We recently had the chance to connect with Laura Hunter Drago and have shared our conversation below.
Laura, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
I’m a screenwriter & filmmaker, so my schedule is usually in flux from day to day. Because of this, I like to try and keep my mornings consistent so that I can stay in some kind of a routine. When I wake up, I like to make a healthy smoothie and go on an hourlong run. It gets me outside–in the sun and around nature–which I find is a really positive way to start the new day and reset from whatever might have been happening in the previous one.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Sure! As I mentioned, I’m a screenwriter who writes mostly female-focused thrillers with a dark comedic edge. You might know me from my Webby Award Honoree scripted podcast series about a fictional cold case murder mystery set at a summer camp in North Carolina. It’s called The Crime at Camp Ashwood and it’s available wherever you listen to podcasts. I’ve also produced a few other projects including the audio drama St. Mary’s School (for Children with the Stigmata) and the feature film To The New Girl.
This year, I’ve been part of Film Independent’s Project Involve Fellowship as a screenwriter, where I have been making a short film that will premiere at festivals next year. That’s been a great experience and has really motivated me to make more films in the near future. I love working on a team and being part of the collaboration of watching a project come together from conception to completion, it is a really inspirational environment to be in!
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child I was painfully shy, and in some situations was almost completely unable to speak. As an adult, I’ve learned to value my own voice and no longer hold the belief that I should stay quiet or that my words don’t matter. It’s always been interesting to me that someone who had a difficult time finding her words for a good portion of her life grew up to become a writer. I think everyone has something to overcome that eventually makes them stronger for the experience, and I know that learning the value of my words has heavily impacted my writing. It definitely isn’t a coincidence that most of the characters I write are women who must learn to find and use their voices in a world that seeks to oppress them!
Is there something you miss that no one else knows about?
I am definately nostalgic for the pre-cell phone era of my youth! I think a lot about times with friends at that age, when we were so connected and didn’t have the constant interjections of social media and the news at all times. There are things about technology that are really nice, because I live far away from a lot of people I’m close to and it is nice to be able to stay in touch with them through phones, but I do think it takes a toll on our in-person connections.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
Them! I’ve always been someone who has really valued my friendships and goes out of my way to maintain connections that are important to me. Being a good friend is more important to me than almost any other quality. I think this is especially important for people in creative careers, because this kind of work is often such a rollercoaster. Having consistency in your relationships really helps manage moments of ups and downs.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
It’s funny that writing is the first thing I’ve ever felt this way about. It is nice to get praise for it, absolutely, but I know I would continue to do it even if I didn’t because I really do enjoy what I’m doing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.laurahunterdrago.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurahunterdrago
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurahunterdrago
Image Credits
Jessica Robles
