palmtrees

Development is a relationship. The writer-editor dynamic is core for novelists, poets and journalists. Why not make its equivalent, screenwriter-story analyst, more commonplace in our industry? 🌴 Cover Image photographed by Jill Krementz on Jan 19, 1978; all rights reserved.

We thought about asking each applicant to upload a single image. The image that made them want to write the story. For a lot of writers, that is how it starts. A place, a face, a frame from a life in motion. We decided against it. Because the work of the writer is to get that image onto the page and then build a story that earns it. Having an idea is not the same as having an image. If you can’t see your story, if there is no world the camera can enter, it may be a novel or an essay or a conversation over drinks. And that’s fine, let the idea thrive in that form. But if it is a film, the writer commits. The image arrests. It’s why writing can feel like a prison sentence. You’re not free until the image is. Slides in Carousel: Seger, Linda. Making a Good Script Great. 4th ed., Silman-James Press, 2010, p. 24.

Before you hit submit, take a beat. Over the next couple weeks, we’ll be releasing more notes to help guide and hopefully encourage as you prepare your submission. Definitely go to the site and open an account now, but remember you have until June 1st to hit submit. There is no advantage to rushing. We are reading everything. 🌴 palmtrees.dev/apply

We’re excited to announce NEON as our development partner for the inaugural cohort. What does this mean? It means every writer accepted will have key touch-points with NEON executives throughout the incubation period. NEON also has an exclusive first look window at the end of the incubator. While nothing is guaranteed, our goal is to get projects over the line- which is why we’re bringing our partner on board early to develop alongside us. Applications are open! We look forward to hearing from writers across Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Middle East, Latin America, Oceania and the Caribbean. 🌴 #linkinbio

Applications open Tuesday, March 31, 2026 and close June 1, 2026. More information at palmtrees.dev/apply. 🌴