Danai Gurira doesn’t just play butt-kicking Michonne on The Walking Dead, but is also a Tony-nominated playwright.
The Eclipsed writer shared some major advice for female writers while speaking at the Lily Awards.
According to NYMag’s Vutlure, Gurira recalled being a guest at the Lily Awards when playwright Sarah Ruhl praised her on Eclipsed, “I remember being filled with so much hope, inspiration, and fuel to know that I was on the right track and doing the right thing even though the world may not tell you so all the time,” Gurira said.
Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Cynthia Erivo, Danielle Brooks & More Earn 2016 Tony Nominations
The actress and writer soon realized that she had the opportunity to help other women feel the same way and provide a path for them to succeed. Gurira shared four tips to help women reach their goals: have a vision and identify your outreach, go where you are loved, don’t let disappointment stop you, and always get it done.
“Embrace the right collaborators and get. It. Done. It’s not for you, it’s for all those other young female writers who will be less than inspired by your product. It’s for all the women you will employ. It’s for those whose light will shine as a result of the excellency you pursued when you put those words on the page. And it’s for the legacy you assisted built that annihilates the concept that women’s concepts are weak, rare or unprofitable. So, to the young women writers and creators in this room, I seek out to you the same validation Sarah [Ruhl] gave me that day and I so look forward to continuing to celebrate you.”
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