Scriptwriting is a thrilling ‘Act Two’ for me, after years of writing fiction. Now, with help from Stage32, I am proud to be signed on by Tammy Hunt, Manager and Co-Founder of Sandstone Artists. On my zig-zag journey to this point, I’ve learned a few things that might be useful to fellow aspiring scriptwriters, especially those who also write fiction.

First, some BACKSTORY

While I’ve loved movies all my life (my Mom threw parties on Oscar nights) and while my first writings were scripts (a ‘soap opera’ my sister and I wrote as kids, inspired by our Mom’s favorite, THE YOUNGE AND THE RESTLESS), I dove into fiction in college. It wasn’t until I had several published books of fiction that I found myself drawn into scriptwriting via a Rock Opera.

Taking off from my book CELEBRITIES IN DISGRACE, I concocted the script for TONYA & NANCY: THE ROCK OPERA, which wound up being professionally produced and drawing national media attention. Encouraged by this first foray into scripts, I went to a meeting of Women in Film and Video- New England and asked how a fiction writer could get her foot into the film-writing door.

The wise reply:

”Start Small; Start Local.”

Which I proceeded to do. I started attending Massachusetts film festivals and connecting with other aspiring film folks. A short film based on my fiction, CELEBRITIES IN DISGRACE, premiered at the Woods Hole Film Festival on Cape Cod. And I began adapting my first novel, A FOUR-SIDED BED, as a feature film.

ENTER, STAGE 32

At Stage32, among other online ‘stages,’ I gamely pitched the FOURSIDED BED project. Via a Stage 32 Pitch Deck Consultation, I first met my future Literary Manager, Tammy Hunt. Chatting with the warm and friendly Tammy, I felt a ‘click’ of connection. I grew up partly in South Carolina and Kentucky, so Tammy’s southern charm set me at ease. We laughed a lot in our short call.

Find Kindred Spirits

Though Tammy didn’t wind up signing me up after that initial meeting, she kindly asked me to keep her posted on FOURSIDED BED. Fast-forward through several years in which FOURSIDED BED added attachments, gained momentum, then hit a wall of pause during lockdown. While in lockdown, however, I co-wrote a crazy-intense script with two talented kindred spirits, David Shields and Tiffany Louquet, who in turn had found kindred spirits in the Seattle film scene. Our two-character script, I’LL SHOW YOU MINE, was picked up by Duplass Brothers, the iconic indie producers, and became a feature film that screened widely at 2022 festivals and was released in 2023 by Gravitas Ventures into select theaters and widely via VOD on home screens.

A few managers reached out to me; I also upped my own outreaches. The Success Team at Stage 32 cheered on my progress and sent me regular helpful suggestions. When I saw Tammy Hunt’s name on one such Stage 32 email, I signed up for a consultation on a TV Pilot script draft. Tammy remembered me and greeted me warmly, then gave me many valid and kindly delivered suggestions for the script—so many, I felt sure as we talked that this fledgling script needed major work and that the call would likely end without a request to see more.

Take Suggestions In Stride

But Tammy did ask to read other scripts-- then invited me to a conference call with her terrific team at Sandstone. I mentioned that I’d found her recent suggestions helpful. Tammy said with a laugh that ‘one reason’ I was on the call was that I’d shown my ability to handle criticism. As a teacher to MFA writing students, I know myself that a ‘red flag’ in a student is if they become prickly and defensive in workshops. Maintaining a positive professional manner can make the difference in whether or not a Manager asks to see more.

Fellow fiction writers know that an Act Two onscreen is possible. At each step on your path into film, seek out kindred spirits and constructive criticism. If you find both in one person, you may have found your Rep. Thanks to all at Stage32 for all your help along the way!

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Emily at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

Please help support your fellow Stage 32ers by sharing this on social. Check out the social media buttons at the top to share on Instagram @stage32 , Twitter @stage32 , Facebook @stage32 , and LinkedIn @stage-32 .