Christine Conradt

Screenwriter, Director, Producer, Author

Christine Conradt moved to Los Angeles from Nebraska at 18 years old to attend University of Southern California (USC) to obtain a BFA in Screenwriting. She went on to pursue a master’s in criminal justice from Boston University where she focused on cybercrime and juvenile delinquency. 

Christine has been writing for television almost two decades. She has written 65 TV movies that have aired on Lifetime, Lifetime Movie Network, Fox, Showtime, Hallmark, UPtv and USA. She is the primary writer behind Lifetime’s most successful franchises including the “at 17” series, the “Perfect” series, the “Secret” series and the “Met Online” series. She has more than 80 film credits as a screenwriter, director and producer.

In 2018, Christine turned the “at 17” franchise into a thriller book series, published by HarperCollins (Missing at 17, Pregnant at 17, Murdered at 17).

She’s been featured in Now Write! Screenwriting and Now Write! Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror. She is frequently invited to speak at panels and workshops, is a screenplay consultant and hosts webinars, podcasts and informational videos. She is on the leadership board of South Bay Filmmakers and is a contributor to ScreenplayHowTo.com.

Christine was a presenter at the 2019 San Francisco Writers Conference, speaking on two panels, Filmmaking and Turning Books to Screen.

What inspired you to pursue a career in writing? 
I've always loved to write. I won my first writing award in elementary school and always felt more comfortable with a pen in my hand. I think people naturally gravitate to things they are good at because that's where they find success and given that I was writing so young and being recognized, everyone (my parents, teachers, friends) always encouraged me to keep going. I'm from Nebraska and back in the 1990s when I graduated, there weren't any screenwriting programs at the universities there. I didn't even know that writing movies was a career option. I was going to go to law school and write as a hobby until I received a brochure from the University of Southern California which listed screenwriting as a major. The moment I saw that brochure, I changed my mind and knew I wanted to be a screenwriter.

How did your career evolve from screenwriting to producing and most recently becoming an author for Missing at 17 and the “17” series?
When I graduated from USC with a BFA in screenwriting, I briefly worked in development before launching my career as a screenwriter. I kept getting hired to write thrillers and crime dramas -- both genres I have loved ever since I was a kid. At one point I asked myself, "What can you do to be the best crime writer out there?" Then I made a list of things. One was getting a Citizens Academy certification from a local police station (that's a 13-week course you take at the police department where you get to do ride alongs and learn about all the various departments). Another big thing on that list was to get a master’s in either criminology or criminal justice. I was still working and writing screenplays, so I opted for the MCJ program at Boston University and did the entire program online. I learned so much from that program. Grad school is a lot of work, but you also get to drill down into subjects that you would never go so in depth with otherwise. 

It was after I had my master’s degree, I came up with the idea of turning the “at 17” series into a book series for teens. Those movies were already very successful on Lifetime and I thought, "Why not write them as books? They're good stories and a lot of teens don't watch Lifetime." It was a way to reach a young audience that wanted a quick, fun read. I pitched the idea to the producers who gave me their blessing and I wrote the manuscript. Then I took a meeting at a writer’s conference with an agent and he liked the book. He partnered with a literary agent in NYC and they sold the first manuscript to Harper Collins. Harper wanted to do it as a book series, so they ordered three books and we decided to novelize Missing at 17, Pregnant at 17, and Murdered at 17.

Do you have any advice for a young person who is considering a major or career in writing and producing? 
My advice would be to learn as much as you can and be open to any opportunity that comes your way. There is so much free material online-- free webinars and interviews with successful writers and online classes. If you don't have a lot of money, start there. Buy books like Now Write! Screenwriting and do all the exercises. Read as many scripts as you can. Volunteer at film festivals and pitch fests and intern on film sets. Just gather as much knowledge as you can and meet as many people as you can. Ask the questions you want to ask. And of course, write! Write a lot. Write scripts and synopses and prose and articles about the film industry. And finally, don't get hung up on money. I've seen so many young people blow opportunities because they didn't think they paid enough. It's not about the money. It's about setting yourself apart from others and becoming so good at what you do that you're in demand. The money will come eventually. But it probably won't come quickly. Don't get discouraged. Just keep learning and honing the craft and you'll outlive all the competitors that didn't have the perseverance you did.

If you could tell your younger self anything what would it be?
I would tell myself not to worry so much about being successful. Success will come and it will come in a big way. Just trust your instincts, keep going, and don't second guess yourself or get discouraged.

Is there anything else you would like to share?  
Love what you do. Don't try to get into the film industry because you think you'll make a lot of money. There are way easier ways to make a lot of money. Get into it because you love writing and love filmmaking and you wouldn't be happy doing anything else. It's not an easy career. And there's no set way to be successful. If you want to be a doctor, there's a path you follow. You go to med school and do your residency and eventually, you become a doctor. It's not like that in the film industry. You have to find the path that works for you, and there are infinite paths that can take you to so many different places. Don't try to emulate anyone else's path or compare yourself to anyone else.

I was able to connect in person with Christine and attend her lecture about filmmaking at the SFWC and she was so supportive and inspirational. A true mentor.

Cannot thank you enough Christine ☺

All art/photos belong to Christine Conradt and are used with her permission.