Authoring & Playwriting

Thanks for sharing the video, Ashley Renée Smith. I'm a plotter. I make really detailed outlines, and I mainly stick to them when I write scripts, but I leave room for things to change in the script.

Sarra (correct spelling so you don't go searching for the wrong person) Cannon is an awesome resource!

Really interesting! I’ve always felt like my process shifts depending on the project.

I tend to start emotionally, almost like a ‘sculptor’, discovering the shape of the story as I go — but the deeper I get, the more I become a puzzler or even a hybrid.

It’s reassuring to hear there’s no single right way to write.

Oh this was great and I don't know how I missed it the first time! I am absolutely a hybrid sculptor/plotter/polisher.

Really interesting watch! Thanks Ashley for sharing!

I didn't think of my process like this and how architypes are a 'thing'. Great post Ashley Renée Smith

Sanna Peth CONGRATULATIONS! That is amazing news! Well done to have a request by a reputable agent! Keep us all posted on your progress - big things are coming your way. With or without kidneys.....

great advice David Taylor I'll check that out too!

Lauren Hackney “Hi Brandon! Thank you for getting in touch. I may reach out to you again later — once my screenplay reaches a stage where I’ll need an experienced attorney like you.”

For 2026, I’d love to see education that really supports both sides of the writing world: the craft and the career.

Here are some topics I think would be incredibly valuable for our Authoring and Playwriting community:

Publishing & the Business of Books

• Understanding traditional vs. self-publishing (pros, cons, timelines, contracts)

• How to work with a book editor — developmental, line, and copy edits

• Creating, producing, and distributing your own audiobook

• Building an author brand and platform

• Marketing and promoting your book without burning out

• Panels with publishers, agents, and award-winning authors

Craft & Story Development

• Worldbuilding for novels (fantasy, sci-fi, historical, speculative)

• How to develop a novel series that can translate into a TV series or film franchise

• Writing character-driven fiction that still sells in today’s market

Playwriting & Theater Education

• Understanding the fundamentals of writing for the stage

• Panels with playwrights and dramaturgs

• Understanding play rights and licensing

• Panels with regional and national theater directors

• Writing a musical — developing the book, structure, and lyrics

Cross-Industry Topics

• Navigating book rights as a producer

• Understanding how to adapt your book for screen or stage

• What playwrights should know when moving into screenwriting (and vice versa)

There’s a huge appetite for storytelling craft, but also for the practical tools that help writers build careers. I think a balance of both would make 2026 an incredible year for our Authoring & Playwriting community.

Looking forward to seeing what everyone else suggests!

Thank you Ashley Renée Smith great information topics there! Can't wait to dive and share with the community. :)

Hi, Springer Teich! Welcome to the community. Stage 32 has a blog that'll help you navigate the platform and connect with creatives and industry professionals all over the world. Authors, screenwriters, producers, directors, executives, and more. www.stage32.com/blog/how-to-successfully-navigate-the-stage-32-platform-...

Stage 32's November Community Open House was last week. It'll help you navigate Stage 32 and connect with creatives and industry pros. The recording is up now. It's free to watch. www.stage32.com/education/products/stage-32-s-november-community-open-ho...

Stage 32 has a webinar called "How to Adapt a Book Into a Film or Series." It's on sale right now. www.stage32.com/education/products/how-to-adapt-a-book-into-a-film-or-se...

Love seeing you jump into the community, Springer Teich! It was an absolute pleasure to meet you at my Community Open House last week. If you ever need anything, I'm here. Don't be a stranger. =)

Something I wish I'd known? The true power of an IP fan-base. When it comes to adaptation, being able to provide numbers in terms of book sales, author's social media followers, positive Amazon and Goodreads reviews, etc., can make a big difference when pitching it as an adaptation to TV or Film buyers. One of the draws of an adaptation over an original script is the built-in fans who will champion the project from the very start and can guarantee viewers to excite a network, studio, or streamer.

Hi. Sounds like the novel/story is just at the start??? If you go the book route they'll want to see great book sales figures - that can take years. If you go the screen route and do the book later - by comparison - it's probably faster. It's certainly much faster to write the stories down. You are suggesting it's a TV series - so directly have three series. VIKING - WWII - and PRESENT. You need the PILOT SCRIPT; LOGLINE; PILOT SYNOPSIS and outline of all of series one, even if only three lines per episode. An overview of all three series will be beneficial in the PITCH PAGE/S. If its remote historic, character outlines and visuals are highly recommended. I have a major historical TV piece -- two historical features --and have all of these bits for the TV one and more. I have adapted quite a few books - you could opt to write three books and do the chapters like scenes the way James Paterson does. I think you should just get on with the series one pilot script etc. The most important step is to make sure you picked the right vehicle - feature - miniseries - Three series show - whatever. Only you know how big your saga is.

PS - If you want a fourth series - set it in the future. Then it could be six series if it truly works.

David Taylor Thank you...very helpful.

Hi Springer. Seems like you've been given some helpful advice already, but if you want to talk to me one-on-one, by all means message me directly.

What an exciting project, Springer Teich, and such a rich premise to adapt for the screen.

I’ve worked with a lot of authors who are adapting their own material, and one thing I can say with certainty is that there’s no one-size-fits-all development process. Every adaptation has its own rhythm and needs. But there are many ways to prepare yourself so you can move forward strategically rather than feeling overwhelmed by all the possible steps.

I’ve also written about this process in more detail if it helps — this blog breaks down what the development process looks like and what writers can expect at each stage:

https://www.stage32.com/blog/understanding-the-development-process-what-...

In terms of priorities at this stage, I’d recommend focusing on clarity before volume. The first things that matter most are:

1. A clean, high-impact logline.

This is your north star. If you can capture the emotional core (the recurring “first child lost”) and the structural hook (three eras, one bloodline), you’ll have a foundation that guides every other piece of the pitch.

2. A one-page series overview.

Not a full pitch deck yet, just one page that outlines the premise, the three timelines, the central characters, and what the audience is meant to follow. Think of it as the distilled version of the show you’d want an exec to understand in two minutes.

3. A clear sense of why television.

Multi-era stories can lean novelistic, so it helps to articulate why this story thrives in a series format, whether it’s the generational mystery, the episodic contrast between eras, or the emotional resonance that builds across time. And because you’re working in multiple historical periods, which naturally come with higher production costs, you’ll need to make a very strong case for why a buyer should invest in a period adaptation. What makes these eras essential to the story rather than decorative? Why can this narrative only be told authentically in these time periods? The clearer and more compelling that argument is, the easier it becomes for a buyer to see the value in taking on a budget-heavy project.

4. A roadmap of your adaptation approach.

Before you pitch, know what changes you’re comfortable making. TV structure often demands reordering events, revealing information sooner, or combining characters. Having an adaptation strategy, even a rough one, will give you confidence when you start having these hard conversations with producers.

Once those pieces are in good shape, then a pitch deck becomes valuable. A sizzle reel isn’t essential at the early stage unless you already have footage or a strong visual direction; it’s something that can come later once a producer and/or director is involved. The more grounded you are in the “why” of your adaptation, the easier the “how” becomes.

I like to do this with any scene that sticks out to me no matter where it is in the story; can be the climax, the ending, whatever.

I couldn't agree more, Alex. I write historical fiction and I always rough out my climax chapter early-on in the writing process. If not, it's too easy to meander down rabbit holes along the way. Kind of like writing GPS.

Lee Swanson yes, that’s exactly it!

Alex Hunter - The beginnings always start this way, with the first paragraph just coming to mind and giving me a place to build from. But the ending is always a surprise. I also don't "plot," and just let the story flow. I think my motivation comes from also wanting to know how it's going to end. I'm more like a reader of my own writing.

Kat Spencer I do like to surprise myself, but I find the journey more exciting than the destination!

Welcome, Debbie Seagle. Adding credits is in the same amateur vein as a copyright notice, draft status and date on a title page.

Yes E Langley I'd never include the credits in the script (but MAYBE an opening sequence ((a simple action sequence)) where the credits scroll). But dang, I put the draft date on the title page of my script (mostly for my own purposes) because I tend to awaken in the middle of the night & change something. Stop me!

Put the date (and draft number) in the file name.

As a paid studio reader for several years, it is unnecessary to put the draft date on the title page. The only time you put a draft date on your script is when your script is in pre-pro or in production.

Thank you E Langley & Francisco Castro ! I truly appreciate your expertise! I love the insight and helpful tips for moving forward professionally. These little nuggets will help everyone level up.

Hi, Allison Sadowski. Welcome to the community. Stage 32 has a blog that'll help you navigate the platform and connect with creatives and industry professionals all over the world. Writers, producers, directors, executives, and more. www.stage32.com/blog/how-to-successfully-navigate-the-stage-32-platform-...

Stage 32 is having a free Community Open House today. It'll also help you navigate Stage 32 and connect with creatives and industry pros. It's a fully interactive event where the community gets to guide the discussion. You can sign up here: www.stage32.com/education/products/stage-32-s-november-community-open-ho...

Congratulations on writing your first screenplay today! Sometimes I like to focus on one project, and sometimes I like to work on two or three projects at once. I pick the project(s) I'm most excited about and the most unique/marketable.

you have inspired me

Hey, Stefano Pavone. I like the single mother idea more. If something happens to Lovisa, it'll have a bigger impact on Sonja (like Lovisa getting abducted), and Sonja would fight harder if it's her daughter.

Thanks, Mo. It seems to be the consensus (even AI thinks so).

You're welcome, Stefano Pavone. Can't wait to read The Empress Project!

Yes def single mother and I like the disability angle John mentioned. A flaw.. maybe she is prone to seizures, intellectual disability, confined to a wheelchair, suffers from bipolar disorder or high functioning autism.. just thoughts lol

I've had some time to think it over. I think I'm leaning personally more towards the college girl aspect (she'd be about 25-30). I have moral reservations when it comes to stories about children being separated from their parents (although in this one, Sonja's daughter, Lovisa, is looked after by her father - Sonja's ex-husband - in exchange for Sonja's participation in the experiment, but it doesn't make it any less fucked up).

In my screenwriting process, I choose not to use prologues. Instead, I rely heavily on crafting a compelling cold opening. The cold opening serves as an essential element, as it establishes the tone of the world and introduces the characters. This method allows for a subtle approach that conceals the dramatic experience from the reader, creating intrigue and engagement from the very beginning.

Brilliant Mone't Weeks ! It sounds like you "draw them in" and keep them reading.

Thank you, Debbie!

I don't prologue but in my one short story i have a epilogue because I wanted time to pass snd healing to take place and ss a short story i wasn't going into sll the steps the main character did. Instead I focused on what the characters lessened learned is with a powerful ending poetic like.

I'm always anti-prologue. But sometimes a prologue is the only way to introduce a factoid essential to justify a reaction much later in the story.

Several years ago at a writer's conference, one of the presenters told us how she hated prologues, until she wrote a book that needed one. She read her one-page prologue about a woman left in a pit by the Evil Bad Man (not named), and she died by starvation at the bottom of the pit because no one heard her screams for help. All of us wanted The Rest of the Story.

One type of prologue I hate is a long drawn out tale about the author. At the end of the book I might care about the author's writing journey, but not the beginning. Make self-aggrandizement part of the book, the first chapter, or the epilogue, but not the prologue.

Lauren Hackney boarder Collie lol , I love your enthusiasm. The creative decision I made was not to ignore an idea ( that wouldn’t be ignored ) even though it meant starting from scratch on my feature . The bold move I’m yet to make but I think choosing to believe and choosing to write is one that I’ll never stop needing to do .

Brilliant and brave Darrell

That’s incredible Mone’t

On advice from a successful screenwriter, I created a significant body of work in different genres.and didn’t worry about pitching too much. I was lucky because I sold my second (arguably my first properly completed) screenplay then worked on others for people. It seems odd to write and not pitch but it’s true. My advice: Get ready for the question - “What else have you got? - a downside, is I had a dim view about loglines.- I sold a script without one, so what did I care. Learning how to write synopses took a while until I discovered a secret that works well for me.

Congratulations David Taylor!

Some of them come fully developed, and some don’t.

I usually struggle with finding strong, focused characters in the story, which makes it harder to follow.

Well one is based on my mother-in-law. Enough said. hahaha Then there's one based on my husband.... then I've made stories up with my kids and we have created those characters together... thanks for asking Kat Spencer

Lauren Hackney hahahaha

All of my characters arrive fuly formed.They just show up in my mind as if I have always known them. Has to do with my creative synesthesia.

Mine are mostly fully formed unless there is a revelation that changes the characters personal dynamics or with lessons learned become a more open loving person .