Introduce Yourself : Excited to Join! Egyptian Author Sharing My Thriller “Alter Ego” by Salma Hassaballa

Salma Hassaballa Hi Salma, and welcome to Stage 32 and the Introduce Yourself Weekend!

Congratulations on your successes. which of your books have been optioned?

Hi Salma

your work sounds truly inspiring. Alter Ego seems like a powerful story — best of luck with all your projects!

Hi, Salma Hassaballa. 14 published books across genres is really impressive! Congratulations! Congratulations on two of your novels being optioned by producers!

Stage 32 has a blog that'll help you connect with creatives and industry professionals all over the world (www.stage32.com/blog/the-importance-of-community-and-collaboration-in-th...).

Stage 32 will be having its next live Community Open House on July 30th. It'll also help you connect with creatives and industry pros. There's going to be a live Q&A. You can sign up for free here: www.stage32.com/education/products/stage-32-july-community-open-house

@Geoff Hall Thank you for your kind words.

Reading your bio, I’m truly inspired by the way you blend social awareness with psychological and supernatural storytelling. It’s fascinating how your personal history shapes your creative voice.

To answer your question: both Adam’s Game and Are You Near? have been optioned. Adam’s Game is a thought-provoking novel that invites deep reflection on life, choices, and the unseen forces shaping our paths. Are You Near? explores the spiritual power that can transform even the darkest hours into a new dawn.

@Gulshan Naz, Thank you so much for your kind words! Alter Ego is very close to my heart, and I’m truly grateful for your encouragement. I’d love to learn more about your work as well — it’s always inspiring to connect with creatives who value meaningful storytelling.

Salma Hassaballa wow, Salma, they sound like great stories and I love your approach to storytelling. What or who inspired you to become a writer?

And thank you for your kind words. Yes, I love to blend and bend genres!

Welcome Salma Hassaballa and congratulations on your 2 books optioned! Alter Ego piques my curiosity too: I've always been fascinated by stories that explore identity and cross-cultural encounters.

I like your style and hope to know and hear more about your work. I think you will find the players in this forum who have already joined are as willing to know more about you as I am. Welcome and best wishes. Ann Marie.

Geoff Hall Thank you so much for your kind words! I just shared a bit about what inspired me to write

Hi Chiara Torrisi, thank you so much for the warm welcome and kind words! I'm truly honored. I'm glad Alter Ego piqued your curiosity; identity and cross-cultural themes are deeply important to me as well.

I read in your bio how the pandemic helped you reconnect with your calling—such a powerful reflection. I believe every catastrophe bears some fruit, and that’s something I explored in Adam’s Game as well.

I’m also a big admirer of Italy’s history and culture, though I’ve never had the chance to visit! Would love to learn more about your work—especially if you edit in English.

Thank you so much, Ann Marie Hannon Your kind words mean a lot. I really enjoyed reading your bio—blending mediation techniques into storytelling is such a unique and powerful approach.

Kids with Worries touches on such an important subject—it’s something almost every household can relate to nowadays. Your photo also radiates a calm, wise energy that reflects the support you bring through your work. Looking forward to connecting further.

I’ve had a private conversation about what inspired me to write, and I realized it might be nice to share the story here as well, for anyone curious or who may relate to the journey.

Growing up, I used to tell stories to my younger siblings almost every day. Still, it never crossed my mind to become a writer—especially since I graduated from the Faculty of Engineering, Architecture Department.

For years, I taught graphics at the American University in Cairo. I remember one particular day in class, I was explaining a 3D concept: how every 3D object has a history—you can always go back and change part of that history and instantly see the impact. Then I asked my students,

“What if we had this option in real life? What moment would you go back and change?”

Their responses were so thoughtful and engaged, and that classroom moment planted the seed for what eventually became my novel, Adam’s Game.

But even then, publishing wasn’t part of my plan—until I ran into funding issues while producing a documentary called The Case Is Still Open. A friend suggested I write it down as a book—just to keep the story alive. And so, I published my first nonfiction book, The Case Is Still Open.

A couple of years later, I published Adam’s Game. And from there, the journey continued.

Hi Salma - I’m glad you shared the story about what happened in your classroom as the jump jumping off point for your inspiration. That’s a really cool story. Do you have a large creative community of support where you’re at in Egypt?

Hi Amanda Toney , thank you so much for your kind words! I’m really glad the classroom story resonated with you—it was such a pivotal moment for me.

As for your question, I wouldn’t say there’s a large creative community around me here in Egypt, at least not in the film/TV industry. But over time, I’ve built connections across disciplines—especially in writing, publishing, and documentary work. Still, I often feel like I'm navigating the industry from the outside, which is why being here on Stage 32 is so meaningful to me.

Also, I had a look at your profile—wow! Your journey and the global partnerships you've led are incredibly inspiring. I’d love to learn more from your experience and be part of this vibrant network.

Now I'm curious also about Adam's Game, Salma Hassaballa

Salma Hassaballa very nice to meet you and i join the chorus of others who expressed praise. I'm particularly impressed with the concepts you come up with. I just had a look at your profile and was intrigued by all the book titles and descriptions. "Writer' caught my interest. What a cool concept.

Thank you, Chiara Torrisi Adam’s Game is a psychological sci-fi story built around one central question:

What if you could cut and paste events in your life—would that really make it better?

It follows five strangers who enter a web-based game to erase the worst moment of their lives… only to discover that changing their pasts might destroy their futures. The story explores identity, regret, AI, and how deeply interconnected our lives truly are.

I hope you like it :)

Welcome Salma in Stage 32

Thank you so much, Alexandra Stevens . Your words genuinely touched me, and I’m honored that The Writer resonated with you. I find your story equally inspiring—your courage to rebuild around joy and purpose, and your mission to support creatives in such a soul-aligned way, truly moved me.

John January Noble Thank you so much for the warm welcome :)

Welcome to Stage 32, Salma Hassaballa! I’m Ashley, Head of Community here, and it’s such a joy to have you with us. Alter Ego sounds incredibly compelling. Congratulations on your published works and the optioned novels! Your focus on identity and cross-cultural storytelling is so needed, especially in today’s global market.

I’d love to invite you to connect further in the Screenwriting Lounge (https://www.stage32.com/lounge/screenwriting), Authoring & Playwriting Lounge (https://www.stage32.com/lounge/playwriting), and Producing Lounge (https://www.stage32.com/lounge/producing). These are all great spaces to share updates on your adaptation process, connect with potential collaborators, and exchange insights on developing IP for screen.

If you’d like help connecting to screenwriters or producers aligned with your goals, feel free to reach out to our success team at Success@Stage32.com. They’d be happy to help you take the next steps.

Looking forward to hearing more about Alter Ego and your creative journey!

Thank you so much for the warm welcome, Ashley Renée Smith! I truly appreciate your kind words and encouragement. Alter Ego is a story very close to my heart, and it means a lot to have it received so positively—especially by a platform like Stage 32 that champions global storytelling.

I’m excited to dive into the Screenwriting, Authoring & Playwriting, and Producing Lounges—thank you for guiding me there. I’ll definitely be exploring those spaces and engaging with the community.

I may also reach out to the Success Team soon, as I’m eager to connect with screenwriters and producers who share a similar vision.

Looking forward to sharing more about my journey and learning from others here!

Aww thank you Salma Hassaballa for your kind words about my profile. I look forward to hearing more about your projects in due course

Thank you, Alexandra Stevens I’d love to share more soon. Looking forward to staying connected!

Salma Hassaballa Yay!! Glad you're here! Love the thin line between dreams and reality such a good trope! <3

Thank you so much Rosie Schreiber I'm really glad to be here too! That blurry line between dreams and reality has always fascinated me—it’s such a rich space for storytelling. Can’t wait to share more!

Salma Hassaballa That line is almost nonexistent to me haha my lines blur a lot. Half the time I can't tell the difference, and don't even want to LOL

Rosie Schreiber Haha, that actually sounds like the perfect mindset for a storyteller! I love how you embrace that space—it’s such fertile ground for creativity.

Impressive, great work! welcome Salma Hassaballa

Ryan Wilford Thank you so much! I’m excited to be here and really appreciate the kind words