Inspired by his own life, TV writer Will Reiser penned his first screenplay about a young man (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) battling cancer with the help of his best friend (Seth Rogen). 

Working from a story by novelist Roger L. Simon, Eric Eason wrote the screenplay for this film about a Mexican landscaper (Demina Bechir) in Los Angeles who tries to protect his son from gangs and immigration agents. 

Asghar Farhadi could be one of the rare Best Original Screenplay nominees who penned a foreign language film. His film -- about an Iranian couple whose divorce proceedings are further complicated by a court case involving an elderly parent -- is one of critics' favorites this year. The New York Film Critics Circle gave it their Best Foreign Language Film honor.

Though Shakespeare scholars were unmoved by the arguments posed by "Anonymous" scribe John Orloff, its entertaining, intricate structure could yet impress the writers' branch. 

Writer/director Mike Mills ("Thumbsucker") was inspired by his own life to tell this story of a young man (Ewan McGregor) who struggles with the news that his elderly father (Christopher Plummer) is gay and severely ill. 

Kristen Wiig ("Saturday Night Live") and her former Groundlings castmate Annie Mumolo penned this raucous comedy about a woman (Wiig) who struggles with her duties when her engaged best friend asks her to be maid of honor at her wedding.

After the success of their collaboration on "The Informant!" Scott Z. Burns wrote this harrowing tale of a pandemic for director Steven Soderbergh who assembled an all-star cast including Oscar champs Gwyneth Paltrow, Matt Damon, Marion Cotillard and Kate Winslet. 

Dan Fogelman ("Cars," "Tangled") wrote his first live action film about a man (Steve Carell) reentering the world of dating after his wife (Julianne Moore) leaves with the help of his single friend (Ryan Gosling) who unexpectedly falls in love with a woman (Emma Stone) he has to woo. 

Dustin Lance Black won this award for his first screenplay "Milk" in 2008. He tackles another complicated character as he recounts the life of longtime FBI director J. Edgar Hoover. 

Drake Doremus co-wrote this story of first love with Ben York Jones and then directed Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones as the couple kept apart by immigration laws. 

Sean Durkin makes his directorial debut with his own story about a woman (Elizabeth Olsen) struggling to return to her family after escaping a cult.

Writer/director Lars Von Trier ("Dogville") penned this surreal story of a pair of sisters (Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg) who grow apart as the Earth is threatened with destruction. 

Woody Allen has contended in this category a record 14 times winning twice ("Annie Hall," 1977; "Hannah and Her Sisters," 1986). 

Crime novelist James Ellroy ("L.A. Confidential") wrote the story and shares screenplay credit with director Oren Moverman for this film about police corruption in 1990s Los Angeles. Moverman was a nominee in this race two years ago for "The Messenger" (he and co-writer Alessandro Camon lost to Mark Boal for "The Hurt Locker"). 

Two-time Oscar nominee John Logan ("Gladiator," "The Aviator") adapted the story he wrote with director Gore Verbinski ("Pirates of the Caribbean) and James Ward Byrkit about a chameleon (voiced by Johnny Depp) who ends up as sheriff of a town. 

Writer/director Steve McQueen co-wrote with Abi Morgan ("The Iron Lady") this cautionary tale of a New York professional (Michael Fassbender) obsessed with sex. 

Writer/director Jeff Nichols reunites with Michael Shannon who starred in his first film "Shotgun Stories" for this film about a man (Shannon) whose visions of an upcoming apocalyptic storm drive away his wife (Jessica Chastain). 

Michel Hazanavicius wrote and directed this black-and-white silent film which tells the story of a fading actor (Jean Dujardin) and a rising actress (Berenice Bejo) at the onset of the talkies.

Most have reserved their "Iron Lady" praise exclusively for star Meryl Streep. But biopics often make it into the screenplay races. This story of Margaret Thatcher's rise and decline could make it in.

Writer/director Terrence Malick contended in the Adapted Screenplay race in 1998 for "The Thin Red Line" (he lost to Bill Condon for "Gods and Monsters"). "The Tree of Life" is his fifth film and won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, receiving praise for its non-linear, metaphysical telling of the origin of life. 

Writers Cliff Dorfman, Gavin O’Connor, and Anthony Tambakismay be hoping their "Warrior" can be this year's "The Fighter." The latter film was about boxing while this one was about mixed martial arts. Working against it is a weak box office.

Director Thomas McCarthy penned the screenplay from a story he wrote with Joe Tiboni. The heartwarming comedy is about an attorney (Paul Giamatti) who moonlights as a high school wrestling coach and mentors a rising star (Alex Shaffer).

Diablo Cody won this race in 2007 for "Juno," her first collaboration with director Jason Reitman. The pair have reunited for this dark comedy about a divorced fiction writer (Charlize Theron) who returns to her small-town home in the hopes of reuniting with her now married ex-boyfriend (Patrick Wilson) and finds a new friend (Patton Oswalt).