To kick off the New Voices Interview Series, we asked our 2021-2022 New Voices fellows to share about their writing process, their experience with mentorship, and what inspires them to change the world, one story at a time. This interview is with Fellow John Lowe.

Humanitas: What was the first script that had a profound impact on you?

John Lowe: The first script that really rocked my world was Nip/Tuck by Ryan Murphy. I’d never read something that could be so sexy and smart at the same time.

H: What are you reading now?

JL: I just finished reading the pilot for Russian Doll. I’m studying its structure as I prepare to write a soapy script based around the supernatural.

H: If you could have dinner with any writer, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

JL: Alan Ball for sure. Six Feet Under is one of the first shows that really shook me to the core. As a black and queer man, it was the first time I’d seen a black and queer character on TV who felt as authentic and interesting as the white characters.

H: What kind of characters do you love to write and why?

JL: I like to write about people on the verge of complete self-destruction who find ways to rise to the occasion in a surprising, yet hilarious fashion. I think I also write a lot about gay people of color who have an appetite for music and mayhem.

H: Which writer working today inspires you?

JL: Donald Glover is a major inspiration. His body of work has such range and he’s not afraid to be experimental.  

H: What are you watching right now? 

JL: Currently, I'm watching the final season of Succession and I’m loving the dysfunctional family dynamic that is presented so unabashedly. It really lends itself to the moments when each of the characters experiences a minuscule sliver of redemption.

H: How does your identity shape your writing? 

JL: Being a black and queer man, my personal lens on the world can always be felt. Growing up, I always felt like my very existence was incredibly disruptive to everyone around me, like a peacock that found his way into a grocery store. My gay characters usually create some sort of hysteria but they eventually find a way to circumvent the chaos.

H: How can writers use their art to make a difference?

JL: Every writer should make a list of the ten things that piss them off every year. Finding ways to bring those topics into the work, even as a throw-away line for a character, is so therapeutic and satisfying. You get to make your characters say the things you wish you could scream at a politician or your ex-boyfriend.

H: Why do mentors matter?

JL: I always say that having a mentor is like having a Fast Pass at Disney. You can have a decent day without one but it would be way more productive and fabulous if you did. Having a support system and ally in the industry is phenomenal because they can warn you about blind spots and hold you accountable. Every writer needs a mentor and should aspire to become one for the next crop of storytellers. Besides, when you’re on those award stages someday, it would be cute to have someone to thank besides your mom and your dog.

H: If you could go back in time to when you wrote your first script and give younger you a piece of advice, what would it be and why?

JL: If I could turn back time, I’d tell my younger self to never write a spec script of a show currently on air, but instead focus on writing original pilots. I spent so many years trying to mimic the voices of other people when I should’ve been focusing on finding my own voice.   

John Lowe graduated with honors from The University of Notre Dame in May of 2007 with double majors in Television Production. John spent a decade casting glossy unscripted shows like Survivor, Project Runway, Top Chef, Love Island and The Kim Kardashian Justice Project. Traveling the country and interviewing people of all backgrounds has shown him how many incredibly diverse, complex, and aspirational stories have still yet to be told. This year John wrapped his first staff writing job for a Disney+ series starring Josh Gad. 

John’s script, Stormé, depicts the true story of Stormé DeLarverie, a black and non-binary security guard who protected members of the gay nightlife community from the mafia who owned every Manhattan gay bar in the 1960s.

Contact John Here.

New Voices is a four-month mentorship program for emerging television and screenwriters. The program is committed to identifying and empowering five writers each year who are currently at work on a 30- or 60-minute pilot or feature film screenplay that upholds the mission of Humanitas. 

Learn more about Humanitas’s New Voices Fellowship here.