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

Laura , appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is DOUBLE HAPPINESS, a Jewish/Chinese holiday romcom I’ve co-written with writer/director, Shari Albert. It came about by pure chance, from a logline I posted on Twitter (R.I.P.) on Christmas Eve of 2020. To my great surprise, it went viral. Shari reached out soon thereafter, and we began our creative partnership. The script has garnered interest from producers and we’re close to finalizing our draft. In 2024, we also plan on raising funds in order to produce a short film based on the script.

On a personal level, this project is meaningful because it lets me highlight my community and celebrates the unanticipated joy of second chances. With the dark tenor of current events, finding joy is more important than ever. On the level of craft, this script has challenged me to dig deep and write with more emotion and heart than I’ve ever done before.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I came to screenwriting by a circuitous route, after a career in the law and detour into comedy. I studied improv and sketch at Second City in Chicago and dabbled in performing. I developed a great appreciation for satire and how it can both initiate debate and build bridges. Though I loved being on stage, I wanted to explore longer formats which can convey more lasting and permanent change. I started writing TV pilots and features and have never looked back.

My writing tends to feature protagonists from marginalized communities who straddle two worlds and discover the thrill and necessity of challenging authority. I’m also interested in showcasing (and mocking) the roles society likes to box women and girls into. My goal is to make every project provocative, weird, and mildly heartbreaking.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

First of all, I believe everyone has the ability to be creative, and shouldn’t be afraid of pursuing an interest just because they might fail or feel embarrassed. However, I do wish more people realized that for us creatives: all the hard work and heartbreak is worth it because there simply is no other choice. All the long hours and self-doubt and feelings of futility are just the price we pay for doing what we love.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I’m far from being an “influencer,” but back when I was starting out on Twitter (again: R.I.P.), I focused on finding my community. I followed as many screenwriters and comedians and satirists I could find. And then, I began to engage with them in a spirit of curiosity and respect while studiously avoiding drama (and Screenwriting Twitter is notorious for drama). I’ve always been more comfortable advocating for others than for myself, so I made a point of promoting other writers and cheering on their successes, both big and small. It may sound contradictory to advise humility as a means by which to grow your audience, but I’ve found that being authentic and supportive is the best way to make friends, online or otherwise.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lauraleelun.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leelunlaura/?hl=en
• Other: Bluesky: @laleelun.bsky.social