It’s crazy! I never really honed in on writing until I was getting serious about animation. I was all about the illustration and making things move side, but then while I was doing that, I realized,”Oh man, I actually should write out actual episodes!”

So I wrote out a pilot for my animation, Reap’d, which I’m currently pitching left and right on Stage 32. Coming from a digital arts background I never really practiced writing, but I guess in a sense, I’ve always been a story teller. As a kid I’d take a cassette recorder and blank cassettes and record my own stories. I’d also write my own comics. So, storytelling has always been in my genes.

I’ve had this dream of being in the entertainment field since I was kid who thought created Mighty Mouse. Then as I went through high school, Regular Show came out and that really solidified my fate that I was absolutely meant to have my creations seen on TV. If a raccoon and blue jay going through absurd adventures could get on screen, then my wild imaginations would be the perfect content for the entertainment medium. As the years went on, I’d continue to try to network and do little projects to get my name out there, but they really never stuck. I’d get perfect score cards on pitches and fantastic feedback, but for some reason no one wanted to take a leap with me to get these ideas I had from page to screen. That’s when I decided to take matters into my own hands.

I don’t live in the big cities like Atlanta or Los Angeles to be able to get my ideas out there to big entertainment conglomerates. I’m really not sure how I stumbled onto Stage 32. It might’ve been an ad I saw on Blue Cat? But, I remember seeing when I clicked on Stage 32 that I could pitch my ideas to big producers that work in the entertainment powerhouses like Bento Box and Netflix! Of course I’m going to jump on that! So, I made a profile and started to connect with like-minded individuals.

That’s where I met my guy, Marcus Holmes and DWG (Diverse Writers Group) started to take root.

Marcus and I started talking about our projects we were doing and working on. He was working on a project called, When Opposites Attract, and I was working on a project called, Thoughts & Prayers. We’d spend hours talking about, “how we have these amazing ideas that no one wants!”

So one day, he came to me and proposed that we start a writer’s group. A group that works together on projects as a whole AND a group we can come to to collaborate on and get feedback on our individual projects. It was just him and I at first, but then flash forward almost two years later, the group diversified and now has six members and growing. We decided to call ourselves DWG (Diverse Writers Group.) We thought that if we can come together as a group, we could make things happen for ourselves and boost each other to accomplish our dreams as a unit.

DWG focuses on three things: diversity, growth and positivity. With those three core values driving the force behind us, we have been able to create opportunities for ourselves and the group.

The group consists of (pictured below):

• Marcus Latrel Holmes (top, middle)- He was in an R&B group called INV and signed to an indie record label, AMS Records. He’s co-written one screenplay and has co-written three TV pilots.
• LaQuita Langhorn (bottom, middle) - She’s a published author who’s written over twenty novels and has written/directed/produced her own film. She’s currently about to graduate from the University of Memphis with a film degree.
• Emily Morris (bottom, right) - She’s an R&B artist who writes and sings. She actually just released her first EP, Dear Diary. It’s out on iTunes, Spotify, everywhere you can stream music.
• Stephen Shaw (bottom, left) - Him and Marcus was actually in INV together. He’s actually working on a novel himself.
• Kevin Duckworth (top, right) - He has a musical background, and editing knowledge. He also helped LaQuita do sound work on her film.
• Myself! (top, left)

As you can see, we live up to the “diverse” in DWG. Currently we are working on four TV pilots. One that’s been in the works for about a year now.

We’ve been networking like crazy trying to turn our passions into a career! We have a few people that are interested in the group itself, a few people that are willing to help with our TV pilot… etc. We aren’t a typical writers group.

What makes us stand apart is that we’re a supportive group of creatives that work together with and for each other. If one of us finds a lead, we share it with the group and we talk how it could ultimately help us all. What also makes DWG special is that we’re driven by an industry that’s so tight knit, that we were tired of not being included. So we came together to show that just because we aren’t known in the industry, we deserve to be because we are passionate about storytelling.

We get together every Sunday via Zoom and start off every session just talking, laughing and having fun. The vibe DWG has is super contagious, too. We’ve had producers and directors sit in on our calls and they absolutely love it! They ask, “What does it take to be apart of DWG? We want in!” We’re all goal driven and every day we text each other that, “2022 is the year of DWG.” I fully believe that. A year ago we were just a group of like-minded people stretched across different states. Now, we’re more motivated than ever to make sure that one day, “Written by DWG,” will be stretched across the globe!

Persistence is key. We take the word, “no,” and turn it into, “how?” How can we squeeze into a tight knit industry like entertainment? We make our own group. How do we get DWG’s name out there? We put our heads together and network. How do we show the world what we’re made of? We do what we do best, and that’s get creative.

I’m not going to sit here and say being persistent is easy. Because it’s the opposite. It’s one of the hardest things to do. Especially when you’re told that your stuff is great and they love it…and then nothing comes of it. Having a door opened and then shut in your face hurts the nose and the ego. But, eventually, you’ll get tired of having those doors slam in your face and you’ll stick your entire body in the way of it closing just to be heard. That’s what DWG is doing every day. But instead of one body, we have a group of bodies to pile in through that door. When you have people behind you, it lightens the blows of rejection. They boost you up when you need it. Surround yourself with a team that will help you and not work against you.

DWG is always growing and we’re always working on the next project. Here’s our website if you want to put a face with the names. Also, feel free to contact me and chat anytime!