MELINDA HSU

"I will share my knowledge from two decades as a TV writer-producer to help you craft effective strategies to manage your creative journey. And as a former introvert who is also the daughter of Chinese immigrants, I am committed to helping you overcome parental discouragement and cultural inhibitions so that you can step forward powerfully into the world, joyfully take up space, and boldly voice your perspective. While I won’t offer detailed notes on your writing or hear pitches, I will give you insights about the current TV landscape as well as pro tips on navigating the entertainment industry in a way that sustains your internal calm."

Melinda Hsu is a TV writer-producer who was the showrunner of NANCY DREW and its spinoff TOM SWIFT, both on the CW; currently, she’s in a multi-year development overall deal at ABC Signature. A lifelong genre geek, she started writing at age 8 when she authored a Star Trek fan fiction novella series on a stack of spiral notebooks in her childhood bedroom in Bangor, Maine. Her TV credits include LOST, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, THE GIFTED, FALLING SKIES, STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS, MEDIUM, and one-hour pilots for Amazon, Netflix, NBC and Lifetime.

In her nonprofit life, she mentors writers and producers through the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE), helped found the Asian American Pacific Islander Writers’ Brunch and the CAPE Showrunner Incubator, and serves on the Executive Board of the Sarah Jones Film Foundation, which fosters set safety through awareness and accountability. She has also been a staff member of service organizations providing education and advocacy for adult refugees and people living with HIV/AIDS. Recently, the Center for Strategic and International Studies appointed her to a U.S. delegation to evaluate NATO facilities throughout Europe in order to craft new messaging around NATO’s work and engagement with the public.

Her podcast, Lead With Kindness, is aimed at changing the culture of Hollywood and the world; this series of ten 30-minute conversations is available in audio and transcript form via Apple Podcasts (IG: @LeadWKindness).