Screenwriting : What Would You Ask a WGA Screenwriter, Award-Winning Producer, Actor, and Author Who Talks to Industry Pros Every Single Day? by Ashley Renée Smith

A few examples to get us started:

What genres and formats are executives actively looking for right now?

How has the writers' representation landscape shifted post-strikes?

What are producers looking for in first-time screenwriter pitches?

How is AI genuinely impacting the industry (both the threats AND the opportunities)?

What common mistakes do emerging screenwriters make that hurt their careers before they even begin?

How should international screenwriters position themselves for US market access?

What does a "yes" actually look like when you get one, and how should you handle it?

Very much looking forward to this Ashley Renée Smith! I've got 2 questions, if I may.

1. In thinking about the future, what do you think the pipeline for original IP looks like 5 or 10 years from now?

2. What genres are execs looking for now?

And as always, thank you so much for creating a space where we can thrive alongside other creatives. Thanks for all you do!

Would he happen to know the last digit of pi? Well, if not, I'd love to know how long he thinks it will be before AI completely decimates F/X companies who don't bend a knee to the realities of AI? In my view, writers can now fearlessly write a James Cameron-style script without concern it would cost $100 million or more to produce using legacy F/X.

Hey, Ashley Renée Smith. Hope you, RB, and everyone are having a great week! I would ask what's one huge thing writers do that keeps them from having success.

My question is from the perspective of an international creator outside the United States.

I’m developing two projects: SONIA, an original audio drama series, and Beyond the Five Senses, a feature film. I’ve received encouraging feedback from several producers and filmmakers, but many of them have asked for a strong pilot or proof of concept before moving forward.

For a writer living outside the U.S., what is the most effective strategy for finding a producer or producing partner who is genuinely interested in developing an original project? Is it better to focus on building a proof of concept first, or on building relationships with producers before the pilot is completed?

Thank you for creating opportunities for international creators to learn directly from industry professionals.

Great topic. I would ask how is the best way to obtain an entertainment lawyer or entertainment agent.

As an emerging screenwriter developing original IP, I am interested in understanding how executives currently evaluate the market viability of mythic or expressionist genre projects. What specific elements signal to producers that a project in this space has commercial potential rather than being viewed as purely artistic? I would appreciate insight into how a writer can position such material for serious consideration. Thank you so much for taking the time to help.

Why is the Writer's Room so expensive? $468 (US) per year. How many Writer's Room members are there worldwide? If there's 10,000 (low estimate), Stage 32 is making $4.68 million on the Writer's Room alone. I wanted to take part in RB's State of the Industry discussion but can't -- it's not free to me as a former member.

So great that RB is doing this AMA for the community! My question is this - “when a writer options a script to a producer (as you’ve been on both sides), how collaborative is the writer-producer process through rewrites, and where do you draw the line creatively as a writer if a producer is taking the script in directions you may not agree with? How do you manage that relationship best?” Thank you, RB!!!

This is an absolutely amazing opportunity for all of us.

As a Moroccan screenwriter, my biggest question is: how can I break into the international film industry?

Beyond screenwriting competitions and pitch sessions, what other paths would you recommend for someone trying to build a career and get noticed?

What advice would you give to an emerging international writer who wants to break through?

Thank you very much!

Is it possible to write specs and sell iedas in the industry?

If you were an unknown screenwriter today with several completed feature scripts, what would you do in the next 90 days to get your work in front of legitimate producers?

looking forward to the meeting.

If you didn't have an agent or manager, how would you build relationships with producers and production companies?

Hi RB, I’m an aspiring screenwriter from Burundi and I’m currently developing my first supernatural horror feature, THE HOUSE OF MORGANA. As a new writer from a country with a smaller film industry, what would you recommend I focus on to build genuine relationships with international producers, managers, and other industry professionals, and eventually get my screenplay considered for the international market?

Hi everyone! I only wanna ask this question that,What advice would you give to a young international screenwriter who has written their first screenplay and wants to get it noticed by producers?

Any screenwriter must first and foremost know how to write.

But what if a screenwriter has physical limitations that make it difficult to constantly travel, attend events, and have in-person meetings, while still being fully able to work online through Zoom, WhatsApp, email, and other platforms?

Besides writing great screenplays, what other skills should a screenwriter develop to connect with agents, managers, and producers who might be interested in their work?

"What would you ask?"

Can you summarize how your writing process changed from your first script to your most recent? And what motivated those changes?

I am developing FARAFINA 2500, a sci-fi series (5 seasons) rooted in real African geography—complete show bible, pilot fully written and storyboarded, and a detailed production budget. For a creator based outside the United States, without an existing network in the industry, what is currently the most realistic path to get a project at this level of development in front of an actual executive producer—an agent, a manager, or direct outreach? And is Stage 32 a relevant platform for an international profile like this?

I would ask this question: Did you ever felt like your essence of the story was compromised while turning like from script into screen?

Because I'm observing some of Talbot Mundy's Book turned movies i felt only the tittle was used, There was No Yasmini who is the primordial character in the book when I saw the movie "King of the Khyber rifles"

One of my industry Actress who is well known to be a female lead famous in my country just like Sandra Bullock of Hollywood said, "A director approached me with the script where I'm the primordial lead character but as the discussions got carried away and the script turned to screen, I was peeking then and there in the scenes like nothing more than an extra"

I'd like to know the perspectives in which the award winning screenwriters view it.

My question: When you have a concept that consistently generates interest — strong feedback, script requests, executives saying "I love this" — but zero conversion to the next step, what's actually missing? Is it the material, the packaging, or the access?