Meet Lily Malm | Screenwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lily Malm and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lily, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
I was pretty naive when I first moved to Los Angeles. I thought I’d be able to juggle screenwriting, friendships, romance, networking, and someday motherhood all at once – but it’s incredibly challenging! Some things have simply had to take the backseat. While I admire all the hard-working mothers in the film industry, I find myself wondering if I’ll join their team. My aspirations are instead to become what J.D Vance would call a “childless cat lady.”

Sarcasm aside, finding the balance is hard. My values orbit around my mental health more than ever these days, including sleep, nutrition and therapy (and if shit really hits the fan, comedy clubs), as well as my closest friends. I aim to get at least 4-6 hours of writing done every day. Preferably way more. On the days where that is logistically impossible, I swap out some of that time for audiobooks or podcasts on the craft of writing to stay productive.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
It’s an ongoing journey that has been everything but easy. Like any first generation immigrant will tell you, navigating Hollywood is one d*mn problem after another. Every time I’ve had a job interview, the question of my status comes up and even though I’ve been blessed enough to be authorized to work, they’ll still throw your resume out no matter what’s on it. But there’s never been a time where I’ve thought of quitting, not even when I’ve been at my lowest.

One of the lessons I’ve had to learn along the way is to depersonalize rejection. Everybody gets rejected. Getting your ego destroyed is honestly really healthy from time to time. Some coverage readers like your scripts, others don’t. Period. Some companies like your voice as a writer, others prefer voices from different genres, formats or communities. Not everyone is gonna be into you – and that’s okay. What’s important is the ability to step back and assess if there’s anything about their rejection that you can learn from going forward, and if not, take a shower and go back to typing.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The Laugh Factory! The pandemic planted the seed of what’s turned into an obsession with standup comedy, so the Laugh Factory and similar clubs are definitely high up on that list. I do love me some drag shows, so they gay bars in WeHo would be next up.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The Bad Pitch Writers Lab! Run by my now former mentors Alexa Alemanni and Caden Douglas, this lab has been an incredible experience through which I’ve made great friends who are just as committed to the craft as they are grounded and down to earth.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lily-malm-1bb19a188/