My Fast Track Transformative Experience

When I applied to the 2019 Fast Track Fellowship, I dreamed of winning the Grand Prize, but thought the possibility was remote. In fact, when I received the email, I had to read it several times before I actually believed it!

Fast Track week was comprehensively the most amazing and transformative experience I've ever had in such a short time. From the meetings with our mentors, ISA's hand-picked writers, agents and producers, to the mid-week celebration in our honor and being given a coveted slot to pitch my project to a panel of experts, to the indulgent lunches and dinners, and the unwavering support through it all, the days went by lightning fast and with such an intensity that I had little time to reflect. 
 
But one day Felicity (ISA's Director of Development) asked, "do you think you will change after this week?" and I stopped for a moment. The honest answer at that time was maybe. But looking back, there is a divide between before Fast Track and after, and though I can measure tangible changes by the number of contacts with industry professionals who enjoy my work, and that I now have and am actively executing a detailed plan to further my writing career, I realize that the deeper change was intangible and, for me profound. Because of the ISA and this magical week, I now believe I can succeed as a screenwriter. 

It is hard to believe that more than a year has passed since I wrote those words! And what a year it has been! 

From a novelist turned screenwriter who knew less than nothing about the industry to one of the ISA's "Top 25 Screenwriters to Watch in 2020," my Fast Track win has provided an amazing platform to springboard my career. Because of the amazing mentors the ISA recruited, I had  access to professionals that most beginning screenwriters would never have.  I now have agents and producers eager to read my work. I even have representation for my new TV Pilot, Higher Primates. 

Add to that a plethora of screenwriting education resources and tools, and most importantly, the unparalleled ISA Screenwriting Community.

No one could have predicted our current world status, and I am truly grateful for the ISA's commitment to keep their members informed and connected. They quickly pivoted to make our Third Thursday events Virtual and lined up many other free informative and engaging online events. They even extended deadlines and rolled back entry fees to many of their screenwriting contests. All of this, while dealing with their individual lives during the most challenging time the industry has ever seen...

Sounds too good to be true, right?

But it isn't. The people who make up the ISA are not only exceptional at their jobs, they truly, to a person, care about their community and the individuals in it. In a world where everything is a business model, it is refreshing to find a place where Story is revered and the people writing them come first. 

With gratitude to all of the souls in the ISA, and most especially Felicity and Jerren.

~ T. Siena (Fast Track Fellow, ISA's Top 25 Screenwriter To Watch)