Screenwriting 4-Week One-on-One Mentorship with Meredith Alloway: Apply Now
The program is open for applications.
*Please do not pay for the mentorship until you receive a formal acceptance notification via email. Payment plans are available for this mentorship program.
Click HERE to Apply Now!
Payment plans are available for this mentorship program.
Any questions about this class? Use the Chat Button (lower left) to talk with us.
Instructor Meredith Alloway is a Texas native who currently resides in Manhattan as a writer, filmmaker, and producer. She has screened her films internationally at festivals like SXSW, AFI Fest, Overlook, and Bucheon, and her film 'Deep Tissue' played at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Her feature film ‘High Priestess’ is currently in development at David S. Goyer’s ('The Dark Knight') company Phantom Four with Eliza Scanlen and Justice Smith attached to star. She co-wrote the feature 'Forbidden Fruits' and it was chosen for 2023’s Black List. Diablo Cody and Mason Novick are producing and Meredith is attached to direct. She is a proud member of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA, having written features for Sony and Universal Studios. Meredith partnered with Hulu, Sundance Institute, and 20th Century Digital Studios on her last two short films ‘Ride’ and ‘First Date,’ and was thrilled to direct Paris Jackson’s debut gothic music video ‘Let Down’ with Eli Roth EPing. As a journalist for over 12 years, she's written interviews and feature pieces for publications such as Vanity Fair, Playboy, Filmmaker Magazine, Nylon, and Indiewire. Meredith has worked as a producer and creative consultant for IFP, And/Or Studio, Juniper Jones, Gretel and We Are Social. She is repped by Echo Lake Entertainment and WME.
The Ideal Participant is someone who has a story to tell. Looking at a script in terms of pie, you may just have one ingredient — the dough, the berries, or the flour. Or, you’ve already got the crust going but need help crafting the middle. Or, you may have an entire pie and need help with the final flourishes.
Anyone can be a screenwriter and any seed of an idea, short story, novel, or character study can turn into a delicious and fun film. It’s all about putting in the work.
During this mentorship, you’ll transform your ideas into a narrative screenplay and grow as a screenwriter.
**Both film and TV writers with projects are welcome to apply.**
Meredith looks forward to candidates of all experience levels but requires participants who are:
- Willing to learn and grow
- Open to discovering new writing tools
- Inspired by researching great films, photography, and art
- Excited to commit to deadlines and goals
- Open to honing their unique voice
As a mentor, Meredith will:
- Be open-minded and supportive
- Stick to deadlines
- Be on time and focused for weekly meetings
- Be available during weekly “office hours” by phone and email
- Always aim to elevate the quality of your work
The mentorship can be tailored to your unique needs. It’s okay to apply if you only have a few character descriptions, a scene, an outline, or an entire finished script. Meredith aims to serve what’s best for you and your work!
By the end of this 4-week mentorship, you can gain:
- A space to explore and play
- Tips to combat writer's block
- Organization skills for your ideas
- An understanding of the screenplay format
- Knowledge of story structure (3-act structure, hero’s journey, cold opens, plant and payoff)
- Helpful writing tools like the story circle, storyclock, and scene exercises
- Character descriptions
- How to identify questions, themes, and central arguments
- An understanding of engaging dialogue and dramatic tension within a scene
- A Letterboxd account
- A playlist for your project
- Visual influences (films, photographers, painters - a discovery of who you like!)
- What you want to say or questions you want to ask with your work
- Exercises to engage with your imagination
- A screenplay outline and plot overview
This mentorship emphasizes enjoying the runway of piecing a script together — it’s not about stressing over the final product. This runway stage can be “tilling the soil" of your project.
Writing for a film should also feel as holistic as the film itself. It’s not just about words on the page. During the mentorship, you’ll find ways to immerse yourself in your cinematic world through images, music, and various points of inspiration.
You may finish a first draft of a script outline by the end of the 4 weeks, or you may have all the pieces to go off and write the outline or script.
At the end of the 4 weeks, there can be a discussion about extending the mentorship. You may feel like you’d benefit from further support on your screenwriting process. You can also shift to a new project during the second session.
This mentorship will be difficult, but also immensely rewarding. Meredith will be honest with you about the work but also incredibly supportive and nonjudgemental. The program will equip you with the confidence, tools, and roadmap to complete a great outline and screenplay.
Click HERE to Apply Now.
How It Works:
You must first submit an application. Upon acceptance into the mentorship program, you will schedule an initial one-on-one call or Zoom session with Meredith to discuss where you’re at as a writer and with your project. You can communicate your goals and share your previous experiences as a writer. Meredith can then tailor your deadlines and curriculum to your unique needs and pace.
You will then meet with Meredith, by phone or Zoom, twice a week until the end of the program. Between meetings, you can expect to receive reading, writing, watching, and listening recommendations. Any “homework” is up to you to complete!
For example, if you’re working on a horror or thriller script, Meredith may recommend listening to John Carpenter's soundtracks, watching some of Wes Craven’s films, or studying the paintings of Franz von Stuck. If you’re writing a comedy, maybe it’s Steve Martin or Elaine May standup videos on YouTube.
Meredith will also have “office hours” once a week for a few hours. During this time, you can contact her by phone or email with any questions, thoughts, or pieces of writing you’d like her to read.
During weekly sessions, you’ll work to craft your script. What deliverables you accomplish depends on your unique curriculum and ability to meet deadlines.
The 4-week mentorship consists of the following:
- One-on-one initial consultation via phone or Zoom to discuss your experience, specific needs, and aspirations
- Meetings for one hour, twice a week with Meredith via phone or Zoom to discuss writing assignments, screenwriting structure, questions, and research/resources
- A personalized plan for achieving your current and future goals
- Accountability
- Access to Meredith via email and phone during weekly office hours
- Weekly assignments tailored to your project needs (movies, music, books, scripts, art)
- Building sustainable confidence in your voice and work
- A final plan for how you’re going to move forward when the program ends
Praise for Alloway:
"Meredith was a game changing influence on my screenplay. Not only did she break down structure, character development tactics, effective timing, patiently explain what works and doesn’t in a script, she also was a MUCH needed writing therapist. She kept me motivated in moments (many.) where I lose confidence in myself as a writer, something that is uniquely challenging to do, since I’ve heard it all / have all the scribbled inspiring quotes on post-its on my desk - A Beautiful Mind style. And she did so in validating ways - not pretending it’s not hard, but pushing me to do it anyway. Somehow her tactics really got through and made me excited not just to finish my project but to enjoy the process. I trust her implicitly, also a rarity when you are protective of your work and having to break it apart, and found our sessions both fun, effective and productive. I also appreciated her flexibility because as many writers I am not the most organized or dependable, and it was a joy to have someone meet me where I was at yet still keep me on task. I couldn’t recommend working with Meredith more - this is my first script and I’m walking away from our mentorship feeling capable and excited. Thanks again!" -Mona K.
Whatever happened to the erotic thriller? Where we once had Fatal Attraction and Basic Instinct and, hell, even The Bodyguard, we now get tepid Netflix-ready romcoms that are almost completely absent of sex... let alone violence. Luckily, First Date — part of Hulu's Bite-Size Halloween shorts series — is resurrecting the genre from the dead, just in time for the spookiest night of the year.
-Paper Magazine
“Lit like a Drake video and told in all of four minutes, First Date does what a good horror should: take a real life terror (like a clingy, obsessive ex, or even an overeager first date) and turn it into a surreal nightmare. In doing so, it manages — through a series of meaningful gazes and horrified wait-a-second facial expressions — to be more sexy and unsettling than the entirety of Black Mirror’s last season.”
-The Cut
“[In Deep Tissue], writer/director Meredith Alloway takes center stage as the eager client; she’s natural and open opposite a deliciously creepy Peter Vack. While “Deep Tissue” is more provocative than disgusting, the final reveal is in line with Vack’s own filmmaking philosophy. Keep ’em on their toes, and they’ll eat it right up.”
-Indiewire
“Another psychologically charged and highly recommended short viewable online is Meredith Alloway’s Deep Tissue, currently premiering as part of The Future of Film is Female.”
-Filmmaker Magazine
“If there’s a standout short in this year’s program, it’s Meredith Alloway’s Deep Tissue. Described simply as “a girl orders a special massage,” the magic is in the way Alloway (who also acts in the film alongside Peter Vack) teases the surprise that lies within. It’s a fully fleshed-out concept presented in under ten minutes, and as genuinely erotic as it is amusing and unsettling. “
-Hyperallergic
“[Deep Tissue} s a perfect short, presenting a complete experience and an incomplete story.”
-Pophorror
“Another haunting midnighter, Meredith Alloway's Deep Tissue does what the best shorts do, set up a mystery and tease out the details until a shocking conclusion. Alloway herself turns in an excellent performance as a woman visited by an enigmatic masseur played by the always outstanding Peter Vack.”
-Screen Anarchy
“Alloway’s short [Interior Teresa] has a big job to do in just 14 minutes: It has to be “about God,” and in this case, satisfy a film critic who expects a film about God to inevitably attempt to do far too much. Which is where Alloway succeeds as a writer/director. Instead of asking those big questions—or worse, putting them in the mouth of her protagonist—she focuses on telling a small story about a young, flighty woman, Teresa (Kara Young), who has mysterious visions. For those of us interested in more explorations of faith (especially through the lens of female protagonists), Interior Teresa is a satisfying work that, hopefully, marks the beginning of Alloway’s future in short- and long-form storytelling.”
-Paste Magazine
PAYMENT OPTIONS:
You can pay for the course in full or use Shop Pay or Affirm to pay over time with equal Monthly Payments. Both options are available at checkout.
Tuition Payment:
Full Tuition for the 4-week one-on-one program is $1,400. Accepted writers must commit to the full four weeks and meet all assigned deadlines. You can pay the tuition in full or opt for equal monthly payments by selecting Affirm or Shop Pay at checkout. If you decide to create a monthly payment plan using Affirm, you can do so once you add "Full Tuition" to your cart, enter your contact information, and are on the payment page.
Additional Program Information:
- You must first submit and application.
- Tuition is $1,400.
- Instructor is Meredith Alloway
- The Mentorship is fully online and students may participate from anywhere.
- NOTE: Shifting some dates around may be necessary but any changes will be communicated well in advance, if possible.
Contact us HERE if you have any questions about this class.