Take a look at any roadmap: There are a plethora of ways to get from point A to point B. Some routes require more luck than others; some are roads less traveled; while still others are riddled with detours... Breaking into and sustaining a career in the screenwriting business is hard – sometimes it can feel nearly impossible.
Enter Roadmap Writers, a team of industry veterans dedicated to equipping screenwriters with the real-world tools and training needed to take their career to the next level.
What is Roadmap Writers?
Roadmap Writers is a screenwriting education and training platform for people looking for a guided path to professional success writing for film and tv. Our programs are hosted by working industry executives and are designed to empower writers with actionable tools and insights to elevate their craft and cultivate relationships with industry professionals. Founded in 2016, by Joey Tuccio and Dorian Connelley, Roadmap has helped nearly 300 writers sign with representation, while countless others have gotten staffed on tv shows, had their scripts optioned, or sold their scripts.
What makes Roadmap different?
We focus on quality of education rather than quantity of numbers in our programming. We pride ourselves on getting to know each writer individually and doing our best to cater to their individual needs. Because it takes so much investment, time, and care to champion and launch a writer’s professional career, we focus work on Career Writers over hobbyists. Roadmap is the only screenwriting organization that has a fully guided Tiered program that will help you build an incredibly strong foundation for lasting career success. Each program is taught by passionate working executives with a proven track record.
Who teaches our classes?
Our instructors are all working executives, managers, producers, writers, and other industry professionals. By learning from working execs, you are able to benefit from their real-world, hands-on experience and knowledge of the current marketplace. We have relationships with nearly every major company in the industry and work with hundreds of agents, managers, producers, and executives that are highly vetted and genuinely invested in helping writers grow.
Where do our classes take place?
Our programs take place 100% online (most utilize video conferencing software ZOOM). You can participate from anywhere in the world! The only requirements are a camera, a microphone, and a decent internet connection. The online classroom also provides for high-quality recordings of each class so that you can review the session at a later date.
Is Roadmap right for me?
Our focus is on what we call Career Writers. A Career Writer takes the craft seriously, understands the importance of cultivating relationships, handles feedback professionally, and puts in the time to move their career forward. There are countless writers out there and it’s important to us that we give each one of our writers the attention they deserve (and need) to succeed. It’s impossible to cater to every writer in the world, so we only work with writers that are really ready to make screenwriting a career. It doesn’t matter where you live, what your background is, or how old you are, if you’re ready to work hard, get and digest feedback, step outside your comfort zone, and challenge yourself as you’ve never been challenged before, then Roadmap is right for you!
Community
Nearly all our programs are done in a roundtable setting. This means you are going to be hearing your peers pitch and get feedback and they are going to hear your pitch and get feedback. Our Career Writer Program is for vetted writers only so you can be assured you are going to be in a community with normal writers that you can feel comfortable with. Also, all our roundtables are moderated by a Roadmap staffer to make sure everything is going smoothly at all times.
Where do I start?
The best place to start is our Pitch Prep Program in our Career Writer Program. This will give you the foundation you need to perfect your pitch and marketing strategy. From there, you will work your way up to eventually land in our Top Tier Program! This is where most of our success stories happen. By the time you get to Top Tier, you will be a writer with a distinct voice who is confident at pitching with an exciting Rolodex of executives you can call allies.
Screenwriters that work with us can take advantage of:
- A curated, tiered screenwriting program designed to perfect the art and the business of screenwriting - from voice to marketing.
- Focused, personal training and attention that will ensure your projects, pitches, and collaborative ability are at their best.
- Access to high-profile executives who will provide high-quality, valuable feedback on your projects.
- A Webinar Library packed with dozens of on-demand lectures covering all aspects of the business to help screenwriters write screenplays.
- Online Classes designed to help an aspiring screenwriter navigate the film industry.
- Map your route utilizing a team of industry professionals, managers, agents, producers and executives at your disposal.
Not sure where to start? Let's chat!
Book a free Strategy Call
Joey started in the industry at Bold Films (DRIVE, NIGHTCRAWLER, WHIPLASH) and has read for Hugh Jackman's company, George Clooney's company, and Night and Day Pictures, to name a few. Experiencing how hard it was for writers to receive real tangible advice on how to break into the industry, Joey and Dorian created Roadmap Writers over 6 years ago. At Roadmap, Joey focuses on connecting vetted writers with execs in the industry. He has helped hundreds of writers connect to their representation, get staffed and get produced. He also mentors for Cinestory and The Writers Lab. When he's not helping writers, he spends his time rescuing animals in need.
Dorian was fresh off working for producer Mark Ciardi (THE ROOKIE, MIRACLE, CHAPPAQUIDDICK) when she co-founded Roadmap Writers as its COO. With years of experience in talent management, live events, and feature film producing, Dorian is also a proud Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Guinea/Mali '08-'10). When she's not helping writers perfect their pitches, Dorian can be found at music festivals and karaoke bars.
Alexandra holds a degree in English Literature from UCLA, which she earned while pursuing acting. As an actress for many years, she learned the ins and outs of character, story and entertainment first hand, both on stage and in front of the camera. As the Director of Education at Roadmap, Alex strives to identify the most common hurdles writers face in developing their work and design classes, clinics, and webinars to address these issues. In addition, Alex is a writer with several scripts, a novel, a short film (produced during the AT&T Shape Create-A-Thon), and a webseries (coming soon!) under her belt. Prior to Roadmap, Alex worked in live events, law, and education.
Terra Joy started her career in Washington, DC as a journalist and managed a documentary film campaign, where she was also very active in the local screenwriting community. She's been to 35+ countries, has a BA in Political Science, and loves helping other writers develop their material. As a writer herself, Terra focuses on character-driven comedies and dramas, and has a soft spot for true story adaptations. Before joining the RoadCrew, she was a reader for Slamdance. When she's not connecting awesome creative people with other awesome creative people, she's nerding out on psychology, analyzing her favorite movies and TV shows, and trying to find the best boba tea flavor.
James is a best-selling author, working screenwriter, producer, director, and motivational speaker who loves to find a way to succeed. James has also worked as an actor and voice talent on numerous projects. His company, Hammerjaxx Films, sponsors one of the prizes in our Diversity Initiative. He's passionate about finding the story within the story and helping writers find both their voice and their own given greatness. His other passion is being the San Fernando valley's expert on Pancakes.
Recently a management assistant at Bohemia Group Entertainment reporting directly to the head of talent & literary management, Tristan J is a repped TV writer and former Off-Broadway theatre playwright, actor, & director. Before becoming Roadmap Success Story #229, Tristan J was highlighted in YesBroadway's 40Under40 alongside Oscar-winner Ariana DeBose, Adrienne Warren, & Alex Newell. Back in New York, Tristan J created A Night of Play NYC, a board-game-infused playwriting incubator of new works from emerging playwrights in Brooklyn, NY, where Tristan J was raised on a military base in a blended multi-racial family. There's nothing Tristan J loves more than new voices & board games! An advocate for queer creators of color, Tristan J works to elevate & honor the creative process alongside our collective journey towards enlightenment! Follow Tristan J on Twitter and Instagram for rumblings on musical theatre, spilling tea, and being a magical witch.
Tiffany Yarde graduated from Bryn Mawr College with a B.A. in English with a concentration in Creative Writing. Having been raised in public housing by Bajan immigrants has led Tiffany to write about culturally diverse characters struggling with self-acceptance. Tiffany was a fellow in the inaugural class of the Creative Corridor Program and recently co-wrote the short film Bon Voyage which premiered in NYC as part of the Women's Weekend Film Challenge. When not developing content that challenges the monolithic perception of the "Black experience," Tiffany enjoys spending time with her husband and fantasizing about the day when they will be able to kick their 5 children out so they can travel the world.
Lorinne is a native Southern Californian who earned her BFA in Film Production at Chapman University. Preferring to work more on the business side of filmmaking, Lorinne has worked on numerous films doing mostly post-production, scheduling, budgeting, and contracts. Since moving to San Diego to start a family, she gained several years of experience in the business world before transitioning back to her beloved entertainment industry with Roadmap Writers. Also a huge Disney fan, Lorinne spent over 5 years as a Cast Member at Disney Parks and loves taking her two young boys to The Happiest Place on Earth.
Aadip Desai is our Director of Brand Management & Marketing, Success Story #98, and an actively working tv writer/screenwriter. Aadip was honored a BAFTA Breakthrough for his work as a staff writer on The Goldbergs (ABC/Sony) and has written freelance episodes for Mira Royal Detective (Disney), Sharkdog (Netflix/Nick), and Dew Drop Diaries (Netflix/DreamWorks). He dropped out of AFI’s MFA Screenwriting program after being selected for the ABC/Disney TV Writing Program. When not writing, Aadip runs the 17.5k+ LA TV Writers Facebook Group, is an Advisor/Instructor at the Sundance Institute, a speaker at top film schools (NYU, UCLA, USC, AFI), a mentor/judge for fellowships and competitions, interviewer of industry pros, and panelist (AFF, CAPE, BAFTA, Disney, etc.). He’s a former Co-Host/Producer of the On the Page screenwriting podcast, and former President of the Northwest Screenwriters Guild in Seattle. Aadip has a vestigial BA in Economics and a Minor in Music from the University of Puget Sound (the one with the pretty brochures). In his former life he worked in marketing for music, tech, hospitality, healthcare, and more, working for brands like Microsoft, Reading Rainbow, Sony Music, Target, Starbucks, Nordstrom, and more.
Aside from being the Director of Top Tier programs at Roadmap, Julianne is Roadmap’s Success Story #105 and owes much of her success to the connections she has made through Roadmap. She holds a Master of Letters (MFA Summa Cum Laude equivalent) from Sydney University and was Managing Editor of the USyd Writer’s Journal.
Julianne has several projects in development, including an animated feature, a live-action family feature, a mobile game, and a drama TV series. She has also co-written and produced an award-winning web series and has recently adapted a comic book series into a feature film.
Julianne likes to write stories that challenge people to question the limits of their own perspectives. Her desire is for her audience to come away changed – even if only for a moment. When not writing, Julianne enjoys life in sunny Sydney with her husband, cat, bunnies, and a never-ending procession of wild birds who drop by each day to visit.
With Roadmap, Julianne is passionate about helping other writers find joy and success in their creative journeys
Robert A. Douglas is a Baltimorean dedicated to uplifting the voices of marginalized children through various expressions of art. As an author, filmmaker, educator, and producer of podcasts, Robert uses writing to motivate others despite their current circumstances. To date, Robert has published four books (Fertile Concrete, Fertile Concrete II, The New Souls of Black Folk, and On the Border) that gives wheels to his own voice as well as others in underserved communities. Robert also adapted his own book The New Souls of Black Folkinto an indie documentary he produced called NEW SOULS; chronically topics from single-parent homes, school to prison pipelines, the homeless epidemic and more. He has also expanded his latest work, On the Border, into a podcast called REACHING THE BORDER where he gives voice to some of his students targeted by various mediums, their own communities, etc. In his downtime, Robert likes to cook, be a recluse out in nature, and spend time with his family.
