We were lucky to catch up with Zack James recently and have shared our conversation below.

Zack, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

At StarScript, our mission is to build an interconnected creative ecosystem where independent writers, artists, musicians, and filmmakers unite to bring meaningful, sustainable media to life. We believe in empowering storytellers to collaborate across disciplines—not just to produce content, but to forge communities, enhance immersion, and spark cultural evolution.

The heart of this mission lies in a simple truth: independent creators are, by default, entrepreneurs—they just haven’t been told that. When you’re on your own, you’re expected to master everything from marketing and finances to team-building and brand strategy. But most creatives didn’t dedicate their lives to spreadsheets or social media—they invested everything in their craft: writing, composing, painting, directing.

That’s where StarScript comes in. We’re using thoughtful technology and collaborative architecture to reduce the entrepreneurial burden that often crushes creative momentum. By connecting independent creators with one another and streamlining the messy backend of production, we free them to focus on what they do best—creating. StarScript is more than a platform; it’s a launchpad for creative synergy and sustainable expression.

StarScript blends several key ingredients to construct a true creative ecosystem—one that doesn’t just support independent creators, but elevates them. Social media forms the foundation, allowing creators to build real visibility and connection from day one. On top of that, we’re building a flexible monetization structure—enabling one-time purchases, tiered subscriptions, and community-backed support—so projects can thrive on their own terms.

But perhaps most importantly, discovery and commerce live in the same place. Creators don’t have to grow an audience on one platform, manage sales on another, and host their work on yet another. On StarScript, their work can be discovered, experienced, discussed, supported, and celebrated—all in one cohesive environment. We believe that accessibility shouldn’t just apply to the audience—it should apply to the creator journey, too.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Throughout my youth, I was captivated by the power of imagination and the emotional resonance of storytelling. Books, films, and music weren’t just entertainment—they were portals to deeper messages and truths. In my late teens and early twenties, I began writing a sci-fi fantasy series called The Spyrons Concept, a layered adventure that explored philosophy, love, identity, ancient history, and the unseen forces that shape human experience.

After completing the first draft of the book, I found myself standing at a daunting crossroads: pursue traditional publishing and query literary agents—or try to self-publish. Both paths felt uncertain and inaccessible, especially without insider knowledge or a built-in audience. The more I explored those options, the more I realized that the barriers weren’t just about publishing—they were systemic. Independent creators are often left to navigate an overwhelming world of promotion, distribution, and monetization on their own.

So I hit pause on publishing and committed to learning the skills I felt were missing. That decision led me on a multi-year journey through the worlds of entrepreneurship, law, finance, branding, marketing, and business development. I wasn’t abandoning my creativity—I was building the infrastructure to protect and empower it.

That path led to founding another business with my brother, Matthew, called Order of Merchants, where we’ve continued to sharpen our skills by helping other businesses grow. This business has largely been responsible for funding StarScript.

StarScript is the natural outcome of that journey. Partnering again with my brother, we set out to use our complementary skills to build a space where creativity can truly flourish.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

One of the most rewarding aspects of creating art is sharing it with the world. As a founder of StarScript, the deeper reward comes from building a space where that sharing can happen more authentically, meaningfully, and sustainably—for all creators and not just myself.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Building StarScript has not been an easy task. In the beginning, neither my brother nor I knew how to code. We tried to fundraise at the concept stage, but quickly realized that approach was both time-consuming and largely unproductive without a working product. So we pivoted and attempted to build a proof-of-concept using WordPress. While it helped us visualize some ideas, we soon outgrew its limitations. The platform was clunky, and we spent more time wrangling plugins than building something meaningful.

Eventually, a quiet whisper in my mind became a shout: “Learn to code.” So I did.

I threw myself into full-stack development, obsessively learning everything I could. Within six months, I knew enough to begin building StarScript myself. It wasn’t easy—but that decision changed everything, because now I had the knowledge and power to build our product. Even as a novice coder, it was good enough. What began as a roadblock became a turning point—and it’s one of the reasons we’re still standing today.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://starscript.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starscriptentertainment
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarScriptEntertainment
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/18994967/admin/dashboard/

Image Credits

Drawing of girl (Callina) with open book by Rita Lichtwardt. All other art has artist names next to it.