Amanda Darling

I started writing when I was fifteen. I had just finished reading Lord of the Flies and Pride and Prejudice, so the novel that I wrote was, naturally, a romantic tragedy of manners about a group of budding biologists of marriageable age who go to an isolated island to study the local fauna and flora, only to rapidly and mysteriously start dying of leukemia. (Logic was never my strong suit.) More novels, TV scripts and feature films blossomed beneath my eager but untrained pen. I am unable to throw anything away, so these early projects are now growing mould in my basement, making me one of the few people who secretly hopes my basement floods.

I have taken writing courses at UCLA and an MFA in screenwriting at Hollins University in Virginia, with a focus on romantic comedies and heartwarming dramas. My screenplays have won awards in Canada and the U.S. One of my feature film scripts, Children of Honor, was a Nicholl semi-finalist in 2013. I launched an independent film production company, McLachlan Entertainment, in 2014, in order to film a Christmas comedy feature script I wrote. I have written novels for adults and young adults, and a funny, practical guide for recovering from a traumatic event. I pride myself on delivering thoughtful content in an entertaining way.