The Women’s List for Screenwriters With Jan Kimbrough and Nashville Writer Melissa Sheridan
Women helping women in the entertainment industry and one local woman finding success in screenwriting.
Jan Kimbrough is the Co-Founder, along with Mia Certic, of The Women’s List. What’s The Women’s List? A great tool for writers.
Jan, thanks so much for taking the time to tell us what The Women’s List is and why it’s not a contest but a valuable tool for women writers?
One of the toughest things for a writer is to get their work read. Producers, agents, actors, managers, etc. don’t want to waste their time reading a bad script so The Women’s List is doing the work for them. All our readers are women. They are also WGA writers or seasoned industry professionals so when we say these are great scripts that any audience, especially female audiences, would love, we know what we’re talking about.
Submissions for the list are open now, what can writer’s hope for when applying to the list?
The Women’s List is not a contest because no one is competing against anyone else. We’re not looking for the one best script, or even the ten best. We’re looking for as many great scripts as we can find. We like to call it a treasure hunt. Once we choose the scripts, we then send the list to hundreds and hundreds of producers, actors, agents, managers, etc. anybody we know who is interested in finding great scripts ready to shoot tomorrow. So far, we’ve helped get two scripts optioned, helped get meetings for many writers, and reads for many more.
You have a very successful background, your bio reads, “She writes in a variety of genres, but the underlying theme always seems to be about righting a wrong.” Is that part of the reason you decided to start The Women’s List?
My own work does tend to focus on writing a wrong. I was an idealistic television newswoman for many years and though I’d like to think I wasn’t naïve (probably was), it always surprised when people didn’t take action when I reported on some mischief in the community. The Women’s List is about righting quite a big wrong. Film and television are the most powerful forces in the world for shaping the perception of women, yet women don’t play an equal role in creating their own image. The Women’s List intends to change that. I love something Lily Tomlin once said, “I said “Somebody should do something about that. Then I realized I am somebody.” The Women’s List hopes to be somebody for women film and television writers.
Thank you Jan, before you go, can you give some words of advice to writers like me, over 50, doesn’t live in L.A. but really wants to see her words on screen?
The film and television industry is difficult to crack at any age, but there are still reasons for women to write no matter how old you are. The best reason is because you love it for its own sake. We all have scripts sitting on our hard drives that may never get made. But we will always have the experience of building those worlds, creating those characters, and perfecting that dialogue. Sometimes I catch myself wondering about someone and what happened to them and realize I’m remembering someone I created. I like to imagine that in some alternate universe, they actually do exist. In this universe, however, you just have to keep doing the work. Hollywood is no longer the epicenter of the film and television industry. If you continue polishing your scripts, joining writer’s groups, and networking with other writers and industry people, your opportunity may come. The important thing is that you – and your scripts - need to be ready for it.
I am so glad I found The Writer’s List and I am submitting my application today. even if you’re not currently a writer but love the idea of The Women’s List, you can support them here.
Melissa Sheridan, is a wife, mom, writer, Ministry Director for Youth for Christ. And Board member for The Tennessee Screenwriting Association (TSA). Melissa tells us about her life and her writing.
It was Mrs. McNaughton, my second-grade teacher, who once pulled my mom aside and said, “I think your daughter is going to be a writer someday.” At that time, I was an undiagnosed dyslexic student, struggling to navigate school. Movies were definitely an escape for me, but I never imagined that I could write a movie myself.
In 2010, I married my amazing husband, Andy. I got a job working in ministry with Nashville Youth for Christ, and it has been such a blessing in my life. The birth of my children also reignited my creative spirit. I landed a song placement in Skipstone Pictures’ “FREDI” on Netflix and contributed to other projects like “Max Winslow and The House of Secrets,” (NETFLIX) and many others. I also wrote the soundtrack for Great American Pureflix’s “God’s Country Song.” Music was produced by my husband, Andy and witnessing our work come to life on a big screen was such a cool experience.
It inspired me to write my own script. In 2018, Since then, I’ve written eight feature screenplays and one TV pilot. They have won numerous awards at film festivals like the Nashville Film Festival, ICFF, Austin Revolution and BAFF. One of the projects I’m most proud of was a feature screenplay and finalist at the Nashville Film Festival that I wrote with my 11-year-old son. He had been talking about this snake-shark movie, sketching out storyboards, but felt stuck in his own battle with dyslexia/dysgraphia. I encouraged him to keep at it and not let that get in the way of his ideas.
My advice to other moms or creatives juggling work and family, is simple: as you pour your heart into your family, your kids, your work, don’t forget to take time for yourself. We can’t create if we’re running on empty. Our best work comes when we make space not just to write, but to do things that lift our spirits.
Thanks Melissa for sharing with us.
Next time I will be sharing more info on screenwriting, and my results from a 30 day pilot writing challenge. Thanks for time, Gail
Thanks for sharing love reading and hearing about fellow female creative artists and I had not heard of the women's list!