Debt collector by day, screenwriter and professional writers champion by night, Christopher J. O’Bryant is a 2019 Academy Nicholl Fellowship quarterfinalist and 2020 PAGE International Screenwriting Awards finalist. But just add those prestigious credits to this cheerful, prolific writer’s other 145-plus screenwriting contest placements and wins collected over the past five years.

Writing stories since he was old enough to hold a crayon, O’Bryant entered his first screenwriting competition in 2016.

"I entered a total of five contests and quarterfinaled in three of them. It felt really good. Validation is rare for a writer, so I went with it where I could," he said.

O'Bryant has since cut back to the ones that really offer a significant prize at the finish line — and yes, he has even written a script about his experience entering all those contests!

In 2017 while he was waiting for his ScriptFest contest results, O’Bryant realized that they would be posted first to Twitter, so he joined the online social community and discovered a whole new world that introduced him to lifelong friendships, networking, and writing opportunities that allow him to give back to the community that has given him so much.

"I found some nice people who offered validation and support. It was a welcoming feeling. So much of what you’re doing as a writer is sitting alone in a room writing lies on a laptop and it was nice to know other people were going through that same thing," he chuckles.

Eventually, "People started asking what I thought [about their work] and I started telling them. I was going through all those contests and I was paying for feedback — don’t get me wrong, I’m fortunate to have a good job, I could afford to do that. I’ve gotten good feedback and bad feedback ... and I learned a lot. And I started realizing a lot of people don’t have anybody to read their scripts and they may not be able to afford to pay for these critiques from paid sources because it becomes kind of pricey. And I can at least tell people what I think is good or bad — by that I mean if it’s working in the script. I get nitpicky and go line by line."

O’Bryant put out his first call in 2019.

"I decided I’d read anything, read stuff I’d never have thought would be my thing."

The experience has changed his view on a lot of stories.

His participation in the sub-Twitter world dubbed "writer Twitter" has meant O’Bryant now knows people in pretty much all 50 states, many of whom he deems true friends.

Writer Twitter is also where O’Bryant first learned about the Academy Nicholl Fellowship. He says out of all his placements and wins, the Nicholl was the only one to get reads.

"There were a few emails, it was nice. Unexpected. A few production companies reached out and asked to read the script."

O’Bryant says a couple of other favorites included in-depth feedback that he received on a script from the ScreenCraft and Finish Line screenwriting contests.

But most importantly, O’Bryant credits his networking and relationships on writer Twitter — and the script reading that has resulted out of that — to helping him grow as a writer.

"The best part of reading other people's scripts is it teaches you so much ... I have seen so much incredible talent and it inspires me to do better. I learn things ... the way people shape their ideas and move the story forward and the elements they use to do it. Reading scripts is a massive endeavor into bettering yourself."

He frequently puts out calls to read fellow writers’ work through the hashtag #ReadTheScript.

"When I’m down to two or three in my queue, I’ll put it out there. I don’t want to rush [a read]," he said, noting spots fill up in minutes.

"I paid that money [to enter all those contests] so they don’t have to," he said good-naturedly, and you can tell this guy just loves the craft.

"Evenings and weekends are to do what I’m passionate about," which is to write more than 26 screenplays over the past decade and champion the work of his peers.

Conversely, he says he’s received amazing notes from all over the world, giving him different perspectives he might not have otherwise imagined or gotten if it weren’t for this vast network from around the globe.

"We talk each other through disappointments and are there for each other in a way no one outside this process can understand. It’s a support team. You wanna be there for them. We all start off not knowing anybody ... It becomes a shoulder to cry on and a place to vent."

O'Bryant has found that writers of all levels engage on writer Twitter; newbies right up to showrunners, TV writers to feature writers, giving him some perspective on the varying levels of professionalism and a wide variety of points of view. That’s what makes writer Twitter such an important part of a screenwriter’s toolkit: it opens up our entire world to literally, the entire world.

So O’Bryant’s advice to writers starting out on writer Twitter?

"Just engage. Just start connecting. Talk with them about what they’re talking about! Engage to make actual connections," he said.

"I wouldn’t start with the ask ... People should offer to read for others before asking for reads themselves. Writers will remember who was there for them, and most will offer to help when they can."

He also encourages writers to remember of others’ advice when receiving notes, "The best part of peer opinions is you don’t have to take them. Tell your story your way."

As an active writer Twitter community member, O’Bryant now just throws it out there when he needs a read, having returned the favor more than 368 times in the past two years, attaching a generous 7-plus pages of notes to each read. For his own work, he’ll send out a second or third draft, and if 10 to 15 people are pointing out the same thing, then yeah, that’s probably something he’ll look at in rewrites.

His favorite ways to engage on writer Twitter are through the hashtag #WriterTwitter, boosting other screenwriters’ work with #SpecScriptShoutout and @ScriptPipeline’s #PipelineWriters happy hour every Friday.

"The Twitter writing community has been amazing to me. It has truly made me a better writer. It has helped make me incredible friendships. I hope that when COVID is over, I can make it out to L.A. again to sit down with them, because I truly cherish all of them."

You can find O’Bryant on Twitter as @obryantcj. Join the conversation and say hi! And check out Final Draft's list of benefits of joining Twitter's #screenwriting community.