As screenwriters, we all have to find places to write. Some are lucky enough to have an office in their own homes. Many of us find ourselves at the local coffee shop, enjoying the caffeine, avoiding the free wi-fi and ignoring (or absorbing) the chatter. We've all picked up a sixth sense for identifying an available power outlet in the most unlikely locations. If you are a new writer living in LA and you are looking for a quiet place designed specifically for writers to write, then you should apply for a free 6-month fellowship from theOffice. Oh, and the application fee? That's free, too. Learn more about theOffice and get details about the 6-month fellowship below.
Opening its doors in 2004 and located where Santa Monica meets Brentwood in Los Angeles, theOffice is a quiet, communal working space designed for writers. theOffice provides 25 workstations, ranging from single tables with Aeron chairs to sofa chairs with writing tablets. Power outlets are available at each workstation and Internet is available via wi-fi and plug-in (theOffice provides cables). theOffice also provides complimentary teas and coffees, Bose noise-cancelling headphones, and perhaps most importantly in Los Angeles, parking. While members are typically at theOffice to write, they also have access to copies of Daily Variety and the Hollywood Creative Directories as well as a reference library.
The 6-month fellowship from theOffice will give one new writer free 24/7* access to theOffice, the equivalent of a Premium Membership, from April 1, 2014 to September 30, 2014. That means this writer can show up at 3 AM on a Tuesday night, use an access code, and get to work at theOffice even when the staff isn't there (*the site does mention that theOffice is closed to all members Mondays 6pm-11pm, Saturdays 8am-10am, and Sundays 8am-10:30am due to outside rentals, so almost 24/7).
This fellowship is only open to new writers living in the Los Angeles area. Please do not apply if you don't live in LA and check out the additional points below to learn how theOffice defines "new writers".
The deadline to apply is March 15, 2014 before midnight PST. According to theOffice, you need to email the following to theOfficeFellowship@gmail.com to apply:
- Your full name, phone and email address. The winner will be contacted via email.
- In the body of the email, please explain why you need this fellowship and what you hope to gain from it. (200 words or less, please).
- A 10 page .pdf writing sample of your work. Attach this to the email. Your best 10 pages. Do not submit pages that need to be set up or explained. Send 10 pages that stand alone. Only pdf submissions. All other attachments will be deleted.
Here are some additional points about the Fellowship from theOffice blog:
- The field is open to ALL new writers. Submit 10 pages of your screenplay, play, short story, novel, memoir, poem, etc. We’ll read it all.
- By “new writers” we mean you can have no feature film credits as a writer on IMDb (short films are okay) and no more than 1 hour of television credit as a writer on IMDb. For fiction writers, we just want to make sure you’re not someone with a three book deal and money to spare. Key words here are new/aspiring/struggling.
- DEADLINE to enter is March 15th, 2014. No submissions accepted past midnight PST.
- You must have sole writing credit for the sample pages you submit. This fellowship is for one (1) free membership and is non-transferrable.
- If you have any questions, please email the fellowship gmail address listed above. theOffice staff will NOT be able to assist you so please DO NOT call, email, or drop by theOffice with questions.
- If you’ve never been to theOffice and would like to try it out before submitting, please do! You’re welcome to do the free WEEK PASS. Just be sure to call first for availability. Contact info here. More photos of the space here. Again, staff will not handle contest queries.
- Winner will be announced and notified by March 31st.
- Lastly, do your research on theOffice. Don’t submit if you’re not local, if you’re not sure you’ll be available, if you don’t like writing in a room with others. We want this to be of major value to the winner. Serious submissions only please.
Are you a writer living in LA? Will you be applying for theOffice's 6-month fellowship? Share your thoughts about this and other writing spaces in the comments.
