Showing posts with label submissions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label submissions. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Deadline Extension for the 2017 contest

URGENT!

We have decided to extend the submission deadline for the 2017 contest. The new deadline is:

SUNDAY, JANUARY 15 by 11:59 pm.

Plays must be submitted through the website no later than 11:59 pm on that date. There will be no further extensions, so please be sure to get your plays in before this time.

Any plays already received will go out to readers next week.

Thanks!

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

How to Submit a Script to the 2017 contest

(This page was amended at 3:07 pm on January 3 and reflects the correct procedure for submitting your play.)

Well, hello there! Happy New Year!

It has been a busy season of playwriting with youth at Writers Theatre since I last posted on this blog. While my posts have been infrequent in 2016, when there were published, they moved to the Writers Theatre blog on the general website, but more about that later. Right now, let's walk you through the steps to submitting a play on our new NJYPF page.

For the most part, playwrights have been sending their work without a problem; however, there is a minor glitch in the system that we want to make sure everyone is aware of before sending in the play.

1) Submissions are accepted as Word documents and PDF files ONLY. We cannot access scripts that are sent via Google Docs or Apple Pages. So, if you are working on those platforms, please be sure to download the file first, and then attach it to the submission form later. Please see the website for guidelines about how to format your script and name your file.


2) When you are ready to submit the play, go to the contest website at http://www.njypf.org. That will bring you to a page that looks like this:


From this page, you can choose to read through the guidelines and other information about the contest and festival using the tabs on the left hand side of the page. Or if you are ready to submit your play, click the link for Submission Form, which is noted in the picture by the red arrow.


3) This page is the Submission landing page, which again provides you with information about formatting, etc. To send your script, click the link for Submission Form on the left hand side, noted here again by the red arrow:


4) In order to correct a page error, we had to create one more Submission Form link here:
This will open a new tab in your browser with the first page of the submission form.


5) On this page read and accept the conditions of submission by noting if you are submitting the work as an Individual or a Group. (If you are a playwright sending your own work, or someone sending work for ONE playwright, you should click the button for Choice #1. If you are the teacher/mentor/parent of a group of playwrights, please choose Choice #2.)



6) Now you will be at Step 2 where you enter information about the play, playwright, etc.
Individual Submission form
PLEASE NOTE: The image above is from the Individual submission form. If you are submitting a group of plays, you will be taken to another page that looks like this:
Group Submission form
On the group submission form you will enter the title, author, grade, and Living with Disabilities category eligibility for each individual play. Use the plus button (indicated by the red arrow) to create a line for your next script.


7) The final page of the submission form will ask you to upload your file(s). Once you have done this and clicked the button to finish you will be brought to a screen that confirms your submission as received.

Due to the number of submissions that we receive, we CANNOT reply to requests to confirm whether or not a play has been received in the system. However, if you use the form and do not get a confirmation message on the screen, please let me know and I will do what I can.


8) If you are an individual playwright submitting more than one play, you will need to submit each script separately using the Individual option.

I hope this will help you through this new process. We look forward to receiving your plays!


Friday, January 8, 2016

The other side

Thank you to everyone who submitted a script for consideration in the 2016 NJ Young Playwrights Festival. I am nearly finished organizing the files to send to our first round readers. We will start the reading process in a matter of days!

Please remember that we do not confirm the receipt of a script: there are just too many to sort through and organize for us to do this efficiently. Additionally, you will be contacted if your play is chosen for the final round or beyond. It will take us some time before those results are available, so take some time to relax. We also encourage you to submit the script to another playwriting program for youth.

Thanks!

Monday, December 21, 2015

Submissions due today!

This is it. No more extensions. You have until 11:59 pm tonight to send us your scripts for the 2016 New Jersey Young Playwrights Contest & Festival. For details visit the website.

Happy writing!

Saturday, December 19, 2015

Deadline extended thru Monday

We've decided to keep the submission deadline open a few more days. However, we must close the submission period on Monday night, December 21. Once midnight strikes the next moring, the script collector will close. Be sure to get your scripts in now and remember to complete both steps:

1) Complete the online submission form at 

2) Send your play as a Word or PDF document to njypf@ptnj.org.

Please give a call or send an email if you have any trouble: education@ptnj.org / 973-514-1787, ext. 21.

Friday, December 18, 2015

24 hours to go!

That's right! Just 24 hours until scripts are due for the 2016 New Jersey Young Playwrights Festival. (Remember, this is a one-day extension due to the technical glitch that sprung up earlier in the week.)

Get your script in now!

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Submission deadline extension!

As you know, we collect your scripts via an online process on our website at www.njypf.org (choose the hotlink for Guidelines & Submissions). There are two collectors set up on the site and this afternoon we discovered that unfortunately one of those collectors was programmed to close a day earlier than it should. Our apologies to anyone who could not submit their script due to this error.

The good news is that we are extending the submission deadline by one day only! This means that you now have until Saturday, December 19 at 11:59 pm to send in your script.

Saturday, December 12, 2015

One week left!

We are now less than ONE WEEK AWAY from the submission deadlines for the 2016 New Jersey Young Playwrights Festival! Please remember that submitting your script to us is a two-part process:

1) Complete the playwright information page on the website at www.njypf.org. (Use the link for Guidelines and Submissions)
2) Send your script as an email attachment (Word Doc or PDF only, please!) to njypf@ptnj.org

When sending your script, please label the file with YOUR NAME - TITLE of PLAY - DIVISION. Thanks!

ALSO, when you're done submitting your work to us, considering sending your play to another program in New Jersey or across the country. You can find more online using the Young Playwrights Map published by our Director of Education on his website at www.jimdevivo.com/young-playwrights.html
Screenshot from the Young Playwrights Map

Happy writing!

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Submissions now being accepted for 2016 NJ Young Playwrights Contest!

We're happy to announce that submissions are now being accepted for the 2016 New Jersey Young Playwrights Contest/Festival! Submissions is a two-part process that requires you to:

  1. Complete the online NJYPF Title Page Info form.
  2. Send your play via email to njypf@ptnj.org
You will find the Title Page form by clicking the link above, or via the NJYPF website. Be sure to follow the links to the "Guidelines and Play Submission" page. The info form is embedded at the bottom of the page.

When sending your play to our email address, please attach your file as either an MS Word, or PDF document. Please note that we CANNOT receive shared Google Docs, or Pages files.

There is plenty more information on the Festival website, but please feel free to contact the Education office at PTNJ with any questions. We are best reached at 973-514-1787, ext. 21 or education@ptnj.org.

Happy writing!

Monday, December 15, 2014

Plays for 2015 due today!

Today is the day!

Script submissions are due tonight before 11:59 pm for all divisions. Please use the NJYPF website for links to the online title page form and don't forget to submit your script via email to njypf@ptnj.org. You must complete both steps for your entry to be valid.

Break a leg!

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Scripts for 2015 Festival due December 15

I've noticed that our most visited post in recent days is one that lists a due date for last year's (2014) contest. Since that seems to be the information that most of our visitors are looking for, I wanted to put this post up to alleviate any confusion.

Scripts for the 2015 NJ Young Playwrights Festival are due Monday, December 15 no later than 11:59 pm.

Please use the NJYPF website to begin the submission process.

Friday, September 19, 2014

Accepting "works-in-progress" for 2015 NJYPF

You may have heard that the submission deadline for the 2015 NJ Young Playwrights Festival is one month earlier this year than it has been in the past. We realize that the new December 15 deadline may be too early for some playwrights who are writing their scripts in a school classroom, or residency program, so we're accepting partial script submissions for this year only.

Playwrights who may not finish in time for the December 15 deadline need to send us whatever draft they are currently working on and identify their play as a "work-in-progress" on the submission form. That indication, along with some additional information about the play, will help our readers better understand the play as you intend it.

If you have any questions about the work-in-progress submissions, please contact the PTNJ Education office at 973-514-1787, ext. 21 or via education@ptnj.org.

Happy writing!

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Deadline Announcement for 2015 NJ Young Playwrights Contest & Festival

Attention New Jersey Young Playwrights!

We are now accepting script submissions for the 2015 NJ Young Playwrights Contest & Festival. The deadline for submissions this year is December 15, 2014.

Please take note that this deadline is earlier than we have traditional held in the past. This is because we are working on some changes to the Festival process that necessitate an earlier deadline; however, we do not yet have all of the details of these changes in hand. We will make another announcement when that is set. In the meantime, please note the December 15 deadline and start writing (if you haven't already)!

Scripts will be accepted through the Festival website. As in the past, this is a two-part process that requires the completion of an online title page via SurveyMonkey and the email submission of your script to njypf@ptnj.org. You can complete the Title Page Forum using the link above, or by using the embedded form found on our website (use the internal link for Submissions).

Please let us know if you have any questions, or any difficulty with the submission of your script.

Happy writing!

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Writing prompts

We're four weeks in to summer with only six weeks left before school begins again! At some point in those six weeks we will be announcing the procedural changes to the NJ Young Playwrights Festival, but you shouldn't wait for that announcement to start working on your play.

Picture found on wonderlanddrift.tumblr.com
Head on over to our Pinterest page to find a wealth of links to writing prompts that may spark your imagination. I suggest free-writing based on a few of those prompts to see where your imagination might take you. You may just find yourself with a head start on your script submission!

Happy writing!

Friday, July 11, 2014

Building a national young playwrights database

Since the fall, Jim DeVivo (PTNJ's Director of Education) has led a small team of interns to compile a list of young playwrights programs across the United States as a first step in Playwrights Theatre's initiative to build a national database of these programs. We will collect information through a form on SurveyMonkey, which was sent to about 56 organizations who run contests, festivals, workshops, publications, or other opportunities for young playwrights (typically aged 18/19 or younger). We look forward to compiling the results and sharing a first draft of this database on the NJ Young Playwrights Festival website by the end of 2014.

If you are the administrator for a young playwrights program and did not receive this link, please contact Jim at jdevivo@ptnj.org.

You can follow the action on social media as we've asked those who share their information to announce the news of their participation under the hashtag #youngplaywrights.

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Summer playwriting classes at Playwrights Theatre of NJ

This summer, prepare your play for the 2015 NJ Young Playwrights Contest & Festival (NJYPF) by attending one of our Playwriting Workshops for students entering grades 6-12. Classes will be taught by our Director of Education, Jim DeVivo who has 20 years experience mentoring young artists including 12 years as the program director for the NJYPF. Details on our website!


Friday, December 13, 2013

Submission Reminder!

Our Title Page Information database shows that we may have 105 entries to the 2014 NJ Young Playwrights Festival so far; however, we have not received anywhere near as many scripts. If you are submitting work to the Festival, please remember that you must register online AND send us your script via email. Contact us for help, if needed. Thanks!

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Rethinking "Write What You Know"

Whenever I log in to the blog for a new post, I like to see which older posts have been viewed and what our "all-time" top entries are. One of our most popular entries is one entitled "Write What You Know", which originally premiered on October 20, 2008 and was re-posted last August 27, 2012. You can link to those entries by clicking the dates, but before you do, I wanted to share something else about the idea of "what you know" that has been brewing in my mind for the past few days.

Students often are told "write what you know", which seems simple enough, but a number of young playwrights in our workshops feel pressured by this advice. Sometimes they want to write about a topic, an event, place, or person that they know very little about. This knowledge can be gained by a little reading and research, of course. However, one thing that I always ask young writers to keep in mind is that, even if it is based in reality, or history, what they are writing is also a piece of fiction. That fiction stems from their imagination (something that we don't often connect with knowledge) and I believe that if you can imagine it, then you know it. An example of this may be with a science-fiction, or fantasy play. That world exists in a writer's mind and the writer needs to know a lot about it and how it works in order to accurately share it with an audience. Again, the advice is "write what you know", but a little less pressure involved.

Not everyone wants to write a sci-fi/fantasy play, of course. No matter what the genre, it is helpful for playwrights to know about themselves - their background, sure, but also things that spark their imaginations and emotions. The older posts that I have linked above include a self-reflection tool that our young playwrights have found useful when first thinking about their plays, or looking for some inspiration during revision. Give it a look and see what ideas might be sparked in you as you begin, or continue, your writing.

We can't wait to see the results...

Happy writing!