Happy Monday, Stage 32 Community!

Creators are often solitary creatures, which makes it difficult to navigate a collaborative environment like the entertainment industry, where networking is so crucial. On the other hand, humans crave community and can learn more from each other than we can on our own.

We need the support of others to keep motivated.

We need feedback to refine our work and craft.

We need mentorship and guidance to pursue new challenges.

We need different perspectives to inspire and educate ourselves to tell stories that matter.

We need each other.

So how do you find, or better yet build, the community that you need to succeed?

Where I Started…

I grew up in a small cornfield town, 45 minutes from the nearest mall or downtown city. Our public school system wasn’t exactly impressive. The morning announcements were run by a communications class that only Juniors and Seniors could take IF it fit into their schedule. The theater program was built entirely around the show choir kids, so every Spring and Fall was a musical. If you were a creative kid who wanted to get your hands on a camera or work behind the scenes on a show, you had to figure out how to do it on your own.

I knew from age 5 that I wanted to write and someday work in TV and Film. I used to tell everyone that I would write books and then adapt them myself someday. I went through a phase where I was obsessed with acting, and a phase where I was obsessed with directing, but most often, I would talk about my dream to be the “female Joss Whedon” someday. Ouch. I know…

The only problem was that I didn’t know where to start. When I was in Middle School, I was so hungry to learn, but I had nowhere to go. One day, my mom found a newspaper ad for a casting call at the small community theater that had recently opened in our town. Like most community theaters, it was a place for adults who loved performing to put on shows a few times a year in the evenings and weekends. They didn’t do kids' shows, but their upcoming production of A Tuna Christmas required a kid between the ages of 10-13. Lucky me, I was 12 and finally found my home. The adults at Center Stage Community Theater became my second family. From the age of 12 until I was about 17, I spent more time at that theater than I did at home.

I acted, assistant directed, worked stage crew, built sets, learned lighting and sound design, helped with casting, and anything else that was needed. I would keep a pillow in the tech booth and spend my weekends cleaning up around the house that was remodeled into a small theater. By the age of 16, I was the Technical Director of the theater and had my own key to let myself in and out. If my friends wanted to see me, they had to volunteer to work the shows or build sets. Something that my now husband figured out around the age of 15 when he started suddenly spending his nights and weekends there too, “just to help out”. The adults that spent their time there became my mentors and teachers. An eclectic and wonderful group of misfits who loved theater and embraced my passion and endless questions. They taught me everything they could about storytelling and performance, about how to create tone, atmosphere, and nuance.

Then I Ventured Out Online…

While I was learning a lot at the theater about performance, directing, and the technical side of the stage, I was still desperate to understand more about writing. My English teachers were good, not great, and my somewhat pretentious 13-year-old self was very hung up on the fact that they weren’t published writers. I’m not proud of it, but I went through a truly annoying phase around the age of 13 when I suddenly declared that I was “so over” reading YA and would only be reading adult fantasy, science fiction, and contemporary novels. Honestly, I was ridiculous. Spending all of my time with very dramatic adults was not doing me any favors. It was almost as bad as the period of high school when I kept wearing berets… but I digress…

In my desperation to connect with published writers, I got the idea to start looking up the authors of books that I was reading on MySpace, which was THE social media platform of the moment. To my utter surprise, I found quite a few of them! And with the confidence that only a 13-year-old could possess, I started messaging them. I would introduce myself, and tell them how much I loved their books and that I wanted to be a published author myself someday. Then I would ask them questions- where do I start? How did you write your first book? Where do your ideas come from? How did you first get published? How do I format a manuscript? On and on and on. I have no idea how many writers I reached out to initially, but I know that no feeling compared to the moment when they started writing back. In no time at all, I became regular pen-pals with some of my favorite authors of that time. Now, some were taken by surprise to find that a 13-year-old was devouring their paranormal romance books and boldly reaching out about them, but somehow I managed to charm and impress them. Two of those authors took me completely under their wings, declared themselves my honorary aunties, and are still very important parts of my life to this day. No joke- one ended up helping my mom chaperone my Sweet 16 road trip with my friends and wrote one of my recommendation letters for college, while another made myself and my now husband Jordan characters in one of her book series. Shoutout to Terese Ramin and Linda Wisdom, they're the best.

The Importance of Mentorship and Community

By the time I started high school, I’d already learned the importance of mentorship and community. I had adults in my corner who weren’t family or friends, but were collaborators who pushed and challenged me. They treated me like an adult, answered my questions, were hard on me when I needed it, and were endlessly supportive of my dreams. Their belief in me taught me to believe in myself.

Most importantly, I understood that when resources aren’t easily available, it doesn’t mean they don't exist. I knew that it was possible to seek out and build the community that I needed to become the person that I wanted to be. Without those individuals cheering me on, I likely never would have made it to film school or had the career that I built for myself in Los Angeles. I was a great Development Executive because I knew how to talk to and collaborate with writers. I knew the importance of giving notes with respect for their process and love of the material. I knew how to bring solutions, not just problems.

But it didn’t just happen or appear, I sought it out and learned how to use everything that they taught me to become a better creator. I kept writing. I kept working on my craft. I annoyed my friends into filming hours of videos around town that I would learn how to edit myself. I always challenge myself to do what's hard or scares me most. I never stop trying.

Which Brings Me To Stage 32

Finding Stage 32 and becoming the Head of Community here was like bringing all the various threads of my life together. When you find me in the lounges sharing resources, it’s because I want to help you all get your hands on the information that you need. After all, I know what it's like to seek it.

When you see me enthusiastically sharing free events with industry professionals like our weekly Ask Me Anythings or our Instagram Q&As, it’s because I know how important interacting directly with a pro can be. When you see me celebrating our members and encouraging you to share your victories, it’s because I know how powerful that support can be to stay motivated and move forward. I know how hard it can be to find education on the things you want to learn most and how helpful it is to get feedback, not just from your peers but from working professionals. I know what it's like to turn your dreams into reality. The hard work and dedication that it takes to reach your goals.

That’s why I’m honored to work for a company that prioritizes making all of those things accessible. A place where you can all build and create the community that you need and seek out the best mentors to help you work toward your goals.

You can start building all of this for yourself!

By simply introducing yourself in our Introduce Yourself Lounge!

Posting once a week in our Creative Lounges!

Participating in the weekly Ask Me Anything events! These take place every Wednesday with an industry professional in a Free Stage 32 Lounge. This Wednesday, November 13th, Oscar-Nominated Screenwriter, Meg LeFauve (Inside Out 1 & 2, Captain Marvel, The Screenwriting Life) and Emmy-Nominated Screenwriter, Lorien McKenna (Tab Time, This Thing Called Love, The Screenwriting Life) will be co-hosting an Ask Me Anything in the Screenwriting Lounge all day!

Furthering your knowledge with our Education or Certification Programs!

Or seeking consultations and mentorship through our Script Services!

This Week's November Write Club Challenges!

For your second week of November Write Club, we're continuing this conversation about building community! By completing this week's challenges, you can set yourself up for success with your goals and be entered to win a FREE Stage 32 Career Development Call with a working industry professional of your choice, which will be announced LIVE on Stage 32's Instagram this Friday, November 15th at 10:00 am PT!

Week Two Challenges:

• Comment on this blog below, sharing your thoughts about networking or any questions that you have for Ashley!
• Post in the Stage 32 Screenwriting Lounge sharing a favorite story from your own experience networking (in person or virtually) or your own networking tips! (You can find it quickly by clicking HERE)
• Introduce yourself in the Stage 32 Introduce Yourself Lounge HERE so that you're ready to participate during Stage 32's Introduce Yourself Weekend event this Friday the 15th - Monday the 18th!

Make sure you're following @Stage32, @Stage32scripts, and @rbwalksintoabar to keep up with all of the exciting November Write Club announcements all month long!

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Ashley at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

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