Hey everyone, I’m Ke’Andre “Dre” Hawthorne from Montgomery, Alabama. I started screenwriting earlier this year, and what began as me simply wanting to write a movie has turned into several film and television projects.
My main project right now is WE DICE LIVING, a serialized crime drama following Jayson, his younger brother Donnie, and his closest friend Manny from their teenage years into adulthood. It begins with young people trying to survive circumstances bigger than them and follows the consequences years later as the choices they made for family, survival, and ambition reshape their lives.
I currently have the pilot and pitch package ready and have begun taking the series out independently. I’ve been fortunate to have a few people request and read the material already, and I’m continuing to learn how to navigate pitching and development.
I’m especially interested in connecting with producers, managers, showrunners, development professionals, and other writers who genuinely love character-driven television. I’m also very open to collaboration with the right people.
Looking forward to meeting everybody and learning more about what you’re building too.
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Hey, Amarrione Hawthorne. Congratulations again on the script requests! I think WE DICE LIVING could be a hit. Alabama or Auburn?
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Roll Tide all day
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And I appreciate that, Maurice. That really means a lot, especially coming from somebody with your experience.
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Roll Tide! No problem, Amarrione Hawthorne. Something I've done is post pages of my scripts in Stage 32's Your Stage Lounge and on other social media platforms. I posted the pages with a logline, quick pitch (two words, three words, etc.), and poster. I've gotten interest in projects by doing that.
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Appreciate that, Maurice. I’m definitely gonna try that. I went back through the pilot and I think the opening teaser is the right sample, so I’m putting together a Your Stage post with the poster, a three-word pitch, the logline, and the opening pages. Thanks for putting me on to something that’s actually worked for you — I’m curious to see what kind of response it gets.
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Welcome, and it's impressive that you've already built a pilot and pitch package in your first year, because a lot of writers spend years circling an idea before they have anything ready to share. What's the most important thing you've learned about pitching and development that you wish you'd known when you started?
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Appreciate that, Samantha. Probably the biggest thing I’ve learned is the difference between creating a project and getting it professionally ready for the industry. The storytelling side has always been the part that comes most naturally to me — the harder part has been learning how to polish everything around it, whether that’s formatting, pitch materials, tightening how I explain the series, or knowing what information to lead with.
That’s also made me understand why the right professional team and collaborators matter. I don’t need somebody to come in and create the story for me, but experienced people can help sharpen the presentation, challenge the material in the right ways, and help turn a strong creative vision into something ready to move through development.
I’m still learning that side every day, but that’s probably the biggest thing I wish I understood when I started.
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You're welcome, @Dre. Hope that helps you get more eyes on your series!
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Welcome Amarrione Hawthorne ! I hope you'll join us at our upcoming webcasts in the Writers' Room. Sign up for a Free Month of the Writers’ Room: https://www.stage32.com/writers-room/plans-vip
Here’s a great post that will help you navigate Stage 32: https://www.stage32.com/blog/how-to-successfully-navigate-the-stage-32-p...
Here’s a walkthrough Video: https://www.stage32.com/help?category=how-to-navigate-stage&parent=341676
Be sure to stop by the screenwriting lounge and get to know some of your fellow scribes: https://www.stage32.com/lounge/screenwriting
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Hey Amarrione Hawthorne great to hear from you! What inspired you to write WE DICE LIVING?
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Appreciate you asking. WE DICE LIVING really came from wanting to tell a story about people I recognize and understand — not just the street side of it, but the pressure behind the choices people make. I’ve been close to situations like these and have family who’ve lived around them, so I wanted the characters to feel like real people first instead of just plot devices.
The idea really started growing once I thought about a young man trying to protect his family and believing money could give him more choices, only for the life he builds to slowly take those choices away. From there, Jay, Donnie, Manny and the whole world started expanding naturally.
At the core, I wanted it to be about family, brotherhood, loyalty, survival and consequences — a prestige drama disguised as a street story.
Welcome, Dre! Sounds like you’ve made a lot of progress in your first year, especially having the pilot and pitch package ready and already getting reads. What has been the biggest thing you’ve learned from pitching WE DICE LIVING so far?
Ke'Andre, welcome to Stage 32! Congratulations on getting WE DICE LIVING out into the world already, and wishing you continued success as you build relationships and move the project through development.