Here’s a roundup of articles relevant to writers.

1. The Nickelodeon Writing Fellowship‘s submission period just opened. Here‘s an interview with the Executive Director answering every question you could ever have about it. Plus, she’s incredibly encouraging about the whole process.

2. Awards season scripts are available online now

3. Chuck Palahniuk implores writers to delete “thought” verbs from their writing. It’s a lazy short cut that stops better writing from happening. Check out this essay. It’ll make you rethink everything you’ve ever written. Yay. (Thanks to Scriptnotes for this link.)

4. Here‘s a list of movies directed by women in 2014. It’s worth glancing over – many of these are unfamiliar to me, but a few are in my favorite movies of the year (Obvious Child, Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me).

5. Joan Didion’s favorite books – from a list she handwrote in her notebook. Fascinating to see the writers that influenced her.

6. A writer finds a roll a film from his teenage years while avoiding writing his novel (and the anxiety it brings him). He talks about his New York City upbringing, his first desires to be a writer, then uncovers what was on that roll of film. A great read from the New Yorker.