Deadline: May 28th 2022
Attention Audio Drama Scriptwriters: The 2022 Marion Thauer Brown Audio Drama Scriptwriting Competition is accepting adventure and comedy entries!
Greetings audio drama scriptwriters!
The MTB Audio Drama Scriptwriting Competition celebrates exciting aural storytelling with a $250 first prize and $100 second-place prize. Authors retain all script rights.
The focus for this, the tenth and final year of the MTB competition, is adventure and comedy scripts to engage and amuse audiences.
There’s no fee for entry. We simply ask the following:
Please keep to one entry per author.
Scripts should run no longer than 30 minutes (approximately 30 pages of script)
The script should be your original work/story. Adaptation of another author’s works or use of proprietary characters such as Dr. Who, Frankenstein, or Othello will lead to disqualification.
Please keep the script appropriate for listeners of all ages by meeting the following conventions:
1) Avoid swearing, which includes “damn,” and “hell” and “God.” Failure to do so will lead to automatic disqualification regardless of context.
2) Avoid implicit or implied sexual context. Romantic affection is fine. Details about intimacy are not.
3) Avoid graphic depictions of killing or torture. It is understood that people can get bumped off for dramatic capital if needed (which is not to say it is necessary to do so) but if you do please avoid disturbing or overly descriptive details.
Given the current world situation, please refrain from submitting dystopian/pandemic fiction. This isn’t to say the subject can’t make for compelling drama, but a goal of this competition is to foster scripts that provide an escape for audiences of all ages from this topic. It’s fine if things start out dire for characters to spur conflict, but try to leave them in a better place by you story’s conclusion. Or at least most/some of them.
Make sure your script is action/plot driven. To meet this criteria (and prevent repurposed stage plays) each script should have at least one location change.
Please make sure it is free of visual stage directions such as “Shonna blows him a kiss. He nods knowingly as Tyler silently walks off stage” or stage play set design details.