Check Out Kimberly Jade Soliman’s Story

Hi Kimberly Jade, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
We moved around a lot when I was growing up, so I lived in five states before high school, mostly in the Midwest and the South. Living in Birmingham, AL in high school changed everything for me, as I got very involved in theatre, including working backstage as a stage manager. I started writing musicals in high school and produced my own stage musical when I was 18, so I decided to major in Theatre in college.

When I was 20, I got an internship on the show Wicked on Broadway, so I dropped out of college and moved to New York two weeks later. I lived and worked in New York City for 3 ½ years, including working at Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden, and Lincoln Center. I was an Equity Stage Manager and interned on such Broadway shows as Wicked, Phantom of the Opera, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Chicago, Les Misérables, Hairspray, and The Producers, among others.

After that, I worked briefly in Florida at a variety of theme parks such as Sea World Orlando, Busch Gardens, and Walt Disney World. Once I decided to finish my degree in Theatre in 2012, I found my love for screenwriting and got more involved in film. Once I officially graduated with my degree in Theatre, I moved to Los Angeles Jan 2015.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Now that I am in my 30s, I do have a few more physical challenges due to my disability in my leg. I never let it define it or stop me from achieving what I want. But I do hate that it slows me down at times or takes time to attend to all my health appointments and needs. I’ve learned how important it is to have balance in my life.  It also can be a challenge sometimes to stay positive when I deal with daily pain but I try to maintain a positive attitude. I know that all of the hard work will pay off and that every challenge that we each go through only makes us stronger. I’m grateful that I can use any hardship I face to make me a better writer and that my pain can be used to hopefully help others.

When I moved to New York at the age of 20, after accepting the Internship on the Broadway show, Wicked, it meant I had to drop out of college. So, my academic parents cut me off and told me I was on my own. So, it was challenging working 100 plus hours a week in the theatre over a few years, between my Broadway internships by day and stage managing at night. I lived in some pretty horrible conditions, including mice and bed bugs, but I believe that prepared me not only for Los Angeles but for whatever comes my way. I was already a driven person and that just made me more driven to survive and always work hard. When I moved to Los Angeles, I did whatever it took to accomplish my dream, including renting an air mattress in a living room in the valley. I worked hard to keep my expenses low so it would allow me to spend my time writing.

Of course, when you are dealing with an industry like film, there is always constant rejection. It’s hard enough to get a producer to read your script, but even if producers pass on my scripts after they’ve read them, I just keep pushing forward, believing in myself.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’ve lived in LA for eight years. I’m a screenwriter, repped by my incredible agent, Halle Mariner, at APA and my lawyer, Alex Contratto. I  just completed writing my sixth feature for hire. I was also a Co-Writer on a grounded sci-fy feature, Tinker’, starring Christian Kane and Clayne Crawford, which was on Netflix in 2019 and is currently on Amazon. Currently, I write full-time and serve as a script consultant for writers, novelists, producers, and production companies for anyone looking for detailed, thorough feedback on feature or TV scripts.

I also serve as a script consultant, where I provide detailed notes to writers, producers, and production companies in order to help them make their scripts stronger. There are many levels to the service I provide, as basic as a set of eight pages of detailed, helpful notes to being hired to rewrite the whole script. I enjoy all aspects of it, especially working with each client to bring their story to life.

Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
My favorite childhood memory is actually all of our Christmases as a family. Every Christmas was so special that it’s my favorite day of the year. Our family would go all out, sometimes even traveling to see extended family and my grandparents. We would go overboard, finding each other lots of little things and enjoying yummy food. (I was even listening to Christmas music today, and it’s nowhere near Christmastime!). It was a big inspiration to me to become an Elf at Macy’s Santaland when I lived in New York and I love spreading the Christmas spirit with everyone I meet. It’s one reason I love writing Christmas movies year-round.