Want to break into the Holiday Romance market?
With hundreds of holiday romance films being produced a year, this lovable genre is popping up everywhere! But how can your script stick out in a place where everyone is trying to get in? Roadmap Writers and Nicely Entertainment are proud to present an exclusive Holiday Romance Mentorship Lab!
The competition, running through January 25th, seeks Holiday Romance TV Movie scripts, with 2 writers chosen to participate in a 4-week Mentoring Lab in the spring via Zoom to receive feedback, help develop their feature script, and receive industry guidance on what makes for a great Holiday Romance TV movie. Writers will work with Dave Hickey from Nicely Entertainment in this 4-week lab. In addition, Roadmap Writers will market the developed scripts through the mentorship to execs and reps (if the writer is not already repped).
Writer Lisa Hepner met Nicely Entertainment through Roadmap, which led to 5 of her features and 1 series being produced by Nicely.
Known as “the leader in feel-good entertainment,” Nicely brings to market more than 25 new movies each year for global audiences. Since the company’s founding in 2020, its titles have premiered on all major channels and platforms — including Lifetime, Hallmark, Hulu, Netflix, UPtv, and Great American Family — with hits such as A Royal in Paradise and A Christmas Frequency starring Denise Richards.
How It Works:
Nicely Entertainment, a production and distribution company founded and helmed by industry veteran Vanessa Shapiro, is partnering with Roadmap Writers to launch a Holiday Romance Mentorship to identify new scripts and talent looking to break into the market.
The 2 winning writers will receive a month-long mentorship with Nicely Entertainment!
- Submissions open from December 31st, 2025, through January 31st, 2026.
- The TV Movie submitted should be between 90 and 105 pages.
- The TV Movie must be a Holiday Romance to be considered.
- In addition to their TV Movie, screenwriters are requested to submit a 1-page personal statement that expresses their personal brand, why they applied, and the inspiration for their TV Movie.
- There is no limit on the number of submissions, but every entry requires a separate submission fee.
- All submissions are final.
- 10 Semifinalists will be asked to participate in a 30-minute interview with Roadmp Writers.
- The 2 winners will have a month-long mentorship with Nicely Entertainment in the Spring of 2026.
Pricing & Deadline:
Submission Opens: December 31st, 2025 | $35
Final Deadline: January 31st, 2026
Deadline is 11:59 pm PT
Add Feedback Notes | +$55
Receive a one-page written analysis of your script.
* Feedback is returned within 6-8 weeks from the Finalist announcement.
Winner Announcements:
Semifinalists | February 27th, 2026
Finalists | March 16th, 2026
Mentorship Winners I March 30th, 2026
*dates are subject to change*
About
ROADMAP WRITERS
Founded by Joey Tuccio and Dorian Connelley in 2016, Roadmap is an L.A.-based screenwriting education and training platform that is dedicated to writers seeking a guided path to professional success in film and TV. Led by working executives, managers, agents, producers, writers, and other industry professionals, their classes take place exclusively online and are designed to empower writers to elevate their craft while expanding their network. Roadmap has helped over 480 writers sign with representation to date, while guiding some directly toward work in the industry. Writers signed through the program to the likes of Kaplan/Perrone, Echo Lake, Good Fear, Anonymous Content, 3 Arts, Artists First, Industry Entertainment, Fourth Wall Management, and CAA, with some going on to staff on shows like GREASE: RISE OF THE PINK LADIES (Paramount+), REACHER (Amazon), FUBAR (Netflix), THE FLASH (CW), WE WERE LIARS (Amazon), and THE RESIDENT (Fox).
NICELY ENTERTAINMENT
Nicely Entertainment is a production and distribution company founded and helmed by industry veteran Vanessa Shapiro. Prior to creating Nicely, Shapiro served as President of Worldwide TV Distribution & Co-Productions at Gaumont. During her tenure at Gaumont, she served as Executive Producer on Amazon Prime’s Original Series El Presidente, nominated for Best Drama at the 2021 International Emmy Awards.
Known as “the leader in feel-good entertainment,” Nicely brings to market more than 25 new movies each year for global audiences. Since the company’s founding in 2020, its titles have premiered on all major channels and platforms — including Lifetime, Hallmark, Hulu, Netflix, UPtv, and Great American Family — with hits such as A Royal in Paradise and A Christmas Frequency starring Denise Richards. With a catalog of over 150 movies, Nicely also serves as a U.S. VOD aggregator.
Operating from Los Angeles, Paris and its mini-studio in Phoenix, Arizona, Nicely efficiently develops, produces and finances films and series giving the company the agility to create high-quality projects. With Scott Kirkpatrick serving as Executive Vice President of Distribution and Co-Productions and Dave Hickey serving as Head of Production, Nicely produces for major U.S. platforms including Netflix, Lifetime, Hallmark, Hulu, Roku, AMC, UPtv, and Great American Family, while distributing its titles across the global marketplace.
Nicely has co-produced four TV series, including the YA Netflix Original Dive Club , Gymnastics Academy: A Second Chance!, CBC’s The Christmas Checklist, and the Great American Family hit Crossroad Springs.
Judging:
Roadmap Writers will review all submissions.
Nicely Entertainment will review the top-scored scripts.
Rules:
Projects From Nicely Entertainment
Scoring
Submissions will be judged by independent industry experts based on the following criteria. The below explanations of each criterion is by no means an exhaustive list, but just an example of some of the questions readers and judges consider in each category. Some criteria may not pertain to all genres/sub-genres.
Premise/Concept
Is it unique/original? Is it a new spin on a familiar story? Does it include a unique perspective from its protagonist? Do the actions and obstacles advance the story?
Characters
Are the characters well developed? Is their purpose or struggle clearly identifiable? Do they have a clear and complete arc? Are they multi-layered? Are the characters relatable or accessible to the reader?
Story
Is the story compelling? Does it serve to drive the characters and events forward in a meaningful way? Does it emphasize a deeper theme? Does the story explore new ideas? Is the story timely? Does it touch on things that are part of the zeitgeist?
Structure
Does the story have a clear beginning, middle, and end? Is it clear where the main plot turns are?
Voice/Style
Does the writer use interesting word choice and sentence structure? Do they have a unique way to view and relay what’s happening in the story? Does the writer present/have a unique perspective?
Marketability
Is this a project which meets today's market demands?
Why Should I Enter?
Roadmap Writers has helped over 480 writers and authors get signed, staffed, optioned, hired, and produced. We are excited to bring that same focus on finding vetting talent for this competition.
Writing TV movies is a strong pathway into the industry. With the opportunity for a month-long mentorship with executives from Nicely Entertainment, this competition offers a rare chance to hone your craft while further developing your material alongside a production and distribution company with global reach.
What Do I Submit?
Submit a TV Movie script along with a 1-page personal statement, via the submissions link above. All entries are final, and no substitutions will be allowed.