We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Christie E. Hayman. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Christie below.
Christie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
My desire to be a screenwriter started during the first season of the reboot of “Hawaii Five-0.” I absolutely loved that show and couldn’t get enough of it. To me, it had it all: gorgeous scenery; handsome brave leading men bringing justice to the world; interesting mysteries and storylines; romance; adventure…I was hooked. One night when I was trying to fall asleep, original scenes started coming to mind for the show. I saw them so vividly, over and over again, as if I was actually watching it on tv. I mean, I was seeing camera angles and creating original characters! It was incredible and baffling at the same time. I wondered what on earth I was supposed to do with these scenes. I finally wrote them down to at least get them out of my head, but then more came! I wasn’t so sure I wanted to venture into screenwriting because Hollywood is an extremely tough industry not only to get into but also to stay in.
However, with encouragement from multiple sources that would take hours to detail, I pursued it one step at a time (while still working a full-time job as an executive assistant), and doors started to open. I wrote a complete episode and then a few more. Whenever I came to a roadblock or standstill, being a person of faith, I prayed, and another step or door would present itself. Within a year, I found myself on the set of Hawaii Five-0 and got to meet the very gracious Scott Caan and Alex O’Loughlin. Yes, ladies, they’re even more handsome in person! Several months after that, I met the show runner and executive producer, Peter Lenkov, and had lunch in the writer’s room at Paramount Studios with the Five-0 writers! While none of my episodes ever made it to the screen, it was still an incredible experience and spurred me on to continue writing.
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.
My degree is actually in Early Childhood Education, but after college, I decided I didn’t want to teach. I ended up working as the executive assistant to the President and CEO of a non-profit organization. Right as the pandemic hit, my boss of 20 years took another position out of the area, and his replacement decided he didn’t need an assistant and eliminated my position in the company. I was blindsided and devastated. How was I going to find a job during the pandemic? My treasured family and dear friends were such an amazing support and encouraged me to take that time to pursue my dream of writing. So I set to writing all the stories that had been bottled up in my head for so long, and in a matter of 3 months, I wrote 3 features and 3 tv pilots. I even had the incredible privilege of filming a sizzle reel for one of the pilots before the year was out. It was amazing to watch cast auditions and have such a hands-on experience in turning the ideas in my head into words on a page and then scenes on a screen.
I’m often asked what genre I write, but I’m not genre-specific. I write where the inspiration leads. I’ve written Christmas romantic comedies, a dramedy, thrillers, and children’s animation. I love anything to do with Christmas, Hawaii, history, mystery, and time-travel, and I aim for family-friendly material. I enjoy learning something new while entertaining and being entertained, and I love a good plot twist. I don’t want to guess the ending 10 minutes into the story, and I don’t want you to guess mine either! So I try to write that way, layering the story and throwing a curveball you didn’t see coming but still totally makes sense.
Another question I get asked is which I prefer writing: features or tv. They each have pros and cons. With features, I can take my time to research every element of the story to my heart’s content. I want to understand my characters, their careers, location, culture, etc. and write intelligently to the best of my ability, and that takes time. It’s also twice as many pages to produce than an hour long tv episode. With features, there’s no deadline to meet unlike tv where you have to crank out episodes at lightning speed. There’s less pressure with features, and the story is wrapped up in a neat little bow. With tv, while the story of the week is usually resolved, you have to include arcs and threads and clues for the next episode. TV gives you the opportunity to develop the characters, relationships, and stories more than a 2 hour feature. That takes a lot more planning and plotting, especially if it’s not your own original series that you’ve already got ideas for. And I know, because one of my tv series, “Ohana,” is currently in development with Global Genesis Group. But any time I can write – be it features or tv – I love it!
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Getting laid off after 20 years was horrible. But it wasn’t the end of my story. It was the end of a chapter in my life. I truly believe everything happens for a reason. Often, it’s for our protection or benefit, even if we can’t see it. Had I stayed put in that job, I doubt I would’ve had the time to write all these stories. I was struggling for years to try to do it while working full time, and it just wasn’t happening. I haven’t seen the fruition of these stories yet either. They’re still seeds in the ground that I’m doing my best to cultivate and encourage growth. Not everything happens instantaneously, and that’s a challenge for our microwave mindset/expectations. I’ve struggled with resentment and hurt feelings by how I was treated, but I don’t want that to dictate my future. I couldn’t control what was done to me, but I can control my response. I choose to forgive them and move on. Sometimes it’s a daily choice or reminder. It by no means invalidates or lessens my feelings or the wrongness of what was done, but it frees me to move on. In the end, it just might be the best thing to ever happen to me!
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
Oh yes! Many. I had no idea where to start with screenwriting when I started out on this journey. After many conversations, here are the highlights. 1. Take a good screenwriting course. I took Act One for Writers in Hollywood, CA. I flew out for a 3 day in-person course and then had several weeks of on-line classes.
2. Invest in a great screenwriting software. I personally use Final Draft. Scripts have to be formatted a certain way, or they won’t even be looked at.
3. Make sure you have a couple of scripts proofread by others and ready to go before you start pitching.
4. Make sure you have all the promotional materials ready for all of your projects: pitch deck, treatment, one-page promo, and if possible, a budget.
5. Get on LinkedIn. A lot of Hollywood people are on it. Don’t ask them to read your script. Ask questions like how they got into the industry, what they’re working on now, what’s the most important thing they’ve learned. Ask ABOUT THEIR WORK. Don’t volunteer them to work on your projects. Wait until they reciprocate and ask what you’re working on.
6. Subscribe to InkTip. You’ll be sent 6 leads every week that you can pitch to. Follow the rules. That’s how I got my tv deal.
7. Start looking for a good entertainment attorney now, so you’re ready to go when Hollywood calls.
8. Get a good support network. Know who your true friends and supporters are. You’ll need them in the rough patches, and trust me, there are plenty.
9. Live your life while you wait to hear on projects. Some have taken 18 months to get back to me with a “pass,” if I hear from them at all. The right people will recognize the right project at the right time. Understand that once you sell a project, they can do whatever they want to it, and you have no say. So waiting for the right people is key.
Image Credits
Photo of Scott Caan & Christie E. Hayman courtesy of Michelle Coskey