We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jaimie Engle. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jaimie below.

Alright, Jaimie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

I have always wanted to write movies. In middle school, I landed a talent agent and began my “career” as an actress (as a hooker on Law & Order and an alien on Seaquest). I caught the bug. There was no place on earth I wanted to be more than on set. I continued to work on indie projects through high school. In college, while at UCF for screenwriting, I got pregnant and spent the next 18 years raising a family with my husband. In between, I wrote books because I lived in Florida in the 2000s, so I couldn’t do film. But then in mid-2020, I met a guy through real estate who connected me with his best bud, Darin Chavez, an entertainment attorney in LA. I started studying screenwriting with Jacob Krueger Studios and joined their mentor program. In December, I was asked if I had any romcoms with female leads like “Hallmark” and I answered, “Yes!” (even though I write speculative fiction for teens and had never written a movie before). I got to work, wrote my first script, and the attorney/producer’s he repped loved it. They bought the script, produced the movie, and it’s on Network TV right now!! A dream come true. If I had told the attorney “No” because I had never written a movie script, I would have missed out on this incredible opportunity and moment. I took a risk by saying “yes” and then figured out how to deliver. It paid off BIG TIME!!

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.

I have been writing stories since I was seven. In the third grade, my poem won in a school contest and then earned first place in the state of Florida. In fifth grade, my teacher wrote on a writing assignment that I should save the story for publication. It was the first time I realized I could publish my work! In high school, my English professor said I should be a writer. And in college, my film professor said I was a screenwriter. On a personal note, my Pop-Pop would tell me Hulk stories while I sat on his lap about the Blue Hulk and the Red Hulk and the Green Hulk. I ate those stories up and learned the gift of pacing. In third grade, I was sick for several months and ended up recording and writing all the words to Grease, Alice in Wonderland, and half of the Wizard of Oz. I was teaching myself dialogue through screenwriting. And I watched Amazing Stories, Back to the Future, and Star Wars so many times I could recite them, teaching myself the art of storytelling.

God is my rudder and I get a lot of my story ideas from the Old Testament. As far as creatives go, C.S. Lewis, Lewis Carrol, J.K. Rowling, and Suzanne Collins are my biggest novelist influencers. In film, Spielberg, Zemeckis, and Lucas shaped my childhood in my most impressionable years, thus shaping my style of storytelling. In life, my husband has been the greatest support, along with my besties, Christine and Jason, and my kids. That group of people has given me strength, encouragement, faith, honesty, and hope to keep going and to never give up, no matter what disappointments I face, and I am eternally grateful for their influence. Without them, I wouldn’t be here today talking to you!

For me, the best writing is about continuing education. The moment I believe my writing is “good enough” is the moment it’s not. I constantly stretch my abilities by writing in new genres, new formats, and about new topics coupled with mentorship, online and in-person classes, and associations with organizations such as Women in Film & Television and the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators. Plus, I ALWAYS share my work with new readers to get honest feedback of what isn’t working so that when a consumer indulges in my work, their feedback is “Five Stars.”

When I see a film, I want to connect with the character’s journey and leave the theater feeling like a piece of me has changed for the better. We are all on this journey of life, all looking for meaning in our existence, and story is the one thing that connects us all. We cry the same, laugh the same, experience loss and joy the same. Story is everything because it’s everywhere. It’s life and death and all the chapters in between.

Now, I have several films in development, tv shows optioned, books with publishers, and I’m constantly writng more! The best way to learn about my projects and books is through my linktree account: linktr.ee/JAIMIEENGLEWRITES

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

More writing. More networking. More education. Those are the only things I can control. I can’t control what happens to my scripts in the hands of a producer, so I focus on what I can control. In a perfect world, I’d love to see my features/pilots onscreen. I’d love to join a writing room for a Marvel, DC, or Disney show. I’d love to land an agent and manager. In the meantime, I’ll continue to share my story via social media @JaimieEngleWrites to inspire others to stay strong on their creative journeys. And my Friday #winsfortheweek dance for as long as it makes people smile!

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Write, write, and write. Don’t worry about editing until you’re done. Find people who are doing what you want to be doing and ask them to share their secrets for success. Get better at what you do and don’t jump the gun too soon… a lot of writers tend to expect to sell their work just because they completed it without proper editing or review. You have to ask yourself if your work is as good as your competition and honestly answer the question. Then, get better. Write more and do it because you have to, not to be rich and famous.       

Contact Info:

• Website: www.JaimieEngle.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/JaimieEngleWrites
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/jaimieenglewrites
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaimieenglewrites/
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/@jaimieenglewrites
• Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Jaimie-Engle/e/B01AYA69M8

Image Credits
Lauren Edinger, Ladybird Productions (photos 1, 7, 8) Jaimie Engle (photos 2-6)