Authoring & Playwriting

Thank you Pamela Jaye Smith All the blog posts certainly make me think! And best of luck for all your creative pursuits.

Very impressive finding Lauren and sometimes when policies are made by Leaders, they don't look to far away to be guided, best of luck ahead.

Great point Emmanuel Anwana Esin And you too - best of luck for your journey too!

I have a question — how can we really track the market when it takes two or three years (or even more) from writing a script to getting it approved and filmed? By the time the movie is released, the market may have changed several times.

This is exactly what I would want to know. Aleksandr Rozhnov What we are seeing now are films that were sourced years prior. My only advice is network, write what you know and fills your heart and the rest will follow. Over time, people may remember your name from all the lounge posts and connections you have made... but please don't take what I say as gospel. Keep networking on this platform, ask lots of questions and be open to what everyone tells you. :)

Okay, let me be the guy who tells the truth. Like any man, I really want to write a sex scene in the script. :)

Great question, Kat! In my current script, I'm most excited about the scene where my protagonist finally confronts the antagonist and both of their hidden motivations collide. I've been carefully building toward this moment with smaller confrontations and hints, so when it happens it feels earned and cathartic. It exposes the protagonist's vulnerability and sets up a deeper transformation, and thinking about that payoff keeps me motivated through the earlier drafts!

The best scenes in movies or TV shows are those in which the audience knows something that the lead character does not, or vice versa. That's when you know when you sign on for the ride...and that's what pops for me as a producer as I seek to find them in the scripts I read.

If I have a scene that's vividly calling to me, I write it, no matter where it is in the book. I've found from experience that writing when the scene is fresh and my energy for it is charged is far better than (making notes) and waiting to write the scene in the proper order. I've missed working in the flow.

For that matter, I'll write scenes for books that I'm not working on but I know I will get to. Often they're first scenes, but not always. I've written some scenes years ahead of writing the book. But I write a big series set in a small town with a background cast of characters. So that makes it easier when future scenes come to me.

The ending. I often have the ending of my books written or at least started before I get to the end. I like making post it notes for ideas throughout my writing.

I like this post very much - write the book you want to read. Sums it up perfectly!

Hi, Brandy Camille. Hope you're enjoying the weekend! That's a great quote! I think this is my first time reading it, but I keep "Write what excites you" in mind whenever I pick my next project to write.

Ok Maurice Vaughan 'write what excited you'.... no wonder you're mashing John Wick meets Alice in Wonderland. That's completely exciting!!!!

Hey, Lauren Hackney. I'm looking forward to this webcast! I don't compose music or make films, but it's helpful to learn about different areas of the industry.

Hi Lauren, thanks for sharing this! I'm primarily focused on screenwriting, but I've found that learning about composer and filmmaker collaboration can really inform how I think about pace and atmosphere in my scripts. In my current project, I've been revising scenes with an eye toward how music might underscore key moments, and hearing from composers gives me a better sense of how those beats translate on screen. I'm curious to see what insights this webcast offers and how they might inspire my own storytelling.

Adam Spencer I'm learning there's so much to constructing a good script. I'm very new to the film industry so trying to think of the musical score etc is very much a new skill for me. I'm glad you're tuning in as well. Sounds like you're very seasoned at screenwriting if you consider those things already!

I’m pretty new to screenwriting myself. What I am is deeply connected to the stories I’ve transmuted from lived experience into something I can share more broadly, while still staying true to their spirit. Because I’ve carried them for so long, thinking about tone, mood, even the kind of score that might accompany them, feels like a natural extension of the writing. The themes—loss, hope, renewal, all that mythic stuff—grow right out of that, and the music seems to grow out of them in my imagination.

That feels a little different from writing purely on assignment, where you may not be as personally tethered to the world you’re building. But either way, you’re absolutely right—learning how music shapes a story is a powerful skill, and I’m glad we’re both leaning into that.

Alex Hunter Hi! You're absolutely right, momentum matters the most. I’ve also found that taking a break holds me back rather than helps. Wishing you good work and lots of strength!

Sanna Peth yes, taking a break causes the well to dry up I find!

Alex Hunter Congratulations on getting your second novel off to your publisher, that’s a huge milestone! I really admire the momentum you’ve built by keeping multiple projects going at once. Having one in edits while drafting another sounds like a great way to stay creatively sharp.

Ashley Renee Smith thank you! I think that 'pausing' between two projects might be a disaster for me!!!

Congratulations on getting your work to your publisher Alex Hunter - that's fantastic and you deserve to celebrate. I try my best not to take too long of a break. Even as supportive as they are, family obligations do sometimes dictate how long of a break I take. I would easily go right into the next project but spending time with family is the better thing to do because it forces me to rest for a period.

Ask ChatGTP to write a marketing/promotion strategy and go and do that.

Hi, Jesse Burns. I’m a Stage 32 Lounge Moderator. I wanted to let you know that I moved your post from the Financing/Crowdfunding Lounge to the Authoring & Playwriting Lounge since it's about marketing books. Let me know if you have any questions.

Something I do to pitch my scripts is post pages on social media, like First Page Friday, Two Page Friday, Third Page Thursday, and Sneak Peek Sunday. I post loglines and script posters with the pages. Sometimes I post short pitches (like two-word pitches and three-word pitches) on social media.

Hi @jesse I'm self-published and I found asking book reviewers to read my story and post reviews on Goodreads helped me. It's a lot of time and some people did charge me for their service but I did find this helped. Over time through my stories stopped selling because I stopped promoting them. Because I'm not in major books stores etc I have to keep the constant hustle up but I enjoy it. Great post and ask questions here any time!

Jesse Burns Commenting on larger TikTok or YouTube channels can sometimes come across as spammy (and get lost in the shuffle), so it might not get you the traction you’re hoping for. A more effective route could be to focus on building relationships with niche communities who already love your genre. For example, joining book clubs (in person or online), guest posting on genre-specific blogs, or connecting with readers through Goodreads or Facebook groups can often create more meaningful engagement.

Another approach is to think about your audience’s behavior: if they’re not finding you through social media, maybe they’re listening to podcasts, browsing newsletters, or attending local events. Many authors I know have had success with targeted Amazon ads or BookBub promotions, which help place your book directly in front of readers already searching for new stories in your category.

It's a tricky one... I sent press releases to every genre magazine I could find, and local newspapers, and radio stations, in the form of an "article" to make it easy for them to copy and paste and create an item in their magazine/blog/paper etc. NOT ONE has replied. I can only hope that some of them publish it. Social Media is limited I find. There's so much garbage on X, Facebook, Instagram etc., that any post is almost immediately superceded by numerous posts from others and is so far down the list within minutes, it's only people that follow you that will get to see it most likely. I did post a couple of self-made adverts on TikTok to a specific group for one of my books. Got hundreds and hundreds of views. Not a single sale. Strange.

Actually all of these are right up my alley. Outside of horror, and period pieces I enjoy a good epic venture. But it seems some are more entertaining outside of the book format being that viewership and readership have lots of variations when it comes to targeted audiences. Currently, I’m working on an epic venture called “The Lightsmith of Asterion,” that targets both readership and viewship with the intent of creating a script after the book has been published. I look forward to building my slate and refining my crafts here with Stage32 and TheWriter’s Room but of course providing content to pitch is essential.

I write the underdog A LOT, Ashley Renee Smith. I love writing and watching underdog stories. I love when the trope is played straight and when it's turned on its head.

Oh gosh. Ashley Renee Smith I write mostly about my personal experiences. This makes me thing A LOT! Great post because I don't see me as a 'trope'... but I have been called worse!