New Screenwriters on Breaking In

Heather Gromley became a Staff Writer on SINGLE DRUNK FEMALE, Season 2, after serving as Writers' Assistant on Season 1. But first, she earned a master's in Museum Studies, moved from Indianapolis to LA, and became Mike Judge's assistant. We'll talk about her experience working for Mike, how that job led her to SINGLE DRUNK FEMALE, and how she got promoted to Staff Writer after...

Kelechi Urama staffed off a hot new pilot that had just been optioned. But first she had to drop out of Fordham, transfer to Pittsburgh, and finally move to LA. We'll talk about how she got stuck working admin, used the pandemic to write three new pilots, and got repped off the Black List. I'm Priscilla Nguyen, a pre-WGA writer, and you're listening to NEW SCREENWRITERS ON BREAKING...

Ellie Guzman was a Script Coordinator at Dreamworks when her bosses promoted her to Staff Writer. But first she started as a Production Assistant, moved up to Production Coordinator, and took a bunch of Dreamworks screenwriting classes. We'll talk about how she became a Script Coordinator, the landscape for animation writers, and her strategy to avoid getting pigeonholed. I'm Priscilla N...

Jeane Phan Wong changed reps during a low point in her career who helped her turn things around and get staffed. But first, she worked as an assistant for eight years, got into NBC Writers on the Verge, and sold three pilots. We'll talk about her experience as a Script Coordinator, how she sold those pilots, and why she decided to change her reps. I'm Priscilla Nguyen, a pre-WGA writer,...

Kale Futterman got her MFA in 2017, but it took four more years before she got staffed. During that time, she assisted two writer-producers, wrote ten scripts, and worked in education to pay the bills. We'll talk about getting the MFA, the pros and cons of personal assisting, and taking charge of her career. I'm Priscilla Nguyen, a pre-WGA writer, and you're listening to NEW SCREENW...

Erica Tremblay met her showrunner and collaborator, Sterlin Harjo, through the Native Filmmakers Lab at Sundance. But that was a decade in the making. Before that, she made a short film, two documentaries, and hundreds of videos for major publishers. We'll talk about how she got into advertising, switched to publishing, and staffed off a feature sample. I'm your host, Priscilla Nguyen, a...

Shruti Saran met her current showrunner through a hashtag on Twitter called #blackoutscriptreads. But first, she quit her job, found a writers' group, and got serious about networking. Today we'll talk about how she did it – all while living in Austin, Texas. I'm your host, Priscilla Nguyen, and you're listening to NEW SCREENWRITERS ON BREAKING IN. Shruti Saran is an Indian-Ame...

Van B. Nguyen sold a spec script called BLACKOUT that's now in post-production. She began as a Set PA in Austin, and worked in production for ten years before finally getting staffed. We'll talk about why she moved to LA, changed her mindset, and stopped chasing reps. I'm your host, Priscilla Nguyen, and you're listening to NEW SCREENWRITERS ON BREAKING IN. Van B. Nguyen is a V...

Victoria González wrote her first episode of television as a Showrunner's Assistant. She started as a page at CBS, and got staffed a mere four years later. We'll talk about how she found an all-Latina writers' group, went viral on Twitter, and got staffed off a 50-page comedy sample. I'm your host, Priscilla Nguyen, and you're listening to NEW SCREENWRITERS ON BREAKING IN....

Welcome to New Screenwriters on Breaking In, a show about how women of color (and other writers) are breaking in today. I'm Priscilla Nguyen, and in each episode you'll hear from a writer who broke in within the last five years about how they buckled down, found their reps, and got their first job. If you want to know how new writers are breaking in - not twenty years ago, but today - do...