SCREENWRITERS NEED COACHES TOO

You don't have to go at this screenwriting game alone.
​Our Story Experts are here to guide you through
​your scriptwriting journey from idea to pitch.

EVERBODY NEEDS A COACH

We all become our best selves through personal guidance. Students have teachers; business professionals have mentors. There are sports coaches, acting coaches, life coaches. Daniel-san had Mr. Miyagi, and even the Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles had Splinter. But what about writers? Who’s in it for us?

That’s where The Professional Pen (TPP) comes in. TPP is a team of script consultants (coined: Story Experts) that guides you through developing your screenplays and building your writing portfolio so that you are confident and competent in navigating Hollywood.

WHAT SETS TPP APART?

​TPP simulates the development process with a network, studio, or production company. You play the role of the writer-for-hire who must receive and address notes and turnaround drafts on deadline to push the script from development to pre-production. The ability to do so efficiently saves time and money. TPP helps you learn these skills.

Your personal Story Expert is your teacher, therapist, accountability partner, and coach. We give straight-shot, no-chaser 1:1 constructive feedback that raises questions and evokes thought-driven problem solving to help you through your revisions more efficiently and make you a better writer ready to take on Hollywood.

About Shannan, CEO + Head Consultant
Hey, Pen Pals!
I'm Shannan E. Johnson, a former development and current programming executive at The Syfy Channel. I honed my skills in all stages of the development process taking showrunners from pitch to production on ​Alphas, Being Human, Haven, Sanctuary, Warehouse 13, and more Syfy dramedies.  Then I quit.
​
 I left the industry for 8 years to travel the globe as a performing artist in dance companies and Broadway National Tours - didn't see that coming, huh? During that time, my love for storytelling didn't wane, so I began The Professional Pen in 2014 as the ultimate side hustle. Gotta keep the coins coming in when you're living contract-to-contract - the life of a performing artist.

When my knees and back were tired of being used and abused, I returned to Los Angeles with every intention of becoming an executive again. But, Hollywood is the largest gated community in the world. You cannot get the passcode unless you know someone. Nepotism at its finest. And guess what? I was on the outside of the gate. But not for long. In 2019, I turned my side hustle into a full-time career knowing that there are a plethora of other talented people waiting to get inside. I've got the code, and it's my duty to share it.
I AM A SCRIPT CONSULTANT = TEACHER + THERAPIST + COACH
I access my clients’ vulnerabilities and make them put themselves on the page in order to create impactful stories. That's where the good stuff is. It's my job to pull it out of you. My technique is to use life's ups and downs to teach storytelling to our Pen Pals and use storytelling elements to teach the ups and downs of life to college students with big dreams in TPP's College Speaker Series. 

Hometown:

​Houston, TX

FILM SCHOOL:

MFA, Florida State University
WHAT I LIKE TO WATCH

THE STORY EXPERTS

PAGES MATAM
Ethical and responsible writing is essential to storytelling. 
As Lead Story Expert, I help Pen Pals dimensionalize their characters by separating their personal, lived experiences from that of the characters to ensure the journey is unique and specific to them. Writers have a social responsibility to not only tell a cool story but to also authentically represent the people of the world. It is my job to guide you through choosing the stories best told by you so you can be as vulnerable on the page as you expect audiences to be when experiencing your stories.

Hometown:

Cameroon/DMV
WHAT I LIKE TO WATCH
KHADIJA ROANE
Pen Pals often ask how they find their voice as a writer. 
As a Story Expert, I thrive in helping to uncover and nurture writers’ voices by guiding them in understanding why they are telling this particular story, and more importantly, why now. I support them in finding a healthy balance in action vs dialogue, point out the similarities in tone and theme throughout their projects, then nurture their confidence in being consistent on the page. Ready for your voice to be heard? Let’s write.

Hometown:

Richmond, VA
WHAT I LIKE TO WATCH
CARLTON ALLEN
​As we say here at TPP, “The Read is King.”
 As a Story Expert, my responsibility centers on giving the reader as few opportunities as possible to say "no" to your script, and as many opportunities as possible to say "yes.” That means helping you learn structure, formatting, and all of the little details that often get overlooked like writing your scene direction in a way that moves the eye down the page, or varying your word choice to describe action. But no worries. You don’t have to do it alone. Together, we’ll get you to that one big YES.

Hometown

Los Angeles, CA
WHAT I LIKE TO WATCH

Partnerships & Collaborations

Find it Here
Newsletter Signup