Linda Woolverton
Fullerton, CA USA
"I jumped out of my neat, safe little place with no parachute and figured I’d learn how to fly on the way down."
Career Roadmap
Linda's work combines: Writing, Film, and Communicating / Sharing Stories
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
When I decided I wanted to write for Disney's animation studio, my agent told me that I wasn't ready and that Disney only works with real writers. I had already published a novel and knew I was a real writer. So, I took my novel to Disney's offices and dropped it off with the secretary hoping someone would read it. Two days later, I got a call for an interview. Since then, I've written multiple scripts and screenplays for Disney. Don't listen to the naysayers. Just focus on your own path.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General
California State University, Long Beach
Graduate Degree
Theater for Children
California State University, Fullerton
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
I got my undergraduate degree in theater arts from California State University, Long Beach, and followed it with a master’s degree in theater for children from California State University, Fullerton.
2.
After graduating, I formed a children’s theater company, which performed plays in local malls, churches, and schools.
3.
I moved to Los Angeles because I wanted to get into the television industry so that I could reach more children.
4.
I got a job as a secretary at CBS—I was overqualified for the job, but it got my foot in the door of the industry.
5.
Eventually, I realized that I wanted to be on the artistic side of things, so I left my job and wrote a young adult novel.
6.
In order to make a living while working on my writing, I worked as a substitute teacher until I was offered a job to write a Saturday morning cartoon.
7.
After a few years, I decided I wanted to write for Disney, so I personally dropped my novel off at Disney’s offices hoping that someone would read it—two days later, I got a call for an interview.
8.
Since then, I’ve written the screenplays for various feature films, including “Beauty and the Beast,” “Alice in Wonderland,” and “Maleficent.”
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Peers:
You're not ready to be a 'real' writer.
How I responded:
When I decided I wanted to write for Disney's animation studio, my agent told me that I wasn't ready and that Disney only works with real writers. I had already published a novel and knew I was a real writer. So, I took my novel to Disney's offices and dropped it off with the secretary hoping someone would read it. Two days later, I got a call for an interview. Since then, I've written multiple scripts and screenplays for Disney. Don't listen to the naysayers. Just focus on your own path.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I had a very difficult childhood. I ended up writing a young adult novel about it, which helped a lot because it took the trauma out of me and put it into something else that I can read when I want to revisit it and put away when I don't.