We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Parker Lemal-Brown a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Parker thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I learned how to write by doing a lot of reading – and watching. I’ll watch my favorite shows on repeat, until I understand why I really love them. This is incredibly helpful as I write my own projects, because the ultimate goal is to get my own work as close to how those shows make me feel. I started writing in middle school, mostly half-baked novels and spec episodes of Parks & Rec. After taking a detour into science in college, I got back into writing in my free time. I read tons of screenplays and found patterns in the story structures, which to me feel similar to chord progressions in music. With songs and scripts, there are certain formulas that help catch our attention and stick with us.

Looking back, I could have sped up my learning process by sharing my work sooner and letting myself move onto new projects faster. I didn’t go to film school, so I felt like I was always behind and making up for lost time. I spiraled on my first script, rewriting it over and over for years to make it perfect. Now, I try to not pressure myself as much. I do the best that I can right now, figure out what doesn’t work, edit, then move onto the next thing.

For any writer, I think there are essential skills you can learn in or out of school. Always write what is interesting to you, even if it’s raw or doesn’t seem “marketable”. Listen to your gut and fine-tune your emotional compass so you know what direction the story needs to go, especially when getting notes. Learn how to share your work with the right people at the right time. Be a good collaborator – confident in your vision but flexible in the path to get there. Figure out what is best for you and your own version of success. Anyone can learn the craft, but only you can create your work.

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’m a TV writer, story consultant, and business strategist based in east LA. My academic background is in Neuroscience and Sociology, two different angles on how we think about ourselves and connect to each other. While still in school, I led the marketing department for a social enterprise in San Francisco, connecting small nonprofits to donors across the world. I’ve always been interested in empathy and what makes us care – and how to catalyze our feelings for actual change.

Since moving to LA, I’ve worked in production and the writers’ room on Transparent (Amazon), Bluff City Law (NBC), and Bridgerton (Netflix). I recently wrote an episode on the musical series Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies (Paramount+). As a story consultant, I work with writers of all levels and backgrounds, whether it’s on the first seeds of an idea, refining a script draft or building their careers in the entertainment industry. I specialize in sensitivity / identity readings, using social science and my experience as a queer trans man to help ensure stories with LGBTQ+ characters are authentic and compassionate.

I also run workshops and talks for industries beyond entertainment, from think tanks to universities. My workshops cover transgender representation in media and the workforce, career development for creatives, and connecting attention to action through strategic storytelling. By blending my work in social enterprise and streaming platforms, I’m creating new ways to connect creators with communities to solve the world’s complex challenges.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Of all the advice I’ve heard while working in entertainment, this one comes up the most: “Don’t burn bridges”. This advice has good intentions – in an industry that runs on word of mouth, your reputation and connections are extremely important for your next gig. It’s always nice to stay in touch with people and be a good coworker. However, there’s a difference between “burning a bridge” and putting up healthy boundaries. I started my career constantly worried about losing connections, rather than cultivating long-term relationships. Over time, I’ve learned how to better advocate for myself in and out of work, which has helped build more steady “bridges” in my life.

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

I think there is a big myth about the “starving artist” – that professional creatives are destined to struggle financially. You have to “pay your dues”, live on scraps, and hope for a big break to make ends meet, because that’s the cost of having your dream job. A dream job is still a job. Art has tremendous value, both culturally and financially. Especially in the entertainment industry – our work generates billions of dollars in revenue every year for studios but we are rarely paid enough for the value we create. This is why we’re seeing both the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA on strike right now, to make sure the writers and actors who create entertainment can afford to keep making it.

For the record, I don’t think anyone is a “non-creative”. Creativity comes in infinite forms. Whether it’s math or music, trying a new sports play or putting your own tweak on a recipe, that’s being creative. Creativity is not necessarily about making something completely new from scratch – it’s finding a novel combination of familiar things to create something interesting and unique. It’s the dynamic of absorbing the world around you and reacting through expression. Even creating our sense of self is a work of art that keeps on evolving, for everyone!

Contact Info:

• Website: thegoodlemal.com
• Instagram: @thegoodlemal
• Facebook: Parker Lemal-Brown
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/parkerlb

Image Credits
Anabelle Vo (Portrait) Paramount Plus (Grease photo; exact photographer unknown)