February 25, 2025
Lauren Ling Brown
MFA Film and TV Production '15
Lauren Ling Brown is the author of Reese’s Book Club Pick and USA Today Bestseller, Society of Lies. Before starting her career, Brown received a BA in English literature from Princeton University and an MFA in film production with a focus in screenwriting from the USC School of Cinematic Arts. She currently resides in Los Angeles, California, where she works as a film editor.
Q1: What inspired you to become a storyteller?
LLB: I loved to read as a child. Some of my favorite memories are of my mom taking my younger sister and me to the library on weekends. We each had our own library cards and could check out as many books as we wanted. Growing up in a household that valued reading and books deeply influenced me, so when I went to university, I majored in English to try to recreate that feeling from childhood. It was while I was in school that I took my first creative writing class and fell in love with storytelling. That passion eventually led me to pursue a career in film.
Q2: Could you share insights into your journey at the USC School of Cinematic Arts? Was attending film school always part of your plan?
LLB: Initially, I took a creative writing class in college with the goal of writing novels, but I didn’t know anyone who wrote novels and didn’t consider it a viable career path. So I decided to take a summer class at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. I had taken film classes at Princeton, but these were with an experimental art focus, and at USC, I first realized that working in film could become a career.
I was fortunate enough to be accepted into the MFA Production program at SCA, and chose to focus on screenwriting. What I appreciated most about the program was its comprehensive approach—it allowed us to explore every aspect of filmmaking without forcing us to specialize too early. I truly loved the experience and felt that I gained so much knowledge from it.
Q3: During your pursuit of an MFA in Film/TV Production, were there any classes, professors, or experiences that had a particularly profound impact on you?
LLB: There were so many incredible experiences, too many to cover in one conversation. I especially loved the screenwriting classes at SCA. One standout was 508, a general production course with Carolyn Manetti, who would become a mentor to me afterward, reading many drafts of my screenplays. Mark Harris also played a pivotal role — he read an early draft of what eventually became my debut novel Society of Lies. In his class, I wrote a screenplay about an outsider at Princeton who gets involved in a secret society which is the initial seed of the idea that turned into a novel ten years later. Since then, Mark and I have exchanged our writing over email, and I very much enjoyed his recent short story collection, Misfits.
Q4: Do you incorporate your studies in film and TV production into your writing? If so, how does this influence your creative process as an author and overall storyteller?
LLB: I remember studying the three-act structure and Save the Cat! at SCA, as well as learning how to add tension to scenes. Those foundational skills have greatly influenced how I approach writing novels.
I structure my scenes the same way I would a screenplay, applying the techniques I learned during my time there. After graduating, I began working in post-production, starting as a vault manager at a commercial post house, and working my way up to assistant editor and, later, editor. I bounced from assistant editing TV and film to editing documentaries, many of which I have collaborated on with other SCA alums. Osahon Tongo and I made documentaries for NFL 360, and a documentary called Sophie and the Baron was shortlisted for the Academy Awards with another SCA classmate, Alexandria Jackson, who directed it. I’m grateful to be in touch with many of my classmates to this day.
In my writing, I also try to use my editing background. One of the first chapters in Society of Lies opens with a mother spinning her five-year-old daughter through the air at Princeton Reunions, with the crowd and lights streaking by. I visualized it as an editor would, thinking about what I’d want to see on screen, and then wrote it into the scene.
Q5: Congratulations on the release of your debut novel, Society of Lies! Achieving both USA Today Bestseller status and selection by Reese’s Book Club is truly an honor. What would you say was the most significant challenge you encountered while writing your first novel, and how did you overcome it?
LLB: I wrote Society of Lies in 2021 during the pandemic, and it was the third book I’d written. The first one stayed in a drawer, and the second one I tried to query to find an agent but didn’t have any luck.
With this third book, I really wanted it to feel true to my experience as a multiracial Black and Asian woman. I reflected on how I felt as an 18-year-old stepping off the train at Princeton for the first time and drew from old journal entries to bring authenticity to the story.
I felt that the biggest challenge when writing the novel was grappling with the two earlier books I’d set aside and figuring out how to pour everything I had into this one. It was a process of continuing to learn, to push forward, and hold onto hope despite not yet having an agent or publisher.
Q6: When creating compelling and meaningful literary narratives, do you find inspiration in your own experiences or those of the people around you?
LLB: Great question! I often base certain main characters on my own experience at specific points in my life. For example, the older sister in Society of Lies reflects whom I was in high school—I felt like an outsider, unsure of where I fit in, and was very shy and reserved. On the other hand, the younger sister in the novel is similar to whom I became after college—a more outgoing and confident version of myself, someone who found places and communities where she felt she belonged.
I use these as the foundation for their core personality traits but then build on them, layering additional characteristics and experiences. So while I draw much from my personal life, I also develop and expand on those traits to shape the characters further.
Q7: Alongside your literary achievements, you have an impressive background as an editor and post-production professional. Do you have a favorite project you’ve worked on, and what aspects of post-production do you enjoy most?
LLB: Oh, there have been so many great projects! As an assistant editor, I worked on The Sex Lives of College Girls, created by Mindy Kaling and Justin Noble, which was one of my absolute favorites. I also thoroughly enjoyed editing BS High, a documentary executive produced by Adam McKay and directed by Martin Desmond Roe and Travon Free for HBO.
Working on BS High was such a meaningful experience because it felt like we were making an impact by raising awareness around an important social issue. The documentary carried a powerful social message about how high school students from disadvantaged backgrounds can have their dreams exploited in football programs. It was incredibly rewarding to be a part of a project with such an important message.
Q8: You’ve expressed a commitment to creating work that amplifies underrepresented voices and drives social change. In tangible terms, what does this mission mean to you? How do you envision elevating marginalized voices through your literary and visual storytelling?
LLB: One of the main reasons I write is to center stories around women’s experiences — mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends, and to highlight narratives about women of color. I want to show the depth and nuance of our experiences and affirm that our stories deserve to be told. In addition to that, I hope to inspire other young women to pursue their own creative journeys. That’s a huge part of why I write and what I feel is important about being a creative. This means helping young women authors and building community.
I’ve also noticed a significant shift over the past 10 years. When I was growing up, there weren’t nearly as many stories like ours being told, and it’s encouraging to see that start to change.
Q9: What guidance would you offer to aspiring storytellers and creatives seeking to make their mark in the industry and knowing what you know now, is there anything you might have approached differently?
LLB: In terms of novel writing, the most helpful thing for me has been reading widely, both within and outside my genre, and continuing to learn through books that focus on the craft. Since attending SCA, I spent time studying everything from querying agents to storytelling in both a general and specific sense. As I continued to learn, I felt better equipped to tell the story I had envisioned years earlier. SCA professors always emphasized the importance of telling the story only you can tell, something unique to your experiences, enriched by the specific details that you see in the world. After years of learning and honing my skills, I finally felt ready to accomplish that goal.
For editing and post-production, I’d say internships and entry-level roles are invaluable. They allow you to collaborate with others who will lift you up as you grow, while you do the same for them. Since graduating, I’ve stayed connected with so many SCA students, and we’ve supported each other’s careers through collaboration and encouragement. These early roles also provide opportunities to learn from mentors who can guide you, making them an essential part of developing your craft and career.
Q10: What’s next? Anything exciting in the pipeline?
LLB: I’m currently working on my next book, a multi-generational mystery about women who grow apart and eventually come back together later in life. It leans more toward contemporary fiction than thriller, though it still includes elements of suspense. I’m really excited about it! Beyond that, I’m continuing to mentor and support other young women in their creative journeys, which is something I’m deeply passionate about.
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Story by Emily Tutnick