Authoring & Playwriting

I am absolutely happy to connect and share - all journeys are different and it is the long game as you are aware. How far into publishing are you? Drop me a message and we can go from there. My professional background is children’s publishing but I can share what i know and you can cherry pick what you take away. Cheers!

Hi Lauren Hackney thank you so much!!! Sent you a message.

Just read it - I've got you boo!

I'm not as advanced as you in my career so I have no advice... however I do admire your journey so far Debbie Seagle You are doing amazing things!

Thank you Lauren Hackney - You're doing amazing things too! Your insight on Stage 32 is always helpful and intuitive.

Such a great post, Debbie Seagle and I love that you're tying it back to RB's blog!

A few thoughts that might help:

Lead with the story, not the ask. When you only have a few minutes, people don't connect to budgets; they connect to why this story, why now, why you. The local businesses you're approaching are going to remember the passion in your voice and the specificity of what your film captures about their area, not the dollar figure. Get them invested emotionally in the story first; the financial conversation becomes much easier from there.

Make it about them, too. Local businesses care about local visibility, community goodwill, and being part of something meaningful. Coming in with a clear sense of what they gain: credits, screenings, on-set involvement, marketing tie-ins, community recognition, turns the conversation from "I need money" into "let's build something together." That reframe completely changes the energy.

You don't have to close in the first conversation. Sometimes the goal of a few-minute meeting is just planting the seed and earning the follow-up. A warm "I'd love to share more about this over coffee next week" is often a stronger move than trying to land the ask on the spot. Festivals and events are about starting relationships, not finishing them.

oh wow , thanks for this insight Sandra

Thank you, Beckham B David. I am happy for that.

Sandra Correia Spot on, Sandra. I love this:

“AI isn’t coming for authors.

AI is coming for unoriginal writing.”

We often focus on the ‘I’ of AI, but not the ‘A’ - artificial

If we are unoriginal in our writing then we can use, or be threatened by, AI. I however, think that to the writers of the original and authentic, AI is not a threat, it’s simply the noisy neighbour that boasts about artificiality as if it were a virtue.

Sandra Correia I actually think this is one of the most interesting perspectives on AI and creativity because it shifts the conversation away from fear and toward originality.

A lot of forgettable storytelling already feels algorithmic even when humans write it repeated structures, recycled dialogue, safe characters, familiar emotional beats. So in a strange way, AI might end up pressuring writers to become more personal, more specific, and more emotionally honest rather than less.

What makes memorable writing unforgettable is usually the part that feels risky or deeply human:

the contradictions,

the uncomfortable truths,

the oddly specific observations,

the emotional imperfections.

Those things don’t come from prediction models alone. They come from lived experience, instinct, taste, obsession, vulnerability, and the strange way individual people see the world.

And honestly, if a story feels too easy for AI to imitate, maybe the deeper question is whether the writer pushed far enough into their own unique perspective in the first place.

That’s probably where truly original voices will matter even more going forward.

I'm writing to get all my stories out. I would love to have directors want to direct them, actors want to play the characters and producers want to produce them - but getting my stories out is the first part.... watch this space! Great post @kat

Hi! This is exactly the psychology of creativity. With the help of creativity, each author subconsciously seeks answers to his questions.

Lauren Hackney - Great motivator and goal. I feel I'm the same way.

This is very true Arthur Charpentier

Kat Spencer Hi Kat, I don’t ‘use’ writing in that way, because I don’t feel that it’s a utility. What I’ve found as a writer, is that my worldview becomes more expansive. For me it’s not about finding the answers, but discovering the right questions to ask.

Hi Martin, youre probably best with emailing the success team and requesting the match maker service. They line up projects with possible execution matches. Stick around in the lounges too - so many people here to connect with!

Martin Chase success@stage32.com

Oh wow @kat thats a mixed bag - i think you can relate when i say all of the above. Some projects stem from healing and the release on the page where you want to inspire and give hope then there's others where youre hoping someone can resonate and want to collaborate so the project can move forward. Can I tick the box where it says all the above?!?!

Thank you Everyone - I'm going to collate all your responses and write a blog to help inspire those creatives who feel stuck or disappointed their idea didn't land the way they thought. I think being open to change of direction is so important. So glad you are all here and giving me all your wonderful experiences!!

“That’s genuinely inspiring, Benita — congratulations!

It really reinforces the idea that creative momentum doesn’t follow a fixed timeline, it follows commitment. Stories like this remind us that growth and opportunity can show up at any stage if the passion is still there.

Wishing you continued success with everything ahead!”

That’s a great idea, Lauren — this kind of reflection is really valuable for creatives who feel stuck between expectations and reality.

I think one of the hardest shifts is accepting that a project not landing the way we imagined doesn’t mean it failed — sometimes it’s just redirecting us toward a stronger version of the idea or even a different path altogether.

Looking forward to reading the blog — I’m sure it’ll resonate with a lot of people navigating that space.”

Really interesting discussion — it’s always fascinating how unexpected moments can shape the direction of a project or even a career. Appreciate everyone sharing their experiences here.”

Thank you for sharing Saibal Ray Keep getting involved - you have lots of important things to say that would benefit this community. :)

Lauren Hackney, you are welcome! I will try my best!

Tai Chi and ambient music

That’s a great combination, Pat. I think practices like Tai Chi and ambient music can really help create mental clarity, especially during long creative processes where focus and balance matter.

I like to go on a long walk with my dog. It makes me think a little deeper on my story and it helps.

That actually makes a lot of sense, John. Sometimes stepping away from the screen helps the story breathe a little. Walking has a way of clearing mental noise, and ideas often connect more naturally when you’re not forcing them. Plus, dogs are probably better writing companions than most people anyway.

I relate to this a lot, Kat.

Interestingly, I’ve found that some of the best creative breakthroughs happen precisely when the mind stops trying to “force” solutions consciously.

Especially in screenwriting.

Because storytelling problems are rarely only logical problems.

They are often subconscious alignment problems.

Sometimes a scene is not working because:

* the emotional objective is unclear

* the character psychology is resisting the action

* the thematic layer is disconnected

* or the narrative rhythm is internally out of balance

And the conscious mind can keep rewriting dialogue endlessly without identifying the real issue underneath.

That’s why stepping away becomes so valuable.

For me, long walks help enormously — especially without music or distractions.

I’ve noticed the brain continues processing narrative tension in the background.

Almost like the subconscious keeps restructuring the story while the conscious mind finally becomes quiet enough to listen.

Ironically, many solutions arrive not as dialogue ideas, but as:

* emotional realizations

* structural simplifications

* character contradictions

* tonal corrections

* or sudden clarity about what the scene is actually about

From a script development perspective, I think creative resets are underrated because writing is mentally expensive in ways people often underestimate.

A writer is simultaneously managing:

* causality

* emotion

* pacing

* subtext

* audience perception

* thematic continuity

* psychological realism

for hundreds of pages over long periods of time.

That cognitive load is enormous.

Sometimes the most productive thing a writer can do is temporarily stop “writing” and allow deeper narrative processing to occur underneath conscious thought.

Ironically, silence is often part of the writing process too.

Hi! The film Sweet November was shot in the genre of melodrama. The essence of the genre is easier to understand if you imagine it in the form of a comedy in which a couple in love is prevented from being together for the most incredible reasons. So the ending doesn't make much sense, it's just melodramatic.

Arthur Charpentier and I'm learning it's memorable which is better than the usual 'cookie cutter' ending. It certainly stayed with me. So I'm learning - be memorable!

Have you seen The Umbrellas of Cherbourg Lauren Hackney? Talk about a downer, albeit a realistic one. The movie isn't for everyone as it's a musical from 1964… in French. So it's also a cultural artifact of sorts, a window into a time long gone. But yeah, it's not rosy.

Also The Break Up (2006)... and then there's Love Story (1970) have a non-Disney endings. Perhaps, 2019's Marriage Story had some influences from those.

Hi Sabrina, maybe email the Success Team and request their match making service. If you explain who you are trying to target, they can forward to right execs that could fit. I hope you find what you are after. Stick around in this lounge though - the author and playwright lounge has some great conversations!