Vicki Peterson is rediscovering herself at age 50 as a late -diagnosed neurodivergent screenwriter and author who traded the freeways of L.A. for a quiet oak forest on California’s Central Coast.
In Hollywood, Vicki was a director of development for independent production companies, co-founded the story consulting and mentoring company, Catharsis, and was the Programs Director for both the Writing for Film and Television Program and Producing and Entertainment Program at Act One. She also taught Screenwriting for the B.F.A in Cinema program at Columbia College Hollywood and mentored M.F.A. candidates on their thesis projects at New Hampshire Institute of Art. Her B.A. is in Theatre Arts from University of California, San Diego, and her M.F.A. is in Writing for Stage and Screen from New Hampshire Institute of Art. She holds two teaching credentials as a former public high school Theatre and English teacher, and was also certified as a trauma recovery coach (CTRC) by the International Association of Trauma Recovery.
Her screenplay, ZOE AND THE ZEBRA, won several awards, including “Best Screenplay” at the California Independent Film Festival and the Irvine International Film Festival. Other scripts which placed as finalists in other festivals include: RAINBOW UNICORN HEART POWER, MIND OVER MATTER and JESUS STOLE MY BOYFRIEND. Her feature, MOTHER AT WAR, was developed by Ken Stewart for film, and her TV pilot, ALUM ROCK AVENUE, was developed by Herrick Television. She developed and wrote the web-series, JUDGMENTAL MOOSE, distributed by ODB Productions, and wrote several episodes of CATHOLIC CENTRAL for Family Theater Productions. Her stage play, CLEAVE, world-premiered in Tampa, FL as the inaugural production of Lab Theatre Project in partnership with Stageworks. Her book, NOTES TO SCREENWRITERS, is published by Michael Wiese Productions. Vicki is also a Super Contributor for THE MIGHTY, where her articles on mental health and trauma recovery are widely read and featured on partner outlets such as MSN, YAHOO! LIFESTYLE, SCARY MOMMY and TEEN VOGUE. Her current feature film project in development is BROKEN HORSES for Big Sur Pictures.
Vicki lives with multiple chronic health challenges including hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, dysautonomia, complex PTSD, and Autism. When she is able, she writes stories that make these “invisible” conditions more visible.
