Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Zoey Hudson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Zoey thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I used to work in Fashion. I loved my experiences, but when the pandemic hit I knew in my heart that field was no longer for me, or my calling. I started taking courses for Screenwriting during that time, because I was writing constantly, but knew very little about the structure and tools of moving storytelling. I spent a few years working on my craft part-time before taking the leap of moving from the East Coast to the West Coast for a graduate degree in Screenwriting at the New York Film Academy in Los Angeles. One thing that I would have done to speed up learning my craft was just to keep writing, even if it was “bad.” No matter what, when we first hit the page the stories are not going to be amazing. Writing is a labor of love, and takes many lives and iterations to become dynamic and dimensional. The biggest obstacle of learning this craft is simply not 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.

I’ve been a lifelong creative, and arts administrator for several years. I worked in fashion for many years in Philadelphia after graduating from University of the Arts with a degree in Fibers and Textiles Studies. I often collaborated with the Performing Arts sector in Philadelphia when I got the chance, making costumes and set pieces for dance, live performance art, and more. But I knew I wanted to be in the development side of things, and become a writer for film & TV. I think my previous experiences set me apart, because I have so much lived experience outside of Screenwriting and Filmmaking that I often draw from. Now as a writer, I primarily focus on Comedy Half-Hour television writing, but have also written a web series, shorts, comics, feature films and more. I think Screenwriting is made up of a fascinating series of “problems” to solve while constructing a story, and that is where my heart is. I can’t wait to professionally become part of a writer’s room and create stories that the industry is looking for in terms of female driven comedies.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding thing about being an artist is just how much you learn about yourself and the human race as a whole. Writing a compelling story requires including many points of views, and seeing things from numerous angles. It is such a fun and rewarding field to be in getting to research times throughout history, observing human nature, thinking about things that resonate with us at the end of the day. That’s my favorite part about this process.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I pivoted from Fashion to Screenwriting during the pandemic. I was really inspired by a lot of folks who at this time were transitioning to a happier lifestyle and/or more fulfilling calling. It became clearer than ever during that time for many people that life is just too short to not do what you want to do. I took a lot of time to self-reflect while I was contemplating the big decision of moving a coast away to embark on something that was brand new. I am proud that I trusted myself enough to make the decision. Screenwriting is hard, but even during this phase it is more bearable than when I felt like I wasn’t doing what I really wanted to do.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoeylhudson/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoey-hudson-7903a698/

Image Credits

Rigel Kent Paden – Actor
Courtney Klein – Actress
Camille Aebi – Actress
Ashley Koop – Writer/Actress
Filipp Romanychev – Sound Operator
Shivashish Ahuja – Director of Photography
Lucios Guimaraes – Gaffer
Michael Lena – Grip
Val Betancur – Make Up Artist and Background Actor
Laura G. Chirinos – Actress
Siddhesh Pandey – Assistant Director
Samantha Shepherd – Production Designer
Mason Ma – Grip
Annsh Maithani – Script Supervisor