On Writing : The unexpected by Lauren Hackney

Great question, Lauren — this really made me think.

For me, an unexpected moment came from simply reaching out with one of my feature screenplays. I didn’t have any expectations beyond maybe getting a response — but it led to a request from a management company to read the full script.

What surprised me most wasn’t just the request itself, but the realization that you don’t need permission to step into the industry. You just need to be ready with the work and willing to put it out there.

Since then, I’ve approached writing and submitting differently — focusing on building a strong slate and consistently putting projects into the right spaces.

It reminded me that sometimes the “unexpected success” is simply the moment someone on the other side says, “Send it.”

Fantastic story Charmane Wedderburn I needed to hear this one! Thank you for sharing some unexpected success :)

Way back in 2018, my writing partner and I submitted a script on a lark because we were about to give up having received dozens of rejections. Well, the script was picked up by an independent film company, was produced, ran in theaters and is now streaming on Amazon Prime. Because of that first success, I have had 6 other scripts optioned, completed two pilots and have a couple of other films pending. Moral of the story: small risks can have big rewards - keep fighting for the dream!

For me, it was almost a cliche. I had spent nearly 20 years trying to get my screenplays produced, but with little success. Then I decided to give it one more shot before giving up, and I wrote a feature screenplay that I then submitted to a screenwriting competition. It placed as a finalist, but more importantly, one of the judges of that comp was a producer looking for projects and, two days later, he called me up and offered to option the script. I was 40 by this point and had never had a script option, so we sorted out a contract and that was it. But from that option, it led to my first feature film screenplay being produced and released. All from a screenplay competition entry. And twenty years after leaving film school, I was standing at the Prince Charles Cinema at Frightfest for the premiere of my first film as a professional screenwriter. And I’ve been working professionally ever since, with two more features under my belt. All from one last shot at placing in a script competition. Cliche be damned: never give up!

I started writing short stories later in life; in fact, I hadn’t read a full book until I was 18. For a long time, reading didn't feel fun to me. Everything changed when I found the right book and realized I could combine that new imagery with the world I had always felt a part of: cinema.

What truly improved my narrative skills was the courage to take risks and test my limits. Once you push through that fear, you finally gain the confidence to submit your work to editors, publishers, and producers. Over the last year, I’ve received a lot of feedback, but the real turning point was finding my own voice. The positive feedbacks started coming much faster once I stepped out of the dark and found the courage to put myself out there.

A lover did someting that shocked me by outting someone at serious risk by falsly charging him with crimes so I would not find out they had met at a gay club. When I met the victim, he asked me to tell what happened because even his friends would hear the 7 felony charges and assume no one would make all that up so he must be guilty... but I knew the charges were false and why.

I decided to write a play (I'm a lurking stage playwright on Stage32) - many revisions because this was a way to make partial amends for what someone in my famuly had done to him, The/pro script has won several contests, placed well in others and has had several great Zoom readings, the most recent in 2020 - covidtimes. Unfortunately the director/producer who wanted to produce it as soon as theaters could re-open safely died of stomach cancer in 2021 (maybe from fear of checking early symptoms at a clinic during covid) The play felt like his so it took time to start sending it out again and I was also focusing on a second play,

I healed by turning a very difficult experience into a good story for others -- gave me perspective

I was bummed out to discover that my PhD music had to be waylaid until 2027. Then an opp floated across my desk to apply for a writing scholarship. On a whim, I submitted my 500 word pitch for a screenplay I've had in my head since 2020. I won a partial Rocaberti; to be developed for mentorship at Sant Mori Castle, Spain 2026! woot woot! Totally "unexpected" outcome!

This may sound silly to some, but it is the truth. Prayer works. Every time in my banking career and Insurance career, when I thought that something was too difficult for me to achieve, I said a prayer. Immediately, I received wisdom to achieve success. I have written about those moments in my memoirs, My Life as a Banker, Retirement is Fun, and I am Cancer Free. It still works as an Author and Screenwriter.

Thanks Lauren Hackney!

I’ve been a performer for a long time, ever since I first stepped onstage at 17 in high school. Since then, while continuing to act, I’ve done a lot of theatre, a little film, and a fair amount of television.

What really inspired me to start writing was a 24-hour theatre competition. I’m sure a lot of us are familiar with those 24-hour theatre or 48-hour film challenges. At that point, I had already done a number of 48-Hour Films as a performer, so I figured, why not? I'll try writing for the theatre.

I had always been comfortable performing other people’s words, but this was the first time I had written something for someone else to say. Sitting in the theatre the next day and hearing my original words performed by another actor really struck a chord in me.

That experience gave me both the inspiration and the permission to use writing as another form of creative expression. It opened a door I didn’t realize I had been waiting to walk through.

I was in awe when a writing group invited me to join in submitting books to schools in Africa. I had no idea my book would be chosen for three locations as a part of their school curriculum. My book Heaven Sent Kisses teaches about grief and loss through the eyes of a five-year-old. It has been a rewarding addition to my published works

One unexpected thing that led to bigger opportunities for me was simply starting conversations consistently with other writers and creatives online.

At first, I was only trying to learn more about storytelling and improve my scripts. But over time, those discussions unexpectedly opened doors to feedback, collaborations, industry insights, and connections with people from different parts of the world.

It taught me that sometimes growth doesn’t begin with a major breakthrough — it begins with showing up consistently and being genuinely engaged with the creative community.

As a teenager, I had published some fiction, poetry, and literary criticism in my native Colombia, where I was an engineering student, which I hated. I applied for a resident visa to the USA so I could work part-time and go to school part-time, enabling me to learn things that truly interested me. College education was reasonably priced back then. Ten years later I had earned several degrees, including a PHD from the University of California at Berkeley, which was the top research institution in the world. I became a university professor and published a lot of academic papers and 9 books about science, including The Dimming of Starlight (Oxford University Press, 2023), as well as two novels (The Master of Fate received the Social Fiction of the Year Award from Black Heron Press in 2019. Bad health stopped my publishing career a couple of years ago, but I am beginning to improve, and now I am trying to publish another novel, two books of poetry, and a book of weird short stories.

That’s an incredible journey, Gonzalo. What stands out to me most is how you followed genuine curiosity instead of staying trapped in a path that didn’t inspire you. Moving from engineering into literature, philosophy, and science writing — and continuing to create even after difficult health challenges — is really inspiring.

Wishing you continued recovery and success with your upcoming novels, poetry, and short stories.

I've finished one full screenplay and submitted it to a few studios. No big unexpected success yet, but the process itself has been a great learning experience and helped me grow as a writer.

That’s still a meaningful step forward, Mardonbek. Finishing a full screenplay and putting it out into the world already separates you from many people who only talk about writing but never complete the process. Every script teaches something new about structure, character, pacing, and discipline. Wishing you success with the next stage of your journey.

Hi Lauren, thanks for starting this discussion. I love reading everyone's stories. My unexpected success wasn't a publishing deal or a movie option. It was finishing what I started.

I'm an indie author from Indonesia. I spent almost a year to writing and created this concept, philosophical sci-fi saga called SAMSARAVERSE 582 pages, 180+ illustrations, 91,000+ words. I revised it 100 times lol.... my fingers cramped. my eyes got swollen. There were nights I wanted to quit.

But I didn't. I finished it. And now it's live on Amazon. And I'm currently working on the translation and submitting it to Gramedia. That might not be "success" in the traditional sense. No agent. No big publisher. No film deal. But for me, the unexpected success was discovering that I could actually finish something this big. And that has given me the confidence to start planning Volume Two.

For anyone feeling stuck. Finishing is a skill. Once you prove to yourself you can cross the finish line of a 500-page book built on a completely original new concept, you become a different kind of writer. That confidence is my biggest win

Thanks for letting me share.

That’s honestly a huge achievement, Leni. Finishing a 500+ page original sci-fi saga with that level of scale, revision, and worldbuilding already takes a rare level of discipline and commitment.

I also think what you said about “finishing is a skill” is very true. A lot of people have ideas, but very few push through exhaustion, doubt, and multiple revisions to actually complete something ambitious. The confidence that comes from finishing a project that large changes the way you approach future work.

Wishing you success with the translation, Volume Two, and wherever the SAMSARAVERSE grows next.

Thank you, Sachin! You're right. As writers, we’ve done our part by finishing the work... now I'll just let the universe do its magic, just like the 'Samsara' in my book lol. Thanks for the reply, and good luck to you too! :)

Haha, that actually fits the title perfectly. Sometimes after all the work, revisions, and persistence, the best thing a writer can do is release it into the world and let readers discover it naturally over time.

And honestly, building something that ambitious independently already proves a lot about your creative discipline. Looking forward to seeing how SAMSARAVERSE evolves from here. Wishing you even bigger momentum with Volume Two!

Almost ten years ago, I used to have an open floor plan office. A bunch of my friends who were filmmakers, asked if they can use the office to host their monthly filmmakers club - these were industry folks coming together, each event curated by one of the members where they'd take a genre, watch the first ever film ever made, do breakdowns, and even show some of the films they have worked on and talk about their craft.

For someone like me who has always been fascinated about the magic of cinema, this was my behind the scenes moment. And even though these events were all nighters - started at 9pm on a friday night and went on till 7am on saturday, I was hooked.

What I found odd was that whenever there was decisions to be made, there was so much tension between the creative interests of the storytellers and the commercial interests of the producers, and that realization stuck. After 12 years, I started Quanten Media (www.quanten.co) to enable storytellers with data.

Im still surprised how saying Yes to that one thing, led to what I do now (and absolutely love it)

That’s actually a fascinating journey, Vijay. What stands out to me is how you noticed the tension between creative vision and commercial decision-making long before turning it into a company. A lot of people see those conflicts separately, but very few recognize the gap clearly enough to build a solution around it.

Also, those overnight filmmaker sessions sound incredible — almost like a real-time film school built from passion and collaboration. Really interesting how one “yes” ended up shaping an entire direction for you.

This is such an important point, Lauren — and I think many creative careers evolve this way.

What often creates unexpected success is not aggressive self-promotion.

It is sustained intellectual visibility.

A lot of writers believe opportunities appear only after a screenplay becomes successful.

But in reality, people often hire creatives long before success because they become interested in how that person thinks.

That distinction changed my perspective completely.

I’ve noticed that many long-term industry relationships begin indirectly:

* thoughtful conversations

* script analysis

* giving useful insight

* helping improve someone else’s work

* contributing value before asking for anything

Because storytelling is ultimately a trust-based profession.

People want collaborators who can elevate material creatively, emotionally, and psychologically under pressure.

And interestingly, some of the strongest opportunities come from demonstrating:

* taste

* narrative intelligence

* emotional insight

* consistency of thought

—not from trying to “sell” yourself constantly.

From a script development perspective, I also think there’s something fascinating about visibility itself:

Writers are not remembered only for their projects.

They are remembered for the quality of perspective they bring into creative spaces.

A person who consistently adds depth to story conversations gradually becomes associated with creative authority.

That reputation compounds over time.

Ironically, many careers accelerate the moment the focus shifts away from:

“How do I get discovered?”

toward:

“How do I become genuinely valuable inside creative collaboration?”

That mindset tends to change everything.

Really great topic.

Really interesting perspective, Volkan — especially the idea of being remembered for how you think, not just what you produce.

I agree that intellectual visibility builds trust over time, but I also feel there’s a point where that visibility has to translate into something concrete — whether that’s a script, a sequence, or a clear creative voice. Otherwise it risks staying theoretical.

For me, the challenge has been balancing both: contributing meaningfully to conversations while also making sure the work itself reflects that same level of clarity and depth.

That’s probably where perspective turns into opportunity — when people can see how that thinking actually plays out on the page.”

My most recent thrilling moment came when a writng course tutor wanted to take me on as his client. Proof that it really is, never too late - I'm 87!

Thank you Everyone - I'm going to collate all your responses and write a blog to help inspire those creatives who feel stuck or disappointed their idea didn't land the way they thought. I think being open to change of direction is so important. So glad you are all here and giving me all your wonderful experiences!!

“That’s genuinely inspiring, Benita — congratulations!

It really reinforces the idea that creative momentum doesn’t follow a fixed timeline, it follows commitment. Stories like this remind us that growth and opportunity can show up at any stage if the passion is still there.

Wishing you continued success with everything ahead!”

That’s a great idea, Lauren — this kind of reflection is really valuable for creatives who feel stuck between expectations and reality.

I think one of the hardest shifts is accepting that a project not landing the way we imagined doesn’t mean it failed — sometimes it’s just redirecting us toward a stronger version of the idea or even a different path altogether.

Looking forward to reading the blog — I’m sure it’ll resonate with a lot of people navigating that space.”

Really interesting discussion — it’s always fascinating how unexpected moments can shape the direction of a project or even a career. Appreciate everyone sharing their experiences here.”