We recently connected with Gene Selassie and have shared our conversation below.

Gene, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I started pursuing writing in 2006. I’ve taken creative writing and screenwriting courses, however even before then, I read books such as Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting and Making a Good Script Great. I checked out every possible book on writing from my local library and drilled into my head what to do and what not to do.

Gene, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Gene is a produced writer with several credits to his name across various media.
He’s written short stories in comic anthologies such as Terminal, Kayfabe and Elsewhere as well as the Eisner Award winning anthology, Puerto Rico Strong. Gene is currently writing the Ringo Award nominated series The Ghoul Agency.
He is also a published novelist, with his book, And How They Rumbled: The 80 Best Pro Wrestling Bouts Over the Past 40 Years, launching at number one in its category on Amazon. Gene is working on his second novel, a young adult science-fiction thriller.
He has also covered professional wrestling as Lead Writer for sites such as OneOfUs.net and The Scrum Sports, the latter of which garnered him a nomination in 2017 for Best Local Sports Writer.
He has written the animated feature, Peter Pan: The Land of Forever for DreamTeller Studios and is contracted to write another film for them.
In addition to this, he was a quarter-finalist and semifinalist in two separate animated screenplay competitions.

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

In the entertainment business, ESPECIALLY as a writer, there’s going to be a lot of “paying dues”. You will wind up taking project after project unpaid. However, it will help build a strong portfolio, which will increase the likelihood of getting paid gigs. It may take years, but the paid gigs will eventually come your way.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

The last year and a half really did test me. In March of last year, I was working on a screenplay and a graphic novel when I got word that my mother in Florida had a stroke. Because it was spring break, couldn’t find a flight to Florida, so I had to drive. A car repair, two flat tires, an unexpected overnight stay in Baton Rouge, a near hurricane and an unauthorized access to my bank account later, I finally got to her in the hospital. She then had to come and stay with us in Texas for a few months during her rehabilitation. I was also working a second job to help with her medical bills. I foolishly decided to go back to college around this time too. On the way to taking Mom back to FL, my wife’s car got totaled. And to top it all off, my day job of 11 years let me go this past January.

I could’ve let all of this utterly crush me. But I powered through. I had to for the sake of my family.

While my mother was healing, I wound up with straight As that first semester back. I had my book published, And How They Rumbled launched at number one in its category on Amazon. I also attended Baltimore Comic Con because my graphic novel, The Ghoul Agency, was nominated for a Ringo Award for Best Kids Graphic Novel.

Everyone that I know asks, “How in the hell did you juggle everything?” I didn’t stop to think about anything too long, I just moved from one task to the next and the next. That’s probably why I didn’t have a complete meltdown.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://gselassie-1.carrd.co/
• Instagram: @Gene_Selassie
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gene-selassie
• Twitter: @GeneSelassie