A settlement of the crip pling, three-month-old Hollywood writers strike could come as soon as Thursday, according to sources close to the talks.

Officials from the striking Writers Guild and the coalition of Hollywood studios met again over the weekend in informal talks that, the sources say, have resolved most of the final sticking points.

Yesterday, Writers Guild brass cautioned their members to maintain their picket lines despite widely published reports that a deal is at hand.

“We are still in talks and do not yet have a contract,” said a letter released yesterday to Writers Guild members from Michael Winship, president of the Writers Guild East, based in New York, and Patric M. Verrone, his counterpart representing West Coast writers.

“When and if a tentative agreement is reached, the first thing we will do is alert our membership with an e-mail message,” the letter said. The talks have been moving forward in so-called informal sessions held at secret locations in LA over the past week.

Sources said last night that as soon as a deal is struck, both sides will convene a formal session to announce an agreement.

The whole process could take several more days, the sources said. .

Both sides are under pressure to make a deal in time for the Academy Awards, which are scheduled for Feb. 24.