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Lena D

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New York, New York
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Writer in New York, New York

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My name is Lena Drake and I am a Greek-American writer from Michigan, currently living in NYC. I earned my Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Michigan. My training in theater school cultivated my skills in character development; my strengths lie in voice, relationship, and dialogue. I studied Shakespeare, Chekhov, and Tenessee Williams as classics and then also as contemporary adaptations. I was able to put original works on their feet during Wall-to-Wall Theater and Basement Arts. I also performed my writing at SAPAC (sexual assault prevention awareness center) events on campus that would take interviews with survivors and turn their stories into poetry. I then went on to study Scriptwriting at Oxford University where I focused on the use of liminal space in storytelling. At Oxford, I trained as much in editing as I did in writing. My classmates and I edited each other's pieces during workshops before they were ready to be sold. Since there were so many international students in my program I felt that I gained new perspectives on language and expression. Hearing fresh story perspectives from students who grew up across the globe exposed me to plot possibilities I hadn't before considered. I am currently staffed as a writer for Storyhunter's In The Field and Video Strategist. Most of the editorials I write for these platforms center on production advice, branding strategy, and people pieces. I also do the copywriting and content curation for their social media channels. My passion is scriptwriting. I've written sketches for comedians like Matt Cutshall, Brock O'Hurn, and Stevie Emerson that have garnered youtube views in the millions. Many of the sketches are physically driven, so the humor is derived from the physical relationship between characters. In my spare time, I work on shorts and features. My most recent film, "Save The First Dance" is currently making its rounds through the film festival circuit. I'm currently in the process of writing a horror film that will be filmed in the coming months. My writing style for comedic screenplays and sketches has a focus on wit, beats, and pace. Whereas dramatic screenplays tend to focus on simplistic dialogue with relationship revealed in action. I thoroughly enjoy working as a fixer and editor because my strengths lie in scene work and character relationship, rather than big ideas and plot points. When a client has the overall story in mind but is looking for someone detail-oriented to fill in the play-by-play, I am the best candidate. I've worked as a fixer on pilot presentations, features, and short stories. I like to know the intended voice of the piece because then I am able to get into each character with depth and understanding. That way, all the relationships that form within the story are organic, with an authentic voice. I am extremely task-oriented and organized, so I like to create a schedule for each piece I am working on. When each segment is scheduled, it makes the process run smoothly and efficiently because I can deliver individual sections on-time, with room for revision. My work ethic is unbeatable; I will outwork anyone you put me in a room with.
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