In a male dominant industry, Hannah Young is confident that her skills and work ethic as a comedy screenplay writer will give her a seat in the writer’s room.
The Young Writer
As a young girl, Hannah was fortunate enough to know exactly what she wanted to be. Her passion was obvious a bit earlier than usual. Anne Young, Hannah’s mother says, “Hannah has been a storyteller long before she could read or write. She would draw characters on a whiteboard, complete with accessories and props, and have a total story worked out.”
It’s no surprise that Hannah’s passion for storytelling introduced her to the world of theater. At 16 she took on her first role as a villager in the play, Pocahontas and was cast for several more shows after.
I was so proud! I was also surprised at how brave she was!
Anne Young
Between writing for multiple 24-hour theater programs and being selected for a History storytelling competition in Washington D.C. Hannah was not only a force to be reckoned with but ready to continue her education at Olivet Nazarene University.
Hannah chose a Multimedia Communications Major with a concentration in Tv/Video and a minor in Theater. Growing in her craft Hannah began to notice her love for scriptwriting grew stronger than that of theater.
“I believe acting isn’t what I am meant to do, what theater did was help me create characters to write about, says Hannah.” As she shifted focus to sharpen her writing skills Hannah was given the opportunity to write for Tonight at Olivet as well as an intern for RavenspringCreative, a video production company in Kankakee, Illinois.
A Woman in the writers room
“ I have some concerns about the treatment and how I will be received.”
Hanna Young
NBC is exactly where Hannah dreams to work in her future as a comedy screenplay writer. As a woman who is likely to work with predominantly men, Hannah does have her doubts, but she stands firm in knowing that screenwriting is her dream and she is not going to let gender roles stop her from achieving it. As the little girl writing and telling stories on her whiteboard Hannah will continue to strive to put her imagination down on paper.
Hannah doesn’t just aspire to write for any comedy show, her mind is set on writing a show that is similar to the hit sitcom The Office. With over a dozen awards, one of the largest fan bases, and 201 total episodes, it is clear that a show like The Office will have no choice, but to succeed. Succeeding isn’t a challenge for Hannah. As a senior now at Olivet she has hopes of beginning her career soon. As a young female comedy screenplay writer, Hannah has her family behind her for support. To her family, nothing can stop her, not even her gender. “I’ve told her to follow her dreams, to work to see them succeed, and to have something to do to pay the bills until she is discovered,” Anne adds.
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