feeling stuck? Good.
That means the idea is brewing.

Get Screenwriting Help from a Pro – Start Your Script with Confidence

YOU WANT TO WRITE A SCREENPLAY, BUT DON’T KNOW HOW TO START.

It’s ok to be unsure. We’re here to build your confidence.

The Kick-Off Jam is your clarity call. In just 15 minutes, we’ll talk through where you are,
what’s holding you back, and the best next step for your writing journey.
No pressure, no sales pitch, just support.

Chat with a Story Expert

“I am a once sold screenwriter and now make a living in entertainment visual effects. TPP not only knows how to find a diamond in the rough but helps you discover the inner soul of your story and improve your voice.”

- George B. (Executive Producer + Screenwriter)

MEET YOUR SCREENWRITING COACHES

  • Collage of four images: a smiling woman with curly hair in a black dress, a group of diverse people dressed for a formal event, a woman crying with her hand covering her face, and two young men in football uniforms on a field.

    SHANNAN E. JOHNSON, CEO + HEAD CONSULTANT

    Former TV Executive turned screenwriter and script consultant, Shannan is a quitter and a hater. An 80s baby, she didn’t know Hollywood existed until her mother sent her a magazine article about a black, female TV writer during the last semester of her senior year in college. She was later redirected from writing to development due to her ability to see plot holes like math equations and easily solve them. So, Shannan became a TV executive through the NBCU Entertainment Associates program at The Syfy Channel.

    Then, she quit. For 8 years, Shannan toured the world in dance companies (Step Afrika!, Sole DEFINED) and Broadway shows (Ghost, Amazing Grace). Didn't see that coming, huh? When she returned to L.A. to recharge her executive career, her access to Hollywood – the largest gated community in the world – was denied. So, she built The Professional Pen, the first black-owned script consultancy, to develop screenwriters and streamline scripted teams’ development processes.

    As a professional hater, Shannan provides straight-shot, no-chaser feedback to screenwriters and analysis on produced works to teach screenwriting via TPP’s social media channels.

    Partnership Highlights: The Syfy Channel, Amazon Prime Studios, FOX Writers Incubator, ScreenCraft, The Hallmark Media, Florida State University, New York Film Academy, Stage 32

    Fun Facts:
    Hometown: Houston, TX
    Favorite Film: THE BEST MAN written by Malcolm D. Lee
    Favorite Screenplay: A QUIET PLACE written by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods
    Favorite Series: “Friday Night Lights” developed by Peter Berg

  • Collage of four different images, including a person with dreadlocks and glasses in a tan outfit with a red and green hat, a close-up of a woman with makeup in a digital art style, an illustration of a woman with long hair and an elaborate headpiece with Chinese characters, and two men dressed as vampires with a dark city background.

    PAGES Matam, Lead Story Expert

    Sold writer and multi-fellowship alum, PAGES (They/He) is a genderqueer med-school dropout turned award-winning film-poet and agent of imagination, writing poems and high-concept dramas centering stubborn characters and stories of defying the odds through their Black, Queer, and immigrant perspective.

    They are a National Poetry Slam and Southern Fried Champion, a GLAAD Black Queer Creatives Fellow, a Callaloo Fellow at Brown University, and the author of three books, including “The Heart of Comet (Write Bloody).” Their work is fueled by Toni Morrison’s words: “The function of freedom is to free someone else.” They have also been featured by TEDx, Macy’s, the Apollo, Essence, and KeyTV by Keke Palmer, among many other platforms. Their short film, SEVEN MINUTES OF HEAVEN?, produced by SuperSpecial, earned multiple laurels on the festival circuit.

    When they’re not fiercely working on their next screenplay or poetry manuscript, they practice trauma-informed work as a teaching artist in Los Angeles (Tongva Land). They are a full-time artist, performer, and organizer who loves gummy bears, fried plantains, and battle-horror anime

    Highlighted Accomplishments: 1hr fantasy TV drama (EP Lily Wachowski (THE MATRIX)) in development with ITV & Anarchists United, Circle of Confusion Writers Discovery fellow, John Singleton x PAFF short film prize finalist, CANNES Diversity Showcase

    Fun Facts:
    Hometown: Born and raised in Cameroon, Central Africa then blossomed in the DMV (Piscataway Land)
    Favorite Film: MOONLIGHT written by Barry Jenkins, based on Tarell Alvin McCraney's unpublished semi-autobiographical play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue
    Favorite Screenplay: EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE written by Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan
    Favorite Series: “Interview with a Vampire” developed by Rolin Jones, based on “The Vampire Chronicle"s” by Anne Rice

  • Collage of four images: a professional man in a suit smiling, two people lying on ice with winter clothing, a man with a black panther costume, and a diverse group of young adults in casual clothing.

    Carlton Allen, Story Expert

    Working writer and master teacher, Carlton Allen (He/him) is a young mixed kid from South Los Angeles, who enjoyed escaping into good movies and television on a regular basis. He never dreamed he could one day do that as a job. Several years later during a business communication class at the University of Arizona, Carlton heard a classmate give a speech about screenwriting. The very next day, he switched his major from business to communication with the goal of writing and producing television and feature length films.

    Carlton's passion is to create unique stories with diverse voices all wrapped up in a thought-provoking yet entertaining package.  To date, Carlton has written dozens of specs, original pilots, and features, placing in such competitions as The Austin Film Festival and Final Draft’s Big Break.

    As Carlton traverses the screenwriting industry, he takes on writing gigs to keep his skills sharp. He was hired to write a CRM sales-focused interactive simulation for training and hiring practices where he crafted the story, outcome-based scenes based on player options, and wrote the dialogue for all the NPC’s (Non-Player Characters).

    Carlton also recently published a short book of fun facts and the history of tennis.  A passion project, Pocket Guide of Fun Facts About Tennis gave him an opportunity to learn about online publishing. Both of these projects had their own set of challenges, just like learning and growing in screenwriting, but it's always worth the reward. They both opened his eyes to the type of work that’s available to writers while we work like hell to make it in Hollywood.

    Highlights: (Production) Warner Bros. Nickelodeon, FOX and CBS (Teaching) Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, RAM, FIAT and Toyota

    Fun Facts:
    Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
    Favorite Film: ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND written by Charlie Kauffman
    Favorite Screenplay: BLACK PANTHER written by Joe Robert Cole & Ryan Coogler based on the Marvel Comics by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee
    Favorite Series: “The Big Bang Theory” created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady

Let’s make a plan that works for you

Clarity starts with conversation.

You don’t need all the answers right now — you just need a place to start. In your Kick-Off Jam, a Story Expert will help you create a next-step plan that feels doable for your personal screenwriting journey. You’ll leave the call with direction, so say bye-bye to confusion.

TPP IS FOR YOU IF…

  • Everyone has a story to tell, but it takes a special person to put in the work to hone the craft of screenwriting. If you're passionate about seeing your stories come alive on screen, you're in the right place.

    Start Here —> Take the Quiz

  • Filmmaking is a hustle no matter which way you slice it. You can go the independent route or the studio route (read: Hollywood).

    Our CEO + Head Consultant hustled her way through Hollywood from intern to PA to network executive. So, our Story Experts are trained in the processes and techniques that make writers successful in the studio business.

    Start your development process. Submit your script for notes.

  • You know the basics but still find yourself missing plot holes, creating inactive characters without full arcs, and getting lost in your revisions. That can be tough on your creativity. That's why you need a screenwriting coach.

    Start with Development Notes and work 1:1 with your personal Story Expert.

  • Whether you're starting from scratch, refreshing your skills, or looking to add new tools to your writing process, having an open mind to learning our techniques that have proven to be effective will get you closer to reaching your screenwriting goals.

    Join The Academy and start learning screenwriting with a like-minded group of creatives.

  • 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 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles had Splinter.

    But what about writers? Who’s in it for us? That’s where our TPP Story Experts come in.

    Schedule a Story Jam to chat 1:1 with a Story Expert.

TPP IS not FOR YOU IF…

  • At TPP, we don't do script coverage. We do Development Notes because they are the best tool to develop you into a better screenwriter with a lasting professional screenwriting career.

    Learn more about Development Notes.

  • At TPP, we guide our Pen Pals from idea to pitch, making them confident storytellers ready to work any room. We do not manage talent or suggest screenwriters to reps.

    Looking to build your network?

    Join The Social to meet like-minded creatives on the journey to a professional screenwriting career.

  • At TPP, we simulate the Hollywood development process, which takes place before pre-production. Therefore, we specialize in guiding writers from idea to pitch. We do not buy or sell screenplays or attach talent like directors or showrunners to scripts.

    If you're in development and want to make sure your script is polished before you seek a buyer, submit your script for Development Notes.

  • Some of us may be in a place in our writing journeys where we feel we've learned all of the necessary information to be successful in our screenwriting careers. And that's ok.

    TPP is a safe space for those seeking guidance in a profession that can oftentimes feel isolating. We welcome you to join us in a service that makes you feel most comfortable.

    Chat with a Story Expert to see how we can be of service.

  • At TPP,  we don't do the fishing for you. Our Story Experts teach you to fish.

    Wondering if TPP is a good fit? Chat with one of our Story Experts.

Group of five diverse people standing in front of a mountain landscape background, black and white photo.

hollywood

hollywood

THEY MADE IT.
NOW IT’S YOUR TURN.

These working writers didn’t wait to be discovered.
They built, pitched, and developed their way in.
You can too—with the right game plan. We gotchu.

Start Your Screenwriting Journey