Night School, etcetera

In this episode of The Education Road, we chat with Hope Thompson, a Toronto-based screenwriter, author, and instructor who describes her unique academic and professional journey as mysterious.

Hope shares how her lifelong dream of being an artist led her to a classic fine arts undergraduate degree at Mount Allison University. However, the reality of making a living in the arts prompted her to weave a thread of continuous learning through her life, relying heavily on night school courses in graphic and computer design to build a sustainable career while staying connected to her creative drive.

Over time, Hope transitioned from visual arts into the world of storytelling, exploring theater, filmmaking, and ultimately screenwriting. This evolution was supported by prestigious writing residencies in Italy and Banff, as well as a remote master's degree in creative writing from the University of British Columbia.

These experiences helped her build a strong community of fellow artists, landing her exciting opportunities like working in the writer's room for a CBC comedy series.

Currently, Hope is channeling her love for classic film noir and crime fiction into prose writing, with a true crime book co-written alongside a private investigator set to release next spring. She balances this heavy creative load with a strict discipline of writing one thousand words a day and teaching screenwriting online for OCAD.

Check out her previous novel, Dark Thoughts & Other Stories!