The New CSCS Open

We are proud to announce that the CS Open, the only-one-of-its-kind live writing tournament we've been coordinating at the Screenwriting Expo since 2001, returns for 2009 -- but in a new, re-imagined format. The CS Open is now the CSCS Open -- Creating Screenwriting Cyberspace Open -- and takes place (largely) online.

Sample scene prompt: Your THREE PROTAGONISTS can’t stand each other, but they are forced to work together in order to retrieve something that has been stolen from one of them which is important to them all. But they suffer a setback when the item is inadvertently destroyed due to a screw-up on one of their parts. Write the scene where they nearly come to blows and desperately try to figure out how to salvage the operation. As with the previous round, you can approach this however you like — any genre, setting or style. Good luck!

In the past, we gave participants a scene prompt like the one above and 90 minutes to write their own best version of it. In pencil. Needless to say, a lot of folks wanted to use laptops over the years. Well, you're finally able to. Instead of cramming 80-100 writers into a classroom every two hours over the course of a weekend, we're giving everyone the prompts online and giving you the entire weekend to craft and polish a 3-5 minute scene. The first two rounds will be 100% online, and the final round will be both online and live at the Expo, and will conclude, as always, with the top 3 scenes being performed by actors at the closing ceremony. Winner receives $3,000, and every scene gets feedback from our team of pro readers here at Coverage, Ink. Not bad for a couple hours work!


We're psyched, because this approach not only means you won't have to write by hand anymore, but also because we won't have to try to decode your chicken scratch handwriting! So get ready for action, folks. First round begins the weekend of Sept. 18-21, and entry is a measly 12 bucks. We're jazzed to be bringing the new, improved CSCS Open to you. Now let's see what you've got -- BRING IT!

Go HERE for all the details!