About Me

THE BASICS:
I’m a produced screenwriter working out of the Kansas City area. My main focus is feature writing--thrillers and slightly absurdist comedy with heart. But, I believe becoming a better writer requires the ability to push personal boundaries, so you’ll notice a thorough mix of genres in my portfolio of shorts. I currently have one feature in pre-production, with an anticipated 2026 release date (details to be publicly released soon) and another in development.
Born and raised in St. Louis, I’ve lived in multiple small towns around Missouri, and now Kansas. My projects often center on life in the Midwest -- highlighting the heart of the hard-working Midwest soul.
My first script, a sitcom pilot OH, BROTHER!, placed second in the 2012 Fresh Voices Screenplay Competition and was subsequently optioned, developed and shopped. A recent feature script, WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR, was named a 2022 Academy Nicholl Fellowship Quarterfinalist--and is currently a semi-finalist in the 2024 Missouri Stories Fellowship (top 10).
I've written dozens of shorts, with produced projects by directors around the globe, the most recent of which (SANCTUARY) has won multiple awards on the festival circuit.
MORE:
A career in screenwriting is a test of will and determination. Even with mounds of each, nothing is guaranteed.
For me, the test began in 2011. After a short career in broadcasting, I made the switch to full-time screenwriting. An option quickly followed, along with a trip to LA to film a sizzle reel for the project. It was a whirlwind experience, and great fun. As with most sitcom projects, it didn't gain traction, and the project slowly faded. But, it was an excellent introduction into the business. (It's still a great script and concept, so...somebody...let's go.)
I followed that with several comedy projects. There was a comedy feature, along with multiple sitcom pilots, even an educational children's adventure series.
Soon, I began experimenting with thrillers, and my first thriller, THE HAND OF GOD, attracted the attention of filmmakers from Chicago to North Carolina--even as far away as Nigeria, though it still remains available for sale.
A second thriller feature, 60 FEET UNDER (a commercial project, less independent in feel than THE HAND OF GOD) was evaluated by a professional AI-based evaluator as #2 overall on their list of scripts with high commercial value.
Recently, I completed a feel-good comedy called WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR (very loosely based on my time as a small-town play-by-play announcer) which is already receiving interest amidst very positive feedback. (See Nicholl Fellowship placement above.)
MY HISTORY OF WRITING SHORTS:
In 2018, I took 2nd place in a March Madness-style writer's tournament, hosted by Simplyscripts. It was my first attempt at competition writing since 2014, following a period of concentration on skill-building. I found writing shorts to be amazing fun, and since have written over 50 shorts in various genres, testing my personal boundaries--even writing horror, which I'd never found personally or professionally interesting.
I wrote a creature-feature short that won, optioned a romcom short to an international filmmaker, again took 2nd place in the writer's tournament (2019, outright winning 2 of the 5 rounds), then followed that up with another win: a psychological horror/thriller short with a high concept that I've since developed into a feature. Then, in 2020, I finally won the writer's tournament, boosted by a snappy little thriller named LINES. (Since filmed.)
Even scripts that didn't win found attention, including one horror short that was optioned to a director in Russia (currently in production in the UK). Turns out, I'm pretty good at writing horror. And, surprisingly, I've found I DO enjoy it.
And, really, that's what's been most interesting about the entire process: discovering new strengths.
I'm still a comedy writer at heart. Making people laugh is what makes my heart sing. But, watching others respond to new forms of my work has been an eye-opening experience. Making people cry. Tremble with fear. Making them angry or melancholy--I can do that.
Best,
Paul Knauer
PaulKWrites.com
I’m a produced screenwriter working out of the Kansas City area. My main focus is feature writing--thrillers and slightly absurdist comedy with heart. But, I believe becoming a better writer requires the ability to push personal boundaries, so you’ll notice a thorough mix of genres in my portfolio of shorts. I currently have one feature in pre-production, with an anticipated 2026 release date (details to be publicly released soon) and another in development.
Born and raised in St. Louis, I’ve lived in multiple small towns around Missouri, and now Kansas. My projects often center on life in the Midwest -- highlighting the heart of the hard-working Midwest soul.
My first script, a sitcom pilot OH, BROTHER!, placed second in the 2012 Fresh Voices Screenplay Competition and was subsequently optioned, developed and shopped. A recent feature script, WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR, was named a 2022 Academy Nicholl Fellowship Quarterfinalist--and is currently a semi-finalist in the 2024 Missouri Stories Fellowship (top 10).
I've written dozens of shorts, with produced projects by directors around the globe, the most recent of which (SANCTUARY) has won multiple awards on the festival circuit.
MORE:
A career in screenwriting is a test of will and determination. Even with mounds of each, nothing is guaranteed.
For me, the test began in 2011. After a short career in broadcasting, I made the switch to full-time screenwriting. An option quickly followed, along with a trip to LA to film a sizzle reel for the project. It was a whirlwind experience, and great fun. As with most sitcom projects, it didn't gain traction, and the project slowly faded. But, it was an excellent introduction into the business. (It's still a great script and concept, so...somebody...let's go.)
I followed that with several comedy projects. There was a comedy feature, along with multiple sitcom pilots, even an educational children's adventure series.
Soon, I began experimenting with thrillers, and my first thriller, THE HAND OF GOD, attracted the attention of filmmakers from Chicago to North Carolina--even as far away as Nigeria, though it still remains available for sale.
A second thriller feature, 60 FEET UNDER (a commercial project, less independent in feel than THE HAND OF GOD) was evaluated by a professional AI-based evaluator as #2 overall on their list of scripts with high commercial value.
Recently, I completed a feel-good comedy called WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR (very loosely based on my time as a small-town play-by-play announcer) which is already receiving interest amidst very positive feedback. (See Nicholl Fellowship placement above.)
MY HISTORY OF WRITING SHORTS:
In 2018, I took 2nd place in a March Madness-style writer's tournament, hosted by Simplyscripts. It was my first attempt at competition writing since 2014, following a period of concentration on skill-building. I found writing shorts to be amazing fun, and since have written over 50 shorts in various genres, testing my personal boundaries--even writing horror, which I'd never found personally or professionally interesting.
I wrote a creature-feature short that won, optioned a romcom short to an international filmmaker, again took 2nd place in the writer's tournament (2019, outright winning 2 of the 5 rounds), then followed that up with another win: a psychological horror/thriller short with a high concept that I've since developed into a feature. Then, in 2020, I finally won the writer's tournament, boosted by a snappy little thriller named LINES. (Since filmed.)
Even scripts that didn't win found attention, including one horror short that was optioned to a director in Russia (currently in production in the UK). Turns out, I'm pretty good at writing horror. And, surprisingly, I've found I DO enjoy it.
And, really, that's what's been most interesting about the entire process: discovering new strengths.
I'm still a comedy writer at heart. Making people laugh is what makes my heart sing. But, watching others respond to new forms of my work has been an eye-opening experience. Making people cry. Tremble with fear. Making them angry or melancholy--I can do that.
Best,
Paul Knauer
PaulKWrites.com