we went into meetings together. It was always a treat and a comfort to be in the (virtual) room with them, and I can’t wait to see the amazing things they create.

The ScreenCraft Team

I’ve never felt more taken care of than when working with the team at Screencraft. [They] were so encouraging, gracious, helpful, and positive throughout the experience. Mostly, they felt invested in our success in such a genuine way, and I’m extremely appreciative of their encouragement.

Mentors

I met some incredibly accomplished people (Oscar and Emmy-winning screenwriters and showrunners, some of whom have shaped entire genres of TV and film). They all had such varied pedigrees and styles, but what they all shared were intelligence, insight, a measure of care towards other writers, and a deeply-held love of good storytelling. They all generously shared their personal histories, how they found their way into the industry, and how they’ve learned to navigate it.

I received a lot of incredible advice, but I was reminded (repeatedly) that there is no blueprint for success. Opportunities come from many places and lead to many places.

Industry Meetings

OK, so it’s a well-worn metaphor, but let’s run with it: Meetings are like dates. But, like, not romantic dates. Business dates. About art. Right? Anyway… Like on any date, you are looking for a connection, shared interests, and vibes. You want to see if there’s chemistry, curiosity, positive affirmation. But for an executive to buy your project, they’re signing up for years or are committed to that project. They have to fall in love with it. (And, by extensions, you?)

And sometimes they do, and it’s love at first sight! And sometimes it’s not a perfect match, and you say: “Great to meet you, best of luck in the future.” And sometimes, you make a friend. And that can lead to incredible things too.

Alumni

One of the unexpected delights of my fellowship was the opportunity to speak with ScreenCraft alumni who’ve gone on to do amazing things. Those people were oracles. They were honest, open, curious, and deeply sympathetic in sharing the ups and downs of navigating the industry.

I felt like I was being welcomed into the company of admirable peers. But most importantly, they shared this advice: Keep writing. Stay true to your voice. Make things you believe in. That’s how you’ll get where you want to go.

What’s Next?

Fellowship week itself has come and gone, and I’ve had many takeaways, both theoretical and tangible, and I’m looking forward to sharing more of those soon. I’m eternally grateful to the Screencraft team for seeing something in me, and my writing, that was worth championing. Writing can be a solitary act, and it’s easy to lose perspective on your work, and on yourself. But for seven days, I felt part of a community.

So yeah, I’m pretty happy I clicked that submit button.