Screenwriter Options a Script through Stage 32

My name is Danika Maia (Perman, but who uses last names these days?) and I’m originally from the Bay Area in Northern California. I have always been interested in writing and storytelling, since I was a small child. I studied digital media and marketing in college, but wanted to pursue a career in media and journalism afterwards, which I started to do with VICE in 2013 while I was still studying.

As the digital media industry began to feel more and more like a job in advertising, I lost my passion for what I was doing and really wanted to develop my own talent as a writer, creator and actress — but didn’t know where I would find the time. I moved to another media company after VICE and was living in Los Angeles in 2018 when I decided to finally make the jump and quit my good salaried job to focus on myself.

I took screenwriting classes, sketch writing, acting, dance classes and more. The first time I actually wrote a script was just two years ago and things have moved very quickly since then! I learned about Stage 32 as I was pitching a TV Pilot, , earlier this year, and Kristen Lucas, a producer with Goldilocks Productions, was the first person I pitched a script to — like ever in my life. We had such a great rapport and she really seemed to get me, and I was excited actually a woman who I didn’t know was interested in my story.