Anything Goes

Bring Your Questions: Join Us for the FREE Stage 32 Community Open House

Wednesday, September 23rd at 12:00pm PT

You have questions. You're curious about how to actually make the most of your time on Stage 32, how to use the resources here successfully, how to build genuine relationships that lead somewhere meaningful, and how to move forward with real intention. How to find the right collaborators, producers, financiers, reps, distributors, etc.

That's exactly what this FREE event is designed for.

Our Community Open House is a live, fully interactive conversation hosted by me, Ashley Smith, Head of Community here at Stage 32. It's a genuine gathering where you get to show up, share what you're working on, ask the questions that have been on your mind, and get direct guidance tailored to where you actually are in your journey.

Whether you've attended one before or this is your first, the conversation is different every single time. It's shaped by the members who take the time to join, be present, and bring their real questions to the table. Your voice, your goals, and your curiosity make each Open House uniquely valuable.

Free Registration: https://www.stage32.com/education/products/stage-32s-september-2026-community-open-house-webcast

We'll cover the tools and features on Stage 32 that most consistently create momentum for members, and we'll talk about what's happening on the platform that you don't want to miss out on. September lands us in a genuinely exciting stretch of the year. We're coming off Venice and Toronto International, in the middle of New York Film Festival, heading into Austin Film Festival, and gearing up for our annual November Write Club campaign. There's real opportunity to position yourself for what's ahead, and we'll talk about how to do exactly that.

We'll close with a live Q&A focused entirely on you, your questions, your projects, and your next steps. And if you can't join us live, don't worry! Registering guarantees you the full recording so you can watch it anytime, from anywhere.

Come as you are. Bring your questions. Let's have a real conversation.

Click HERE to Register for FREE!

Being a newly semi-retired, new author of a series of four novels, (since 2023) I was shocked and frustrated at how poor the editing has been, by the publishing company I used. My novel has been for sale for a year and is now progressing to the screenwriting stage for a suspenseful TV romance/crime...

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I am loving my new hobby, but the bad editing service I received has left me looking to other publishers who don’t change my words to alter the meaning of sentences.

In the meantime, I’d love to be able to warn other people about the pitfalls of a so-called professional editor, who clearly doesn’t understand conversational English and its dialects.

Being at the stage where I’ve shelled-out a small fortune to get my novel off the ground, I realise that under the terms of the contract I felt so lucky to have (at first), that this company have 50% of the TV adaptation rights. I just don’t want them to handle anything else to do with my book, after the dozens and dozens of corrections I had to make so the story was readable.

The worst part- is that I have written to the publisher numerous times about taking up a court case in small claims, for the professional editing service they failed to provide. They replied to say the contract is Business-to-Business and therefore will not be heard by small claims! I am NOT a business! I write because I love my story and my characters. I have spent thousands on developing and advertising the story, whereas zero sales have come from supposed marketing strategy by the publisher. I do not make money from my book - far from it. I paid them over $2,600 to produce my book (and the second one - thinking they’d learned how not to destroy my story - but it happened all over again!). It seems there is no governing body for book publishers, only journals or magazines/newspapers.

Now, I have emailed the publisher telling them I want them to withdraw from the contractual rights for television. I own the copyright. I do not want them involved at any further stage of the process.

Is there anyone out there, who can offer advice on how to proceed under UK law, to take this publisher to task in the courts, under consumer law? I don’t have a business and signed the contract in my name. I feel that I want to warn other people who are looking for a service that has proven inadequate and unprofessional?

Beverly

Ashley Renée Smith

Head of Community at Stage 32 ♦ Creative Executive, Writer, Author, Director of Development

September 2026 Open House Webcast

Maurice Vaughan

6 hours ago

Hi, Beverly Thompson. Sorry to hear that happened. You might get more comments in the Authoring & Playwriting Lounge (www.stage32.com/lounge/playwriting)....

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Pat Alexander

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3 people like this
2 days ago

Hey Wyman Brent great to hear from you! What inspired you to create Hey Lord?

Wyman Brent

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1 person likes this
- Michael Dzurak
2 days ago

Pat Alexander, how are you doing? I was inspired by All of Us from Joan Osborne. I put my own twist on the idea of God being on Earth. Wrote the song in less than five minutes....

Beverly Thompson

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1 person likes this
- Wyman Brent
9 hours ago

Isn’t the song, One of Us? And yes, if so, it’s a great idea.

7 hours ago

Beverly Thompson, I did take inspiration from One of Us by Joan Osborne. I put my own spin onto the idea. Did you have a chance to listen?

Ben Trebilcook

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1 person likes this
- Amanda Toney
2 days ago

Amanda, old friend… The 4,500 figure is frightening, but the wider question for creatives is what continued consolidation ultimately means for opportunity. Two studios becoming one doesn’t just potent...

Amanda Toney

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1 person likes this
- Ben Trebilcook
20 hours ago

Hello my dear Ben. Miss you! I definitely agree with what you’re saying, but it also invites a really exciting opportunity for you as a creative to take it into your own hands and distribute it in your own hands. Hope you’re doing well, my friend!

Miss you too, Amanda! And completely agree. Perhaps that’s the other side of all this. As the traditional routes narrow, creatives have to become more inventive about how we make, finance and distribu...

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Michael Dzurak

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2 people like this
- Paul Hikari
- Francisco Castro
3 days ago

- Rolling car crashes that would pulverize Rambo into mincemeat, have people exiting crashed vehicles with a shrug… and maybe a bloody forehead.

- Headshots that always land dead center of the forehe...

Debbie Croysdale

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2 people like this
- Michael Dzurak
- Francisco Castro
3 days ago

Sick of watching actors brush their teeth, rinse, gargle, & spit. Happens in all genres, & wastes valuable screen time, especially when they garble broken sentences. Dog jumps on the bed, close up of...

2
2 people like this
- Francisco Castro
- Michael Dzurak
2 days ago

The alarm clock scene kills me every time

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2 people like this
- Francisco Castro
- Michael Dzurak
8 hours ago

Glad to say, none of these in my upcoming TV adaptation of my romantic crime suspense drama. Life goes on, but not as we know it :)

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1 person likes this
- Francisco Castro
8 hours ago

Pat Alexander Except in Groundhog Day with Bill Murray, right?

Betty Briscoe

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2 people like this
- Michael Dzurak
- Jerry Edmund Bamutiire
2 days ago

Thanks Suzanne. I wished it hadn't happened, but it did. Report it, spread the word and learn from it. For me, that's all I can do and if I helped just 1 person from having that happen...I can be proud I was able to do ot.

Jose Cruz

I recently received a message from Christian Sarabia wanting to connect and review projects - wondering if anyone has dealt with him. So sad that it has come to not trusting ANYONE who reaches out on this platform. You never know who is really legit. Thanks.

Kelly Guglietti

If they ask you for money, don’t fall for it.

Jim Ramsay

First clue. A producer with the juice to get projects made like Lloyd is not going to be trolling Stage 32. And yes, if a producer asks for money, you know they're phony.

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1 person likes this
- Michael Dzurak
8 hours ago

Hi Betty!! I hope everything is well with you xx Funny, this happened to me - Lloyd Segan imposter is back!! As soon as I received communication with a gmail account to respond to, just last week, I s...