Meet Marti King Young | Screenwriter, Producer, & Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Marti King Young and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marti, let’s talk legacy – what do you want yours to be?
I would hope that when people remember me, they remember my kindness, my passion, and my ambition… as well as my relentless pursuit to get things done and open doors for those with disabilities and special needs in the film industry. I will forever aspire to be the voice for the voiceless, and I really hope I am a catalyst for others to do the same.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
When you ask about my art, I do a lot, so I’m going to narrow it down to screenwriting. I’ve worked really hard to get to where I am and I’m okay with saying I’m proud of that. The biggest lesson and the most freeing thing I learned was: I’m not in competition with anyone. Ever. My stories are my stories. No one can write them like I can. So, I really push that message to my students as well. I believe your authentic voice is valuable, so don’t write for what you think someone else wants. (This doesn’t pertain to having a writing job and getting notes, this is if you’re writing a story you yourself want to see). Don’t let someone’s words become your cage.

In my profession, what sets me apart is that I’ve been working as various producer’s assistant for a hot minute now. I sit in all the meetings. I take the notes. I hear the banter between the execs. I read the scripts. Let me repeat that: I READ THE SCRIPTS. I’m the gatekeeper you want to befriend. (All assistants are). No producer has the time to read a 110 page script, which is why it falls to me. So, readers: Please be nice to all assistants and remember, today’s assistants are tomorrow’s executives.

I also sit in pitch meetings. I judge at pitching events. I teach screenwriting across the globe. I direct. I share my insight and knowledge to help others cut out years of trying to learn what I can teach in minutes. When I realized that was a superpower, it was very eye opening for me. I drop tidbits as I work from various sets I’m on in my TikTok account. Currently they’re called “Wisdom With Scout” because I film while I’m walking my producer’s dog (whose name is Scout and he is perfect).

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I travel the world, so I’m not sure which city you mean.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’m a proud member of the Alliance of Women Directors, and they have been essential in the contacts I’ve been able to make. I love meeting these dynamic, powerful women and being able to help them along their way as well.

I’m also a mentor annually at The Good Word Writer’s Retreat in Patmos, Greece. For 4-5 days, I work one on one with screenwriters at all levels to hone their craft. Besides that, I also help them with their pitches. From what I’ve heard, 95% of my students and mentees have gone on to find representation, place in screenwriting competitions, or land fellowships at major networks/streamers.

I periodically work with Film Pitch ATL as well, where I sit and listen to pitches and help guide the filmmakers toward their best way to get their projects before producers who could greenlight their projects.

I also teach at various screenwriting schools, most recently being the Tennessee Screenwriting Association in Nashville and DeSoto Arts Institute in Southaven, Mississippi. I really love sharing insight with hungry filmmakers.

Instagram: @screenwriterchic

Linkedin: martikingyoung

Twitter: @scrnwriterchic

Other: Threads: @screenwriterchic
Bluesky: @screenwriterchic.bsky.social
TikTok: @screenwriterchic

Image Credits
Carla Christina Contreras (noted on photo)
Craig Young