Frequently Asked Questions
GENERAL
Q: "Can you help get my project to an agent/manager/producer/financier?"
A: No. The Writers Guild Foundation does not accept unsolicited material. We can direct you to resources that discuss how to do this, but we do not serve as an intermediary for members of the industry in this capacity.
Q: “Can you read my script and provide feedback?”
A: The Writers Guild Foundation does not provide script consulting services. We are glad to offer areas like our Library for you to write in a comfortable and quiet environment, but please refrain from asking staff members to read and critique unsolicited material.
Q: “How do I become a member of the Writers Guild?”
A: The WGA works on a unit system based on writing employment and/or sales within the Guild's jurisdiction and with a "signatory" company (a company that has signed the Guild's collective bargaining agreement). Depending upon the number of units earned, a writer may be eligible for either Current (full) membership, or Associate (partial) membership. More information on Guild Membership can be found on the WGA website here.
Q: "Do you operate under the WGA?"
A: The Writers Guild Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization that is affiliated with, but independent of, the WGAW. While we partner with the WGAW for some of our events and utilize resources that the WGAW generously provides us, we operate as a separate entity.
Q: "Are there internship or job opportunities available?"
A: Internships and job opportunities will be posted on our Careers page as openings become available.
Q: “Do you organize any writing groups?”
We have an active slate of events, but we do not offer small group meetings. We strongly recommend attending our own events and networking with other audience members. Browsing Facebook, searching Meetup.com, or taking a class to meet other screenwriters are great ways to find writing groups—or starting your own! While we cannot vet the legitimacy or quality of all writing groups, we recommend checking out UCLA Extension courses, seminars by Robert McKee, and the Black List website for other ways to get involved in writing communities.
Q: “How do I protect my work or keep someone from stealing my idea?”
A: Using the WGAW’s Registration service is the most crucial step to protecting your work. Registration provides a dated record of the writer’s claim to authorship of literary material. The WGAW Registry may produce the material as evidence if legal action is initiated. Any file may be registered to assist you in documenting the creation of your work. Registerable material include scripts, treatments, synopses, outlines, stageplays, novels, books, short stories, poems, commercials, lyrics, drawings, music, and various media work such as Web series, code, and other digital content. The non-member fee for registering is $20.
You can also register your work with the US Copyright Office. Copyright is a form of protection grounded in the U.S. Constitution and granted by law for original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression. Copyright covers both published and unpublished works. A basic registration starts at $35.
EVENTS
Q: “How do I hear about new events?”
A: New events are announced first through our weekly newsletter, which is released every Friday afternoon. To sign up for our newsletter, click here. New events are also announced through our social media channels and added to our Events page.
Q: "Is there a waitlist or stand-by line I can be put on for a sold-out event?"
A: Most of our events held at the WGAW HQ will have a stand-by line that will open up on the first floor lobby one hour prior to the event's start time. Please note that the stand-by line does not guarantee admission to the event and we will only accept credit card transactions for any released tickets. We will begin releasing tickets approximately five minutes before an event's start time. You must be present in the WGAW lobby when seats are released. To ensure an event has a stand-by line, please check the event's listing on our Events page.
Q: “If I place myself in the stand-by line, what are my chances of getting in?”
A: As interest in an event varies based on the topic or focus of the evening, we cannot comment on the chances of getting in to specific sold-out events should you choose to participate in our stand-by line.
Q: “Can I receive a refund for a purchased ticket?”
A: Per our Event Ticket Policy, we do not offer refunds for purchased tickets. All sales are final.
Q: “Can I transfer my ticket to someone else?”
A: Yes! While our system does not allow for tickets to be re-issued with new names, we allow ticket holders to transfer their tickets to another party. Simply send your ticket to the other person or have them use the original purchaser’s name at check-in. We also ask that you email us to notify us of the transfer.
Q: “Is it okay to approach panelists?”
A: In short, yes. However, our Code of Conduct Policy outlines the do’s and don’ts when interacting with panelists, moderators, or community members.
Q: “Are discounted tickets available for groups?”
A: Yes! If you have a group of 15 or more, please email us.
Q: "Can I volunteer for an event?"
A: New events volunteers are currently by a referral basis only.
Q: “Will there be food and drink available at your events?”
A: In most cases, we do not provide food or drink services at our events. For events with pre- or post-receptions, catering may be provided. Events that have catering provided will be detailed in the event’s description.
Q: “I’m a journalist and I want to attend the event/interview a panelist.”
A: For all press inquiries, please contact Enid Portuguez.
Q: “Do you accept talent submissions?”
A: All panelists are invited only by the WGF staff after internal determinations. As we like to keep the focus on the panelists for the evening, we do not accept talent submissions for guest lists or free entry.
LIBRARY & ARCHIVE
Q: “I gave you my script a long time ago, but I looked in your catalog and can’t find it. Where is it?”
A: All of our script holdings are cataloged by title and searchable by title and writer. They are all produced/released/aired projects. You may have registered your work with the WGA Registry, which is totally separate from what our Foundation does. We do not have any scripts or records related to registration. That department’s website is available here and you can direct inquiries to that office.
Q: “Can I get a physical or digital copy of a script? Can I get a loan of a script? I can pay you.”
A: No. The WGF Library is a non-circulating library and all of our scripts and archival material are accessible only on site—no exceptions. Screenplays and teleplays are intellectual property owned by the studios and producers who made them (paid for them). The copies that we can offer to read in our Library are for research and educational purposes.
While we believe in providing multiple drafts of real, original scripts to as many people as possible, we also believe in reliably sourcing those scripts to ensure they haven’t been stolen or otherwise illegally distributed. And that means honoring donor agreements that put reasonable limits on how we can distribute those scripts. Back in 2015, we wrote about why we don’t distribute scripts online that further answers this question.
Q: “When I search the Library Catalog, I can see scripts that are listed as ‘digital,’ but there’s no link to view or download them. How do I view these scripts?”
A: Scripts marked as digital indicate that the script in question is available in our library through our digital platform only—not available publicly online or in print. You can read these scripts on any of our iPads when visiting our library.
Q: “Can I volunteer or intern for the library and archive?”
A: If you are a library science/MLIS/history grad student and want to help catalog scripts and inventory archival collections, fill out this form.