For all the authors and playwrights in our community, a place to discuss, share content and post tips and advice.
Hello Stage 32 community,
Let’s talk about creative attachment.
I believe there is a form of attachment between us, as creators, and our stories. It is not only about feeling that the characters are real or experiencing the story as if it were a living world. It goes deeper than that.
It is an inner in...
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For those actively working on books or long-form projects: what stage are you in right now—idea, drafting, revising, or finishing?
Sometimes just naming it helps.
Pilot , 4 seasons , 10 page and 67 page show bible , the co writer was the final part .
I'm stalled on my novel and debating on whether it would do better as a screenplay. This novel is harrowing to write. I'm thinking script might give me a needed layer of separation.
gut instinct . you think maybe screenplay do it . see how it feels .
@Jay I would normally agree. But I just can't seem to settle my gut on it. Very much still on the fence.
Iv done it twice . I just set down one and start the other . don't like it go back . no harm done but it will stay on your mind .
I'm a retired traditionally published non-fiction author (and current full-time artist) so I know the publishing business, but I've written a children's book that I'd also like to illustrate. I'm aware that the LONG held rule was that agents/publishers don't want to see illustrations from the author...
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Does it matter, as long as the art is aesthetically pleasing?
Yes, unfortunately to publishers it does.
Hey Authors and Playwrights,
So the festive season is winding down in my little corner of the world. You know the feeling: too much of everything and that familiar internal monologue of “Why can’t I stop shoving food in my mouth?”
Cue a sticky summer storm, another generous pour of Christmas cheer, an...
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Merry Christmas, Happy Hanuka, and Joyous Holidays to everyone whose creativity is reset with a season of living - when the world seems calmer, people more generous, and imaginations - more magical.
I sincerely wish all of you a beautiful pause for reflection and the opportunity to find joy. Whether...
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Merry Christmas, Debbie Seagle! I plan on writing the best scripts of my career in 2026.
To ensure the 1982 anime movie "Queen Millennia" gets the wide release it deserves.
Where & how do you pitch a crime thriller novel, "Saving Hampton Beach," that will also be book #9 in an established Indie published series? This book also has film and binge worthy TV streaming possibilities! No, I don't want to Indie publish this potential best-seller. I am disabled and destitute and need dough BAD, NOT to spend momey.
Hey, Jed. So, it's very unlikely that a publisher will look at an unagented manuscript, let alone one that's part of an existing series. Also, they won't look at it unless it's finished. I've been in...
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You seem to think that Indie publishing will cost you money. There are services such as Draft2Digital that will, for free, publish your book online, do all the necessary formatting and make it availab...
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If all you want is to advertise, there are podcasts that cater to authors that might be willing to interview about your writer's journey. Especially since this is book #9.
I'm forcing myself to take a break over the festive period.
Rutger Oosterhoff 2 I'll take the KitKat! Enjoy your break.
Definitely taking a break!!
Darrell Pennington Enjoy it!
I’m not at the computer but my dreams don’t take a break. Polishing ideas keep swimming in for my Operation Sea Devils sci fi script.
Nancy Wilkinson Sometimes things come better away from the keyboard I find!
Maybe this is just my writer brain, but the pacing in Sullivan’s Crossing keeps pulling me out of the story.
Emotional conflict shows up, resolves quickly, then resets. Over and over.
I enjoy the show, but I wish the beats had more room to breathe.
Curious how others feel — and where you think pacing d...
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Pacing pulls me out of a story sometimes, Kat Spencer. I think pacing decisions usually come from the writing, but sometimes it's out of a writer's control, like if it's a screenplay that got made and...
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Exactly Maurice Vaughan ... I have nightmares about post-production editing. - What if they leave my "darlings" out!
Thanks Maurice Vaughan - Do you have a current show or movie where that comes to mind?
Debbie Seagle Do you think we have any say at that point? I'm not sure I could hold my tongue, haha.
You're welcome, Kat Spencer. I think some of the pacing in the beginning and middle of Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery could've been better, but the pacing gets better later in the film. It's a...
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When I wrote a book, I didn’t want to do the marketing (so I did enough to make it a bestseller a few times) and started writing again. That’s what I am – a writer. Heck – an author. Not a promoter.
When I was convinced that my book needed to be a feature film, I learned to write the script (and I l...
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Wow - congratulations with having your story being made into a film. That is the coolest thing and thank you for filling me in on how the journey is going... I will vicariously through you until I'm in the same boat!
Wish I had a tractor. I've got books and screenplays, but I don't have a tractor.
David Taylor I'm not a good tractor driver though. It's somewhat like having a wonderful horse you can't saddle. Books & screenplays may be the way to go!...
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Lauren Hackney I have no doubt you're going to be jumping the wakes in your boat beside me! (Can I ski behind yours?)
Debbie Seagle Thanks for the vote of confidence - I appreciate it!
Self-belief is one of the most important driving forces in writing.
It gives you the power to create your ideas and build your own world.
Sometimes this confidence develops at university, through practice and feedback from instructors, or in workshops and open critique sessions.
Other times, none of th...
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I agree, Sara Ghadersahi. Believing in my writing talent, getting better at writing scripts, and learning more about screenwriting helped me pitch my scripts, sell short scripts, and get jobs....
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Maurice Vaughan I wish you all the best and hope you make progress every day. Thank you for sharing your experience.
You're welcome, Sara Ghadersahi. Thank you. Best to you. I hope you make progress every day and have an incredible new year!
Wishing you a Happy New Year in advance!
Happy New Year, Sara Ghadersahi!
Hey Authors and Playwrights,
For those of you playing the long game, what keeps you in it when the wins are slow but the love for storytelling is still there?
That’s a truly great question. For me, the rule is simple: my mind won’t let me give up. There are many obstacles and struggles, but my stories deserve to be told.
I write first for me. I’ve built up quite a collection of stories, have a large project on the horizon, that I’ll self produce.
I'm in the same spot . any way I can help let me know
Thank you Fares Moha @meriem @mandi @jay and @david - it's so interesting to read everyone's responses. I like how you said dreams are goals Fares!
You Nailed it Lauren Hackney - it's the love of doing it!
Hello creatives,
I have a question for you all,
How your writing and world-building influence who you are.
Do they shape your values, thoughts, or emotions in ways you didn’t expect?
At its core, do we shape our writing, or does our writing shape us—or is the relationship mutual?
I feel like my obsession with scientific plausibility almost becomes a kind of mental illness for me—I spend too much time reinforcing it hh Banafsheh Esmailzadeh...
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Meriem Bouziani lol I feel that, it could be xD it can be hard to let go of but try it :)
Thank you, Meriem — beautifully put. I love the idea of mutual nurturing. When the work is honest, it really does feel like a living conversation rather than a one-way act of creation.
Yes, it’s a true, active conversation that only the creator truly knows, feels, and lives. Even when we share our work, no one can experience it the way we do the first time. Charmane Wedderburn...
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“Exactly — that first, private experience belongs only to the creator. Sharing the work invites others into it, but that initial conversation stays uniquely ours, and I think that’s part of what gives the work its pulse.’
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Hi, Meriem Bouziani. That happens to me too. I think it's the want to finish a story the way a writer wants it to be.
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Yes, do your best, driven by a restless pursuit of perfection Maurice Vaughan...
Expand commentYes, do your best, driven by a restless pursuit of perfection Maurice Vaughan
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I think it's all there, already formed, and awaiting the subconscious to bring it forth. At least for some.
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This possibility is fantastic. It makes me wonder what worlds are still hidden within me, waiting to be reached....
Expand commentYeah maybe Elle Bolan
This possibility is fantastic. It makes me wonder what worlds are still hidden within me, waiting to be reached.