What We Do

The TSA (Tennessee Screenwriting Association) is a not-for-profit educational organization founded in 1988 and governed by a board of elected volunteers.

Our ongoing mission is to:
• Promote the art and craft of screenwriting.
• Support the screenwriter in the application of his/her skills.
• Provide a pipeline for information and opportunities to network with other writers and film industry professionals.

We hold a weekly 90-minute meeting, for members and non-members alike, providing a forum for screenwriters to have a work-in-progress read and critiqued by peers. Every week up to three members can bring in something to discuss, whether it is a logline, synopsis or 10-15 pages of their script for the rest of us to cold read. They can bring ideas and run those past the group. Their 30-minute allotment includes their presentation and constructive, objective feedback.

These meetings are free and open to all interested persons, however, you must be a TSA member to read your work. (NOTE: It is mandatory that members present a 2-3 page synopsis before moving on to read actual script pages.)

What screenwriting paradigm does the TSA follow?
We believe in the three-act structure and that studying different approaches and movies can reveal useful patterns for constructing your screenplay. Mostly, we believe each screenplay must be CLEAR. If you want to write a screenplay to sell we can help. We encourage you to learn the basics before trying to write the next Pulp Fiction. We encourage writing from good ideas and discourage bad ones.

Educational Opportunities
In addition, the TSA sponsors educational seminars throughout the year. This is your opportunity to meet and learn from industry professionals – producers, directors, agents, attorneys, and, of course, successful screenwriters.

We encourage you to become a TSA member. Visit our membership section for more information.