Authoring & Playwriting

Debbie Croysdale you are welcome, Debbie! Have a great weekend.

Carol M. Salter I thought the same, Carol. I will have to check out his work. Let me know if you do get around to reading one and what it’s like.

Geoff Hall, this fun video made my day!

Hi Geoff, I'm reading Fredrick Bakman's book Anxious People. OMG its like someone has opened my brain, checked out all my thoughts, memories and feelings, compiled them into a book together with some very twisted thinking - okay that's probably me too! What a clever writer. I feel like a kindergarten writer next to this giant. As you know his 4 minute piece attracted me. This book, which I thought, yeh I'll read a few pages, I'm almost half the way through the 400 pages (I read a book a day generally) So clever. Such a genius.

PS - I didn't procrastinate.

As a screenwriter, I plan for the story to end between 90 and 120 pages. After I type "The End", I let it sit for a week or if my readers are already hyped, give them the raw draft. Then I go back, read it over and make edits and corrections, then let my editing readers have a go at it. Edit and polish and finally, send it out to contests or producers.

The story is already ready, you just have to sit down and tell it. Put your own voice in it and spin on it. The idea is the seed, exploring the possible paths are the stems, fleshing out the characters are the leaves, and a satisfying conclusion is the flower. Water your talent.

Hi, Kat Spencer. Sometimes I know a story is ready after getting feedback, and sometimes it's a gut feeling.

Very nicely put Anthony Moore

My daughter came to me a few weeks ago with a project she’d used AI to complete. I thought it was very cool how she put all of the pieces together and worked through the challenges, and I told her so. She completed it ethically (with royalty-free images and music) and the end result was great. Then she said something to the effect of how much AI was going to help her with future ideas/projects. And I said: yeah, except it’s also going to be helping everyone else. You could see the realization dawn in her expression.

AI will level the playing field, allowing users to “create” “work” that “passes.” But the real advancements and innovation will come from those of us who continue to put in the time/effort to ensure our work stands out. AI does not possess the Human element we do, and that might be the only thing that saves us.

This is such an insightful consideration, Erin Leigh. Speaking of writing, at the beginning, AI could seem to push the ones who use it, but in the end, it turns people lazy and levels everything out. At this point, the ones who are able to still create something original will stand out.

Thank you very much for your comment, Danny Range. I totally agree: we need to regulate AI, but the only way to do it is by knowing how it works. We can't delegate the regulations to people who don't know the creative field.

Even if I'm not a tech nerd, I started to learn AI as soon as it became accessible, exactly because I wanted to know "my enemy". Now I appreciate it for some tasks, like fixing issues in my Excel formulas; it's also good to create reports and analyse data, and I understand your concern for the accounting field. This is one of the fields that will be more (maybe the most) impacted by AI.

I think that platforms like Stage 32, where professionals can network and discuss, are fundamental to allow us to band together, identify the most critical issues and, hopefully, be able to offer solutions. We can't ignore AI: we have to rule it. And even if the power is in the hands of big tech companies, the pressure from organized groups can play a significant role in influencing change.

Have you ever tried writing a screenplay using AI?

I have. Honestly, I thought it would make things easier maybe help with structure or speed up the process. But from my experience, screenwriters have nothing to fear. Not now, and not in the near future.

AI can mimic patterns, generate outlines, maybe even help with a scene or two but it doesn’t feel. It can’t build real emotion, meaningful character arcs, or scripts that resonate on a human level. At best, it might be useful for low-stakes summer flicks or filler episodes. But a screenplay with soul, with depth, with impact? That still takes a human hand.

What I’ve managed to write with my own hands over the past ten years AI can’t touch it. Not even the most advanced version.

It would be extremely interesting if you wrote a post about your experience in the Screenwriting Lounge. Perhaps you could focus on what works and, even more importantly, what doesn't work. What do you think? Petru Gradinariu

Jason Sylvester, It’s exciting to see technology being used not to replace creativity, but to enhance it, giving writers more time to focus on story, character, and voice. What’s the next canon-heavy world you’re diving into?

Hi, Jason Sylvester. I force it sometimes when I get writer's block (like when I'm on a deadline), but waiting/shifting focus to something else works too. Sometimes I shift focus to another project, emails, movies, etc.

Jason Sylvester, thank you for sharing your process so openly. That Buddhist mindset of releasing control and trusting the timing really resonates. There’s something powerful about allowing space for the subconscious to work, rather than forcing words that aren’t ready to emerge. I love your phrasing: “ride the dragon all the way to the edge.” It captures the intensity and urgency of those rare moments when the words finally rush in.

If you ever feel like sharing more about your collaboration with the UChicago professor or how you’re integrating those transcendent themes into narrative structure, I’d love to help you coordinate publishing a blog post here on Stage 32. If you’re interested, feel free to message me at blog@stage32.com.

I agree, Inspiration comes from so many places.....The main thing, is to always remember where and what that inspiration comes from so if you ever find yourself creatively stuck, you know where to look to get those ideas flowing again.

There's various works that I've fell in love with and has rooted into me, but I don't think I'd ever have taken any steps towards genuinely writing (rather than concept creation) if it wasn't for two people in my life; they're my biggest source of inspiration and the reason I feel any level of confidence to try.

My most memorable? Maurice Vaughan Probably the life circumstance that inspired Beautiful Addiction :) Mike Hall knows what I'm talking about ;)

Great tune!!....Love the title too!

Kat Spencer For me, inspiration tends to show up through relationships, those that challenged me, changed me, or revealed something I didn’t know I was carrying. And sometimes, it’s the quiet moments between the chaos that leave the biggest imprint: an overheard conversation, an old photograph, a recurring dream.

After nearly two years and $400 wasted on Stage 32 pitch sessions—with zero traction despite success in Coverfly competitions—I discovered through forums that many writers share similar frustrations, pitching to "execs" who seem more interested in selling feedback than developing scripts. While success stories exist, they appear rare, making the platform feel more like a monetized black hole.

Honestly you're much better off networking here and finding others who are as hungry as you (artists, musicians, voice actors, etc.) collaborating and working together to create something, as opposed to hoping a pitch session will work out.

Granted this is just my observation based on research and experience, so take it with a grain of salt; but I refuse to spend any more money on here, lol..

Pay > Pitch session > Feedback > Implement > Pay > Pitch Session > Feedback > Implement > Pay > Pitch Session > Feedback > Implement...

If this wasn't the case they wouldn't have the disclaimer on nearly every single "pitch session"; and they do that purposefully so they don't get sued, lol..

Just... be mindful...

Thank you for the information Nathan Grimm!

2025 is going well, I think! We've submitted our proof of concept short for some film festivals and gotten some awards and selections, I submitted my feature-length script to a festival and it was selected, pitch deck is done, and now I'm working on honing my pitching style. Looking to get funding and produce the movie before the end of the year!

Candra Baguley competition(s) is where you'll shine if you have the coin.

Place (and potentially win in few) with the same piece then use that momentum to submit to query tracker or manuscript wish-list, using those accolades to push your writings; it's what I do.

Candra Baguley, I love that energy! “The year of action” is such a powerful declaration, and it sounds like you’re absolutely delivering on it! Huge congratulations on your first live pitch. That’s no small milestone, and it’s incredible to hear how it’s fueling your momentum.

I just returned from Cannes, where I had the honor of meeting so many Stage 32 members from all around the world in person. I can’t tell you how many told me about the incredible success they’ve had with their projects thanks to Stage 32 pitch sessions and education. I met members who found their reps, producing partners, and creative collaborators through Script Services and these very lounges. And many of them were in Cannes to sell the exact projects they workshopped through Stage 32. It was unbelievably inspiring.

It’s exciting to see you at the start of that journey. Keep going strong! You’re inspiring more people than you know, just by sharing your journey with us all!

TONY RAY... surely a LIBRA STYLE of writing... showing both sides of the coin! GOOD balance.

Sherri ZImmerman You're good! I am a Libra!

NOT surprised... THEY are the one zodiac that is concerned about the "balance and fairness in all areas of life for the most part and WON"T typically fight below the belt so to speak... typically good manners and social butterflies... "

but YOU really need to see the WHOLE BIRTH CHART to get the TRUER NATURE OF ONE"S SOUL PERSONALITY AND LIFE PATH HERE.

Sign LIbra is ONLY ONE PART of the equation. A main part but still ONLY one.

I craft stories that blend fast-paced action with deep emotional conflict. My characters fight for justice, confront mysterious pasts, and face powerful emotional choices. Screenplays like “Burning Love” and “The Warrior Chef” explore how love, betrayal, and truth collide to create intense and moving narratives. My goal is to captivate audiences with stories that are both thrilling and meaningful.

Anthony Cloutier I write like the wind, never have writer's block, and can spot what's "not working" or needs polishing in scenes, written word, and music, very easily.