Hey Tribe!
I’m Leonardo Ramirez, and I tell stories that explore what it means to be human—always with a thread of hope running through them. Sci-fi and fantasy are my favorite playgrounds, mostly because I love building the worlds where those stories unfold. I'm also a lounge moderator for Stage 32.
What was a real-life moment that sparked your story?
For “The Jupiter Chronicles”, it happened while I was working on another project. My daughter, who was ten at the time, came downstairs and asked, “Dad, what if you wrote a story about a boy and a girl who rescue their dad on another planet?”
I immediately tossed what I was doing, wrote a story premise and caved to my addiction...world building.
What about you? What moment sparked your story—OR your journey into the creative?
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Hey, Leonardo Ramirez. Happy IYW! I'm outlining a Fantasy Action feature script. I mashed two movies together and came up with an idea.
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It’s incredible how much being a father makes an impact! Hope we get to see your idea come to life!
I just finished writing a short script that I’m planning on directing and hopefully shooting within the next 2-3 months.
It’s called “Hush Little Baby,” also inspired by being a girl Dad. It came about as I grappled with my past and how I did what I had to do to make sure my new born baby girl was fed twelve years ago.
It’s also born from me getting tired of my scripts taking forever to be shot whilst in the hands of other producers.
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I love this!
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That is great !! It's so great that you jumped on it immediately.
For me, it started with goodbyes and how people never know when to end them. I am a Lyft driver and I've had convos similar to this:
"Well, it was a pleasure talking to you!"
"Oh, no --- thank you man, thank you for picking us up."
"You're fine, you're fine. You're welcome guys."
"Have a good one!"
"Thank you, you as well."
"You're welcome."
"Thanks."
"You're welcome. You guys were great. Wonderful conversation."
Ad infinitum ...
It sparked this idea about being caught in a conversation forever. That one I'm currently working on.
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Hey Maurice Vaughan - That sounds awesome! What were the two movies you mashed together?
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Wow that sounds beautiful Jaylee Jordan - and you're absolutely right. Being a dad changed everything - how I view life, what really matters, etc. I also love it that you are making it a redemptive story. Love that!
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Thanks Arnold Cifax Jr - happy introduce yourself weekend!
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Vidal Ramirez - that sounds hilarious. But I'm sure it was also tedious at the time it was happening! Happy IY Weekend friend!
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John Wick and Alice in Wonderland, Leonardo Ramirez.
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Oh snap Maurice Vaughan - that sounds cool!
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Thanks, Leonardo Ramirez. That's one of my favorite ways to come up with script ideas. Mash two movies together. It works for shows, games, etc. too.
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I love that Maurice Vaughan - most people mash genres, not movies. I'll have to try that. I think it's a grand idea. You have your comps out of the gate!
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You're right, Leonardo Ramirez. And I have my quick pitch out the gate ("It's John Wick meets Alice in Wonderland").
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For 'The Regal Scale' it was the idea of perception being a sort of personal law. How we see things governs our lives.
And what happens if one person's perception becomes universal law?
Then... what if that person was a small town hustler with no life goals?
And so, The Scale came to be.
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Hello nice to meet you Leonardo.
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Elle Bolan - that premise sounds incredible! I'm guessing that by "universal law" you mean everyone's reality? Either way, it sounds super intriguing!
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Honored to meet you Kerry Cecil ! Hope you have a wonderful IYW!
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Yeah that's a sure-fire quick pitch Maurice Vaughan !
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Leonardo Ramirez yes! Everyone's reality is at the mercy of Bect Regal and The Regal Scale.
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Just...wow Elle Bolan. Please be sure to keep us updated on this. For me, this is a must-watch. Rooting for you!
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Leonardo Ramirez I"m in awe of your addiction to "world building". Such a cool and fun addiction to have. And what a great and original suggestion from your 10-year old daughter (at the time). I've mentioned before so at the risk of being repetitive, it was a period of grief and disappointment and disenchantment with my current life 2 years ago that sparked my journey into the creative.
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Thanks so much Alexandra Stevens - and look at you now! You're using the hardships you went through to help others. That's a picture of beauty from ashes if I ever saw one!
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Leonardo Ramirez, I love this question, and I love that The Jupiter Chronicles was born from such a heartfelt father-daughter moment. That story always makes me smile.
For me, my creative journey really began as a way to process grief and make sense of the world. Writing my fantasy novel became both a sanctuary and a mirror, a space where I could channel emotion into something meaningful. The more I built the world, the more I rediscovered pieces of myself in it.
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That's such a beautiful way of processing grief Ashley Renée Smith!. And I'm so glad you found it and that it's helped. Grief can be such a solitary, cyclical journey but having your creative heart as your companion, I'm sure, has served as a comfort.