Hello, creators!
It’s exciting to be here surrounded by so many talented people! I’m creating out of Virginia, and this year my focus has been horror and dark fantasy. Next year, I’m switching gears completely, stepping away from horror to develop lower-budget crime stories alongside larger-scale sci-fi projects.
For screenwriters and producers looking to connect, I almost always have a project open for collaboration, ranging from mid- to high-budget concepts. I’m also happy to come aboard other people’s projects. Animation/anime, fantasy, sci-fi, and horror are especially exciting to me.
What I love most about creating is that moment when something that existed only in your head finally becomes tangible- every character, environment, costume, and small detail coming together the way you imagined it. Creating has been my career for years, and my goal is to continue mastering as many creative disciplines as possible. Whether I’m developing visual mockups, designing clothing, building project packages for clients and festivals, or helping writers create materials that attract producers, I enjoy finding new ways to bring stories to life.
I’d love to know what your favorite project is that you’re currently working on, and what’s the logline?
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Love the horror and dark fantasy genres. Made me just think of Black Swan - did you ever see that movie? I'm working on producing 2 feature films and a TV show that is at a streamer right now, waiting to hear back (the dreaded silence!)
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Hey, @Dwayne. Happy IYW! That's great that you're mastering as many creative disciplines as possible! I'm writing a Faith-based Sports Action feature script. I don't have a finished logline yet.
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Congratulations, @Amanda!
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Hello, Amanda Toney. Yes, very psychological and fantastic acting as well. That title alone sounds interesting, and I'm definitely going to check it out! And congrats on having those projects out there! Sounds like you've got some really exciting work in development. Fingers crossed for that TV show! Keep us updated; can't wait to hear more about them! :)
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Hello Maurice Vaughan, always great to hear from you! I'm still impressed that you're doing all these genres! I remember your vampire one was amazing! I know this one will be as well, haha. I love sports films. I tried to create a lacrosse one, but didn't do so well. Are there more sports films of different sports that you want to do in the future?
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Thanks, Dwayne Williams. I just write Faith-based scripts now, but they're mixed with other genres, like Action. A lacrosse story sounds interesting. I'd like to write other sports, like baseball.
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Dwayne Williams Happy IYW! I love reading this update, and I love watching how thoughtfully you plan your creative slate year to year. Your description of what you love most about creating (that moment when something that existed only in your head finally becomes tangible) is so beautifully put. It captures something so essential about why any of us do this work, and I love that after years of building your career you still hold onto that specific joy. That’s the through-line that separates makers who last from makers who burn out.
To answer your question: my favorite current project is my fantasy novel, THE ADONIA: AN EMPIRE OF EMBERS. Here’s the short description:
After the sudden murder of their mother, siblings Nat and Adrian Reid and their oldest friend, Bliss, are pulled into Gravare, the magical world the Reids were ripped from twenty years ago and never knew existed. While Nat hunts for her mother’s killer and the secrets she died protecting, Adrian is thrust into the treacherous politics of a ruling council that expects him to inherit his dead father’s seat. But as their separate paths uncover buried truths stretching from their family’s bloody past to the Gods of Gravare themselves, the siblings find themselves at the heart of a conspiracy far greater than either imagined, setting them on a quest that could change the future of their strange inherited world forever.
I’ve been steadily working on it over the last couple of years in between work, life, and everything in between, I can’t wait to share more about it as it continues to take shape.
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You're welcome Maurice Vaughan. I'm also working on a Faith-based supernatural horror film with biblical symbolism. An interesting pick. Baseball would be cool! One of my favorites is 42. Do you have a favorite sports film that inspired you to write or that you learned from?
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Thank you, Ashley Renée Smith, and great to hear from you! Those are kind words. :) The Adonia sounds like a fun fantasy project. Fantasy is my favorite! Will you have different types of creatures in your world?
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Sounds interesting, Dwayne Williams. I've heard of 42. Some of my favorite sports movies are The Sandlot, Little Giants, and Goat. I'm not sure if they inspired me to write, but I might've learned things from them like with other movies. What's your favorite sports movie or a movie that inspired you/you learned something from?
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Dwayne Williams, thank you! And yes, absolutely!
My story has a whole ecosystem of unique creatures, some inspired by classic fantasy tropes and reimagined, others completely original. I actually spent over a year just worldbuilding before writing any real prose, and part of that work involved putting together a bestiary of sorts to keep track of all the different animals and creatures native to the world. That was alongside building out the magic system, economics, politics, holidays, religions, sports and games, vices, important resources, a full map, and the significant historical timeline of the world before my story begins, plus a whole lot of other details. It’s honestly one of my favorite parts of the process. There’s something so grounding about knowing exactly what walks (or flies, or swims) through the space your characters are moving through, and knowing the deeper structures that shape their choices.
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Maurice Vaughan Sandlot is definitely in my top sports movies; my absolute favorites are shoaolin soccer, Friday Night Lights, and Any Given Sunday.
I've seen those movies, @Dwayne. They're entertaining movies! Have you seen the Friday Night Lights series?
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Ashley Renée Smith, wow, I know that is a very large world, for sure impressive! I agree, it is the best part. My favorite is the magic system and reimagining creatures, though you did mention some things I should definitely be adding to my own work, like holidays and sports. Those details can really ground a world. I can't wait to hear more when you're complete, and if you ever need help or fresh eyes, I'd be glad to bounce fantasy projects or creatures with you!
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Welcome, and it's great to see a creator working across horror, crime, and sci-fi, because that range shows you're flexible and willing to adapt. What's the most important thing you've learned from working across so many disciplines that you wish more writers understood?
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Happy to have you here Dwayne Williams! Thanks for sharing your goals for next year. I don't have any projects I'm working on right now, but I absolutely love crime and sci-fi series/films/shows. I recently finished Arcane! What can you recommend next?
We're also inviting you to our upcoming Pitch Tank Webcast: WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19th @ 4PM PT with Special Guest Producer Brett Robinson. Sign up for a Free Month of the Writers’ Room: https://www.stage32.com/writers-room/plans-vip
See you around!
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Hello, Samantha Rivera, Thanks :) And great question! I'd say learning more disciplines will improve your creativity overall. My approach is to constantly tackle something harder than what I'm currently doing; that way, the work I'm already doing feels easier by comparison. It builds me new confidence and expands what I think is possible. But equally important is finding the best way your brain learns. That's something writers have to discover.
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Dwayne, happy IYW! Love seeing your passion for collaboration and world-building across so many creative disciplines, and we're excited to see all the incredible projects you continue bringing to life here on Stage 32.
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Hello Jaz Lagrimas, happy to be here as well! Arcane is one of my favorites. It reminded me of the Spider-Man animation in the best way. The character work and visual storytelling are just phenomenal. I've actually been binge-watching Studio Ghibli anime lately. Princess Mononoke was a fun one for Sci-Fi: I've been watching Love, Death & Robots, along with Oats Studio shorts.
Sounds fantastic, I'll make sure to sign up to catch the webcast. Thanks for sharing, and looking forward to learning more!
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Thank you, Laquan Copeland, it's great to hear from you! Stage 32 has helped me tremendously, and I'm grateful for the space to create, and I'm excited to keep collaborating and building with this community. If you're ever interested in exploring a creative project together or want to brainstorm some ideas, I'm always open to chatting. See you in the lounges!