The Stage 32 Lounge

Hey, Lauren Hackney. Writing exciting stories, celebrating the small wins, and talking with other creatives like on here.

Lauren Hackney I think everyone goes through seasons like this. It’s interesting because even though I already have several stories sitting on my laptop, there’s this one series I know I have to keep fighting for. Sometimes it feels discouraging when it’s quiet, and I constantly find myself thinking about what more I can do for it. But I recently read a manager here say: “keep trying, keep trying, keep trying,” and that really stuck with me.

I hope you’re not feeling down — but if you are, stand up, dust yourself off, and keep going. I truly believe everything comes at the right time.

I think for me Sanna Peth the lines are blurred between feeling like I'm making progress and feeling stuck. Thank you for telling me your journey and I think I need to just 'keep trying'.... and 'keep trying' ....and 'keep trying'. :)

@maurice you are right - chatting to creatives here absolutely makes the journey worth while. :)

Writing screenplays is great fun and very satisfying in a way that far surpasses the effort needed and the sometimes frustrations. Books similar but can take far longer.

Yikes! I didn't know that about Premier Pro.

Eddie Lawhorn I’m gonna copy and paste my last comment directed at Göran because i genuinely feel the same about your specialisation:

i write existential indie fare for art house cinema—many people groan at this point—but i love to watch whodunnits and maybe i should stretch my creative wings in that direction. what’s one (or three) tips you’d give—things you’ve learned which are not very obvious?

James LO My book, and the screenplay, kind of flowed naturally from my life experiences. I have a goofy sense of humor and worked with some… interesting bosses over the years. The horrible boss in the story is a mashup of some characteristics from several people. Then the story starts off with my Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest detective category winner - for the worst possible opening sentence for a hypothetical novel. So the mystery part grew from the questions it raised. Who would hire a moron? Someone who needed a moron for some reason. OK, why would you need a moron? You want someone who isn’t going to be able to solve a case. So how is he going to solve the case anyhow? And so on…

Eddie yeah that sort of promise or device is indeed ripe for comedy—starts writing itself once you kick your detective out the door right?

It worked out nicely for me. I set the story in the town I live in, so I was able to work in some of the local flavor and quirks I am familiar with. I outlined first, but stayed a bit flexible. (The awful ex-boss was doing such a great job aggravating my PI character that I had to keep her around instead of having her be the murder victim.)

Eddie, you asked me for advice related to what is not obvious. We all live in different situations, so it is not clear for me what would be best for me to answer. But I can give an example.

A disaster happened when it was time to start filming. Instead of doing nothing, I made a fundamental change. Because it was impossible to film with actors. So I created one doll for each character. I put on my morphsuit and put up my greenscreen. Then I moved one doll at a time with sticks and strings in front of my camcorder. Definitely not funny.

So always be prepared for disasters.

Hi, Debbie Seagle. Happy Holidays! Congratulations on all your accomplishments this year! I'm rooting for you to get your screenplay produced and distributed in 2026! My big win next year is selling a few spec scripts.

Maurice Vaughan I have no doubt that you will accomplish your goal to sell your spec scripts! I am impressed that you have more scripts to offer! I want to write more, but get trapped in production. You have the right idea!

Thanks, Debbie Seagle. I appreciate it. Have you thought about writing like 2 pages a day in between producing your movie? 2 pages a day times 30 days is a one-hour pilot script.

Debbie Seagle 2026 is definitely going to be that year of massive success stories. BELIEVE

Blade and Selene, Mark Deuce.

DB—who else would i choose?

and his successor (?), TH…

Same here Maurice Vaughan

Hi, Chase Carmichael. Happy Holidays! I hope you're doing great! What's your project about?

Hi, Maurice Vaughan. Happy Holidays to you too. My project is random right now and I'm currently writing Zoo Girls P.I. limited series and moving onto the 8th episode (the comeback). It's experimental because I didn't ask the AI to add Human Skeletal Structures because the human characters can shift into anthropomorphic animals, but the animal forms are just ordinary animal forms you would find in real life, I don't know how to explain the AI when I finished all 10 episodes of the concept. It's a limited series, meaning it can't guarantee if the show will be extended into the next season or turn it into a miniseries. But the humor aspects that I wrote and animal instincts are there. I just wish there the animal forms are the same body structures as the human form but it can give their animal abilities though. Most of the concepts are probably all Sonic-based Human Skeletal Structural designs. Keeping it fresh and not looking like a knock-off.

I remember reading your logline for Zoo Girls P.I. on here, Chase Carmichael. I'm looking forward to watching it! You usually only need the pilot script and a series bible to pitch a series.

If I knew how Series bibles work? I mean I can't draw or add scrapbooks into any of that would look unprofessional. How do I avoid those flaws?

@james I've seen memento now around a dozen times and yes most of that film lives rent free in my head. In fact I put a brief cameo of Leonard into the second episode of my recent series script (Grizzly Bluff) and some talking parts from a motel desk clerk named Burt! My investigative protagonist also pins Polaroids to the motel wall. I'm not obsessed you're obsessed.

@maurice many thanks!!

You're welcome, Daniel Allen. Hope you find a manager! I need to finish watching Memento and read the script. I think I just saw the opening scene. What's Grizzly Bluff about?

@maurice: surface level: it's a 1980 mountain town thriller about a found family who go on the run to escape a genocidal police chief who secretly feeds undesirables to a Grizzly Bear. But if I had to say what it's REALLY about- it's about this question: how do you rebuild your life when you've lost everything?

I posted it up here if you'd like to check out the 2 pager and pilot script: https://www.stage32.com/profile/1354811/Screenplay/Grizzly-Bluff

Congratulations Daniel Allen on your accomplishments to date and good luck going forward. This is the spot to connect. Go Naperville!

Thank you Randall Scott White

Hello Meriem Bouziani, great to meet you. Science is a real asset for sci-fi, and The Silent PFC War sounds like an exciting and futuristic project! What are your top comparables for it?

Thank you very much Dwayne Williams 2

This is truly a great question, but I honestly struggle to find comparable works beyond the films I’ve already seen. That actually makes the writing even harder, because I don’t have a clear model to follow. I’ll try watching more films to find inspiration, especially for developing a strong puzzle-box structure.

What a really cool concept Meriem! What inspired you for such a big world that you've created?

Thank you very much for your encouragement Amanda Toney

It’s all driven by my passion for neuroscience, especially the prefrontal cortex—the part responsible for complex thinking, decision-making, and planning...

I can't wait to see Disclosure Day, Navid Lancaster! It looks and sounds incredible!

My anticipating is growing!!

Me too!

Wow this is so close to the heart. Bring it on Whoow