Authoring & Playwriting

For all the authors and playwrights in our community, a place to discuss, share content and post tips and advice.

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

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.


Liked by Michael Dzurak

Kat Spencer
Life Imitating Art or Art Imitating Life?

Chicken or the egg? We know you have to have both to have the other...but which came first?

Maybe the same is true of life and art.

How many times has a person's creation later become real? And how many real events have become creations?

I constantly say my life is a movie because I've had some pretty...

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Michael Dzurak

In my case they are intertwined and sometimes depend on timing. For example, right after graduating from high school, I saw a movie that had come out some years before, Ghost World, which was about tw...

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Liked by Clarke Keaton and one other

Founding privateer challenge

The Founding Privateer Challenge is not a job fair, grant program, or traditional talent competition.

It is an experiment in building an independent commercial ecosystem.

We are looking for people who want to...

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Khoni Chin

First, decide whether this interests you:

A risk-management alliance designed to turn open-source commercial ecosystem...

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Liked by Nick Gervais and 3 others

Ashley Renée Smith
What's a Title So Good You're Jealous of It?

Hi Authoring Lounge Fam!

I've been devouring James Islington's Hierarchy series lately, and beyond the books themselves, I keep getting stuck on the titles. THE WILL OF THE MANY and THE STRENGTH OF THE FEW.

They're enticing without being cryptic, which is such a hard balance to strike. Neither phrase...

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Banafsheh Esmailzadeh

I rather like Paradise Kiss as a title, it’s a manga by Ai Yazawa. Something about it just tickles my brain real nice.

As for my own titles, I’m rather proud of “Only Rose-Coloured Kings” because every...

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Karolina Ferguson

I love titles that create curiosity while giving you a subtle sense of what the story is about. For me, the best titles often arrive once I understand the heart of the story and its characters. Someti...

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Anna Henry

Not a novel but my absolute favorite TV show title of all time is Halt and Catch Fire.

Liked by Harri-Pekka Virkki and 2 others

Retreating from my publishing contract… I need advice

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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Maurice Vaughan

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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Suzanne Bronson

Hey Beverly, this is Suzanne from the Stage 32 team. I just wanted to let you know I moved your post from Anything Goes to Authoring & Playwriting, as it fits much better there. Let me know if you have any questions, and all the best to you!

Elara Skye

That sounds like a really frustrating experience, especially after putting so much time and effort into a four-book series. I’m sorry you’ve had to deal with poor editing.

The fact that you’re now movi...

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Hollowed Tabassum Short Story by Samuel R.R. Campbell

This was submitted to the Real Good AI Scary Tapes Contest TRIGGER WARNING; Mental Health and Self Harm, Death, Trauma, Violence, and Abuse, may include Curse Words.

https://lafilm-my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/s_campbell6_lafilm_edu/IQCw_lzAW7aeQ5QoOQAgSzaRAfwZYbOH8ah2FsOPc_ePVjQ?e=yCHs00 

Liked by Harri-Pekka Virkki and 7 others

Darrell A Pennington
Ebook promotion advice needed

Hi - I am concurrently writing an ebook series (My Cousin From Kentucky) and developing a promotional plan for it.

I'd be interested in hearing from people who have implemented a fairly comprehensive promotion campaign (not just uploading the manuscript to ebook platforms) that involves ad buys, algo...

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Jeniffer Cole

Darrell A Pennington Interesting approach, Darrell. As a screenwriter, I think staggered releases can work really well when each book builds anticipation for the next. Strong storytelling and consiste...

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Darrell A Pennington

Hi Jeniffer Cole , thanks so much for taking the time to reply, I really appreciate it. I am hoping you are correct because I have come to the same conclusion : ) As I start to implement my promotiona...

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Darrell A Pennington

Hi Nora Reed - thanks for that info. Why don't you send me a message on here and I can more fully explain my needs.

Jeniffer Cole

Darrell A Pennington Absolutely, I’d be happy to help. I’m a beta reader and I enjoy digging into thrillers and true-crime stories, especially looking at what keeps the reader engaged, where the tensi...

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Brandon Cole

Thank you for sharing this. I’d definitely be interested in speaking with you about the promotional possibilities for My Cousin From Kentucky, especially since you’re developing it as an ebook series...

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Liked by Federico Alerta and 2 others

Retreating from my publishing contract… I need advice

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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Abhijeet Aade

Beverly Thompson Hi Beverly,

That sounds like a frustrating situation, especially when the work is so personal to you.

I would be particularly cautious about the television adaptation rights. Owning the...

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Darrell A Pennington

Hi Beverly Thompson - are you obligated to deliver them another book or could you go the self publishing route on the next one?

Alfred Robert Johnson

Beverly, before giving them another manuscript or moving forward with the TV adaptation, I’d ask myself a few uncomfortable questions first: If they were paid to professionally edit your work, why did...

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Lauren Hackney

Hi @Beverly it's my experience that Book publishers do not have a centralized ombudsman. Contractual or copyright disputes between authors and publishers are typically resolved through mediation or th...

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Clarke Keaton

Hi @Beverly, I actually think there’s a bigger issue here than the editing problems, and that’s what happens to your story once it moves from the novel into the screenwriting stage. And because you’re...

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Liked by Federico Alerta and 6 others

Jason Sylvester
Protagonist & Conflict

Last weekend, I adapted the premise from one of my long-form sci-fi concepts into a short for a competition. I asked a former teacher to read it and give me her feedback:

"I saw your story as an allegorical narrative. To inform rather than entertain. I didn't see a protagonist in it, or conflict."

The...

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Mercy James

That's a fascinating approach, Jason.

I like the idea of humanity being the protagonist, with the little girl's curiosity acting as the audience's emotional lens. Her questions could make the larger ph...

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Jason Sylvester

Thanks Mercy James. It's actually a concept for a novel that I adapted (and radically summarized) for a short story competition. The novel will have defined characters, but the short was deliberately...

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Mercy James

You're welcome, Jason!

That makes perfect sense. Adapting a larger novel into a short definitely requires a different approach, and I like the idea of the short serving as a conceptual bridge rather th...

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Jason Sylvester

Thank you. I hope I win, as it comes with great benefits for a writer, such as a residency. And it sets up the novel with great PR for a publisher. Tonight, I plan to start writing the novel.

Mercy James

That's exciting, Jason I'm rooting for you!

A residency and the PR opportunities would be an incredible foundation for the novel. I love that you're starting the novel tonight while the momentum is st...

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Jason Sylvester
Inside a Writer's Head

A friend of mine shared this on Facebook. A witty story of a writer's perspective.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/2265770554160464

Debbie Seagle
When your character hijacks the story

We outline carefully, create meaningful arcs, then some supporting character strolls in and steals the best dialogue and funniest scene of the movie. That happened to my script.

In Coffee Cups & Wine Glasses, Deb’s rowdy girlfriends often steal a scene just like a real-life girlfriend may. And I thin...

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Abhijeet Aade

Debbie Seagle Absolutely. I’ve had moments where a supporting character starts becoming much more interesting than I originally intended.

I think the important distinction is whether they’re stealing a...

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Debbie Seagle

Thank you creatives! Your responses made me think about a book I can't find time to finish writing. It's about 5 women and, while it's on the back burner for a few more months, it's always in my head....

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Maurice Vaughan

You're welcome, Debbie Seagle. That's great. I think one main character should spearhead the story unless it's a duo main character story or ensemble cast. I think an ensemble cast story would work be...

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Jason Sylvester

Debbie, don't overanalyze it. Let the flow emerge naturally from your creative space without forcing it to fit some imaginary formula. You'll be happier with the results.

Kisaakye Raymond

Debbie dia, you only write when you feel the flow- flowing in you. It is about exploring who you are at your best

Sandra Isabel
Has Wattpad Helped You Develop Your Writing and Build Your Brand?

Writers and authors, I’d love to hear about your experiences with Wattpad.

Have you ever published a story there, either as a complete work or chapter by chapter, to connect with readers and receive feedback?

If so, did the response help you develop your writing, understand your audience or build your...

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Sandra Isabel

Thank you, Lauren Hackney. No, only scouting new mediums :)

Sandra Isabel

Thank you, Krenda Alice for sharing. Yes, that's what I would love to know, also :))

Sandra Isabel

You may not have missed anything, Robert Zwerneman or I, and that is exactly why I asked! I’m trying to understand whether writers have found genuine value in Wattpad beyond simply sharing their work....

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Robert Zwerneman

Sandra Isabel About as much "fun" as a critique group of elderly women telling me I don't understand what the plot of my book or screenplay should be. I was sure I'd be the next victim of the Thursday...

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Sandra Isabel

We never know Robert Zwerneman :))

Bliss Official
Copywriter, Scriptwriter & Author Ready to Bring Your Words to Life

Hi everyone! I'm Bliss, a copywriter with over 5 years of experience helping brands and businesses communicate with clarity and purpose. I offer sales copywriting, email marketing, sales page writing, script writing, authoring, and playwriting services.

If you need copy that actually converts, whethe...

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