When literary manager Trent Anderson reads a screenplay for Final Draft's Big Break Screenwriting Contest, he’s not just looking for a polished script. He’s looking for a writer with a distinct voice.
As Head of Literary at Luber Roklin Entertainment, he reads tons of material every day from both aspiring and professional writers. The scripts that always stand out are the ones that feel deeply personal and unique to the writers behind them.
Finding His Passion
Anderson’s path into the film industry wasn’t exactly traditional. “I was trading commodities,” he says. “Just the most boring thing ever.”
But when a mentor from his high school arts program pointed out how passionate Anderson was when he talked about movies and storytelling, he had a lightbulb moment. Maybe he should think about becoming a film producer, even though he admits he didn’t fully understand what producers actually did at the time.
“I liked the idea of putting people together,” he says.
While still in college, he began interning at production companies, eventually receiving advice that would shape his career: Start in talent representation.
Instead of the traditional agency mailroom route, Anderson joined boutique manager Joanne Horowitz, where the small size of the company meant he was quickly exposed to every side of the business. From there, Anderson moved to Anonymous Content, first working with actors before transitioning to the literary side of the business. “I wanted to be on the lit side with the people who were creating all these opportunities,” he says.
He eventually began representing writers and directors and producing projects that grew out of client relationships. “Every producing opportunity I’ve had has come from clients and developing material with them from the ground up,” Anderson says, which is exactly what he loves doing now at Luber Roklin.
The Most Important Thing He Looks for in a Big Break Script
When Anderson evaluates scripts for Big Break, he asks the same question when deciding whether to represent a writer: Does the writer have a distinctive voice?
While that question can sound a bit vague, Anderson clarifies it this way.
“I’m always looking for something that feels like the person who’s writing it is the only person who could have written it. If it feels like it could be written by anyone, then that’s not really interesting to me,” he says.
The Mistake Many Writers Make
After reading scripts from emerging writers across competitions, representation submissions, and professional channels, Anderson sees one mistake repeatedly: Too many writers chase trends.
“I think people often try to chase what’s working right now. If a show like The Bear becomes popular, scripts that are similar start popping up.”
He says that approach misses the point of why those projects succeed. “The reason that show stood out is because it didn’t feel like anything we were seeing,” Anderson says.
Even more importantly, the development timeline for film and television means trend-chasing rarely works. “These things take so long that by the time anything is going to get made, the trend you’re chasing has already moved on.”
That doesn’t mean writers should ignore the marketplace entirely. Anderson still reads material with an eye toward what could realistically sell.
“Good writing will always stand out,” he says. “But good writing that also feels like there’s a market for it is really the thing that lands with me.”
Advice for Writers Entering Big Break
For writers submitting to Big Break or any major competition, Anderson encourages them to focus less on what they think the industry wants and more on the stories they genuinely want to tell. He points to advice often shared by Jordan Peele.
“When he’s writing a script, he always says he’s trying to write his favorite movie,” Anderson says. “What’s the thing that you’re not seeing out there that, if you could, you’d go see in theaters this weekend?”
That’s the script writers should be trying to write.
Thinking Like a Producer
Anderson also encourages writers to think about the practical side of the business, something many emerging screenwriters overlook: At some point, someone will have to try to sell the script.
“A lot of times writers say, ‘I’m going to write this thing I love, and you should just go out and sell it,’” he says.
But selling a project requires a salesman in the form of a manager, agent, or producer, who must pitch it to buyers, follow up, and convince people to take a chance on it.
“Someone has to go make the phone call,” Anderson says. “They have to ask someone to read it. They have to pitch it for you.”
That means writers should think strategically about the kind of project they’re creating. “You want to give them the tools and set them up for success so that you’re making their job as easy as possible.”
Standing Out in a Crowded Field
The reality, Anderson says, is that breaking into screenwriting has never been more difficult. “There’s more competition than ever. There are more people trying to do this than ever,” he says.
That’s one reason competitions like Big Break remain so valuable.
They can help unknown writers with powerful voices, the kind of writers Anderson and other industry professionals are always looking for, get noticed.
Final Draft’s 2026 Big Break Screenwriting Contest is now open for entries. For more information visit finaldraft.com/big-break-screenwriting-contest.