Shannan E. Johnson

Hola! I'm Shannan E. Johnson, a former creative executive at The Syfy Channel turned CEO of the first black-owned Script Consultancy in the entertainment business. I'm a storytelling expert who develops screenwriters from idea to pitch. I honed my skills in all stages of the development process taking showrunners from pitch to production on ​Alphas, Being Human, Haven, Sanctuary, Warehouse 13, and more Syfy dramedies.

I call Hollywood the largest gated community in the world. You cannot get the passcode unless you know someone. Nepotism at its finest. I left the industry for 8 years to travel the globe as a performing artist in dance companies and Broadway National Tours - didn't see that coming, huh? During that time, my love for storytelling didn't wane, so I began The Professional Pen in 2014 as the ultimate side hustle. But when I returned to LA and realized I, too, was on the outside of the gate, I turned my side hustle into a full-time career.

I am a script consultant = teacher + therapist. I use life to teach storytelling techniques and screenplay structure, and I use storytelling elements to teach life in TPP's College Speaker Series (#bookme) for students with big dreams. I access my clients’ vulnerabilities and make them put themselves on the page in order to create impactful stories.