Where Genre Has No Limits: Spotlight on Shawn Hudson

In this series, we will talk to up-and-coming Screenwriters, find out their writing process, what projects they are currently working on, and get some tips of the trade.

Shawn Hudson, is a Bronx-born, award-winning self-published author, an award-winning screenwriter, poet, aspiring video editor, and political organizer. He also has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management and an Associates in Business Administration from Monroe College.

I heard that you are a published author, tell us about your novels?

I’ve written a total of 6 novellas and 2 collections of poetry. The first series that I wrote was “By Any Means” which is a street lit about a young man that deals with life on the streets as he tries to change his life for the better. “Just Us” and “Sins of Society” were the first two installments in the "Sinville" series that I self-published back in 2019 and in 2022. The series is about the journey of Kat and Fred learning to co-exist and solve issues within their community despite their differences.

Where can folks find your books?

My books are available on Amazon and Audible. I’m in the process of re-releasing new editions of the "By Any Means" series as well. I’m seeking a publishing deal to execute that in the near future.

Who or what inspired you to become a writer and how/why did you foray into wanting to become a screenwriter?

What inspired me to become a writer was my wanting to see more complex storylines and characters in poor Black communities. I feel like whether it’s literature or film or television a lot of times Black people are put into boxes when in reality our stories and our lives are too unique and special for us to be put in any box and I decided to change that by becoming a writer. I forayed into wanting to become a screenwriter because I wanted to take my stories to the next level. Many of my readers tell me that my books could be a movie, so I figured why not give it a shot.

What’s your favorite genre to write in and why?

Similar to my style of writing, I love writing gritty street stories about social and political issues that affect Black and brown people's everyday lives. I love it because I feel America lives in one big ass fantasy world. I mean a majority of what you see in the theaters is about superheroes, comic books, sequels, and remakes galore. When is Hollywood gonna give original stories that aren’t made for children a chance again? When are real stories gonna get a fair chance to be told and shared with our people? I write in this genre because far too often I feel like we as Americans are drunk off of our own privilege and we’re blind to what’s really going on in the world around us. So I’m here to throw cold water in everyone’s face and hopefully, that’ll spark a change.

If you had the chance to recreate an IP, what would it be and what would your spin on it be?

I would recreate the movie The Outsiders. I loved the book and the movie. The spin that I would put on it is I would have a more diverse cast but also address different issues like racism, police brutality, the education system, and of course class issues, which the original book and film were both about.

Tell us about your current screenplay WIP and favorite character and why?

I’m currently focused on writing one of my novella’s called “The Power of the Dollar” but I’m in the infancy stages of a screenplay called Contradictions which is about two brothers one who is a police officer and the other is a gang member and a political organizer and how they both deal with police brutality in their community. This isn’t going to be your typical copaganda because lord knows Hollywood has shoved too much of that down our throats for years. 

My favorite character is D’Angelo who is the brother that is both a political organizer and a gang member in the script. The reason he’s my favorite is because my readers and supporters know that I love anti-hero characters, especially those that are heavily flawed. Far too many times I feel like Black characters in cinema get put in boxes when in reality we’re so much more complex than what we’re portrayed to be.

If you had the chance to have your WIP turned into a film, whom would you like to work with i.e. director, composer, actor or make-up artist (and why)?

I would like Ryan Coogler to direct Contradictions because he has experience with making films such as Fruitvale Station which to me is his best work outside of Black Panther. His attention to detail and his ability to tell a story would push that WIP right to the moon and make it resonate with the audience.

What current show or movie do you wish you were in the writer's room (and why)?

I wish I was in the writer’s room for the show Power Book III: Raising Kanan because aside from being a fan of 50 Cent’s music and some of the shows that he’s been working on. The reason I want to be in that writers' room is because I feel like the layer that I would add to that show is the role that government and law enforcement played in destroying the Black and brown community during the nineties. Don’t get me wrong, the show is excellent, but I feel that is a layer that isn’t really explored in that series.

What advice would you give up-and-coming writers?

The advice that I would give upcoming writers is to one be original; don’t chase trends just to make a buck. Find a cause or a purpose within your writing no matter what that is. Also, never compromise your work; stick to your guns if you’re passionate about an idea, and find people who will support it. Never compare your career to anyone else’s, everyone’s journey is unique. Last but not least, study the greats, practice, and execute.

What keeps you motivated as a writer?

What keeps me motivated as a writer is the fear of being average. My biggest nightmare is having a child or children one day and looking them in the eye and telling them don’t give up on their dreams like I did. My passion and hunger to be great at writing is what keeps me fueled at all times. The other thing that motivates me is that I want to be in the conversation amongst the top Black writers of all time like Donald Goines, Iceberg Slim, Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, and Nikki Giovanni.

What would you like your legacy as a writer to be?

I want my legacy as a writer to be known as someone who was bold enough to speak on issues that aren’t always talked about in cinema and or literature as well. I also want my legacy to be that I put the Bronx on the map as the home of literary titans. Far too often people always associate the Bronx with something negative; I want to be the reason that people are proud to say they’re from here.

What's up next for you?

I’m working on the follow-up to my novella “Sins of Society” which is gonna be called “The Power of the Dollar”. Also my screenplay adaption for my book “Just Us” just recently won the LGBTQIA category from the New York Screenwriting Awards. I’m in the process of shopping my screenplay for Just Us and my TV pilot Barrel Brothers. I’m also looking to turn my TV pilot Barrel Brothers into a novella as well. Last but not least, I’m looking to work on Contradictions which is another screenplay I’m looking forward to write. I’m also a poet, I got some material in the stash I’m going to drop soon and am looking forward to performing at some point this year.