Happy Monday, Stage 32 Community — and Happy November Write Club!

If you’re new to Stage 32 or hearing about November Write Club for the first time, here’s the scoop: November Write Club is our month-long creative challenge where members from all over the world set personal goals, stay accountable, and support one another as they work toward finishing the year strong. Whether your goal is to complete a first draft, polish a short film, edit a reel, or simply reconnect with your creativity, Write Club is about taking action—and doing it together.

This year, Arc Studio is the official partner of November Write Club 2025! Arc Studio is one of the industry’s leading screenwriting and collaboration platforms, used by beginners and professionals alike — including the team behind the Netflix hit Arcane and writer/director David Wain (Wet Hot American Summer, Role Models).

Arc Studio’s mission is to make storytelling collaboration seamless. Their tools are designed to help creatives organize ideas, refine structure, and write together with less technical frustration and more creative flow. Throughout November, each week’s Write Club winner will receive a FREE Stage 32 Pitch Session and a FREE Arc Studio Pro Annual License.

By completing the challenges at the bottom of this blog, you’ll automatically be entered to win this week’s prizes, and the winner will be announced in next week’s blog!

Every November, thousands of creatives across the globe come together on Stage 32 for a month of motivation, accountability, and community. It’s one of my favorite times of year because it captures something essential about what it means to be a creator: we may start out alone, but we only grow when we build together.

Creators are often solitary creatures. We spend hours in our heads—writing, planning, problem-solving, and dreaming. But the entertainment industry is built on collaboration. To thrive, we need connection, feedback, mentorship, and shared inspiration. We need each other.

That’s why I love November Write Club. It’s the perfect reminder that your creative journey doesn’t have to be (and shouldn’t be) a solo one.

Where My Journey Began

I grew up in a small Indiana town surrounded by cornfields and long drives to anywhere remotely “downtown.” Our school didn’t offer film or media programs, and if you wanted to learn how to create something, you had to figure it out yourself.

I knew from age 5 that I wanted to write and someday work in TV and film, but I didn’t know where to start. Then one day, my mom found a small ad for a community theater’s casting call. That ad changed everything.

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 did anything else that was needed. By the age of 16, I was the Technical Director of the theater and had my own key to let myself in and out. I

f 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 who 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 what collaboration truly meant: everyone contributing something different to make something bigger than ourselves.

The Power of Reaching Out

While I was learning a lot at the theater about performance, directing, and the technical side of the stage, I was desperate to understand more about writing.

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 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. 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 me 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 real 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 overnight; I sought it out, spent years building those relationships, 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. 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 lounge AMAs or free Webcast events, 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 real 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!
• Post once a week in our Community Lounges!
• Further your knowledge with our Education or Certification Programs!
• Seek consultations and mentorship through our Script Services!
• Ask for help & resources that fit your projects and goals by emailing our Success Team at Success@Stage32.com or our Education Team at Edu@Stage32.com!
• Get direct access to industry professionals with a free month of the Writers’ Room
• And join in on this month's November Write Club...

This Week's November Write Club Challenges!

As we kick off November Write Club, let’s start by setting the tone for the month — accountability and connection. Write Club isn’t just about setting goals; it’s about showing up for yourself and showing up for others.

November Write Club isn’t just for writers — it’s for all creatives, to help you reach your goals before the end of the year while building the community and confidence you’ll carry with you into 2026 and beyond.

Throughout November, each week’s Write Club winner will receive a FREE Stage 32 Pitch Session and a FREE Arc Studio Pro Annual License.

At the end of the month, we’ll select one Grand Prize Winner to receive a Lifetime Arc Studio Pro License — the ultimate toolkit for your screenwriting journey.

By completing the challenges below, you’ll automatically be entered to win this week’s prizes, and the winner will be announced in next week’s blog!

Your Week One Write Club Challenges:

1. Comment on this blog with your thoughts, a question for me, or what you’re most excited to accomplish before the end of 2025.
2. Post in the Stage 32 Screenwriting Lounge to share YOUR current November Write Club goal(s) with the community.
3. Comment on at least 3 other members’ posts in the Screenwriting Lounge to offer insights, encouragement, or support.
4. Make sure you're following @Stage32, @Stage32scripts, and @rbwalksintoabar to keep up with all of the exciting November Write Club announcements all month long!

Each post and comment you make helps strengthen this incredible community of creatives — and who knows, the person you cheer on today might be your next collaborator, reader, or producer.

Let’s make this the most inspired and connected November Write Club yet.

You’ve got your goal. You’ve got your community. Now, let’s get to work.

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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