ABSTRACT
General Meetings—or "generals" as they are more widely known—are effectively meet-and-greets between a producer, development executive network or studio executive, and the writer whose work the individual behind the desk has taken to. Whether emerging with actionable next steps or just creating a new fan, general meetings and the impression the writer is able to make in them are instrumental for the career to be built or built upon in the weeks, months and years ahead. If screenwriting careers are built on the shoulders of relationship, these generals are where those all-important relationships begin to take shape. Writing assignments, or Open Writing Assignments (OWAs) represent the brass ring for many a screenwriter. Initially, OWAs were made available on the studio level. A studio would invite a slew of approved writers, as well as the occasional hot new writer in the space, to come pitch their take.
