Los Angeles-based Haitian writer Mike Gauyo is making it his mission to build creative opportunities for POC youth. You can thank Mike for hit series like "Insecure" and "Ginny & Georgia. Mike not only sees the importance of sharing his perspective as a Black gay Haitian immigrant, but also explores outside of his comfort zone to bring new narratives to life. To align with his values of making the writing industry more accessible to people of color, Mike founded Black Boy Writes/Black Girl Writes to connect young Black writers with industry professionals. Through Mike’s amazing program, students can receive mentorship from established writers like Amy Aniobi, Morgan Cooper, and Kemp Powers. If you are interested in Mike Gauyo’s efforts to create a more inclusive Hollywood, his newest show “Send Help”, or his experience with writing some of America’s favorite series please continue reading the interview below!

Where are you based?
I am based in Los Angeles, California.

When did you know writing was a passion of yours?
Writing had always been a passion of mine, I just didn’t have a pathway towards that direction and my parents were grooming me to become a doctor. So for me, I was given a kind of narrow guideline on how to approach life and succeed. Growing up I always enjoyed writing but didn't see writing as an attainable pathway, until I became much older.

What was your first-ever writing endeavor?
My first paid writing gig was on Issa Rae’s FRUIT podcast, an audio narrative podcast that we did for two seasons. This was my first taste of being in a writers' room!

Most notably, the public knows you for excellent writing roles on both hit series "Insecure" and "Ginny & Georgia." Can you tell us a bit about writing for these shows? Where did you get the inspiration?
Writing on both shows was a fantastic opportunity and a great experience. Both shows came with different sets of experiences that were based on the makeup of the writers’ room, but also the type of content. For example, Insecure is a half-hour comedy whereas Ginny and Georgia is an hour-long dramedy. A huge part of a show is based on the makeup of the people in the room, so you have to be able to go out and experience life to bring your full self to the room. That goes for both shows — they are based on real-life situations and real-life people, and appeal to them and the universality of who we all are as people.

Do you ever face writer's block? What are some methods to snap out of it?
I don't really experience writer’s block, but in situations where I am having a tough time working out a character or scene. I like to take a step back and reassess what I want for that character or scene. Usually, when I need to take a step back, it’s not that I have writer's block, it’s more so that I may not be asking myself the right questions about that character or that situation. Whether it’s going on a walk or reading some other material, taking a step back and revisiting from a different angle can lead to asking yourself the right questions about what it is that you are trying to figure out.

How has your experience being a Haitian queer creative influenced your writing? Do you enjoy writing roles from the perspective of someone who shares your identity?
Yes, I love being able to write about my experiences, but I also love being able to dive outside of myself and write about other people. As a Black, gay, Haitian immigrant writer, I want to be able to see myself and others who are similar to me on TV. As a writer and creative that’s what I aim to do, but at the same time, it doesn't mean that because I come from a certain experience that I can't write from the perspective of someone else. That’s the benefit of being a creative and a writer — it’s about the universality of our issues, our problems, and things that we experience.

What has been your favorite project thus far, and why?
My favorite project so far has been Send Help, which I co-created and co-show running with my good friend, Jean Ellie. It’s been a labor of love. It’s my favorite project as it's told from the perspective of a Haitian American — a story that isn’t often told on TV, and really hasn’t often been told at all from a lead’s perspective.

Are there any genres you wish to pursue that you have not yet explored?
Absolutely! I would love to do horror, I’d love to do sci-fi, and I’d love to do a modern-day gay rom-com.

"Send Help." sounds absolutely amazing! Can you tell us a little bit more about this new show?
Send Help is a dark comedy about a Haitian-American actor living in Los Angeles pursuing an acting career while navigating his feelings, love interests, and his family that live 3,000 miles away in Boston, Massachusetts. While navigating all of this, he ends up having to deal with some trauma that surfaces, becoming something else that he must tackle.

Can you tell us about Black Boy Writes/Black Girl Writes? What is your mission? Why is it so important?
Black Boy Writes/Black Girl Writes is a mentorship initiative I founded a couple of years ago to help combat the lack of diversity in entertainment, especially as it pertains to writers of color. There are multiple reports that have come out throughout the years, whether it's the WGA or USC, or NAACP, about the lack of diversity in Hollywood, and my program aims to combat this issue. I was able to partner with my management agency, Writ Large, and my creative agency, Culture Creative, who came on board willing to read my mentees at the end of the year and determine whether or not they'd like to bring any of them on. One of my mentees from last year, Joshua L. Meyers, received representation through the program. I have other mentees who have co-written episodes of Send Help, and others who are actor-writers who have made cameos on Send Help as actors. I also have mentees who have gone on to become showrunners’ assistants and writers’ assistants, and it's just a great thing to see. I hope to be able to continue to create opportunities for them and for other writers of color.

Can you clue us into what some of the programs for the initiatives include?
Different features of the program include writer roundtables that we do with established writers in the business, such as; Amy Aniobi, Morgan Cooper, and Kemp Powers. We invite different established writers to talk about their experiences and share an intimate conversation with the mentees. The program is really about providing access — the mentees have opportunities to go to general meetings with different executives and production companies. We also do writing workshops monthly, where we work on their material to get them ready by the end of the year for my reps to read.

How do you find the mentees? Do you know the mentees personally, or are they people you admire?
I partnered with Stage 32, an online screenwriting platform, and we were able to facilitate an application process. This is the first year with the second group of mentees that we were able to do that with. We had 829 applicants in the first round and had to narrow that down to 14 cohorts!

Although there is more diversity in the industry than in previous years, we still need more racial inclusivity; how can we improve?
We can improve racial inclusivity by having more programs like Black Boy Writes/Black Girl Writes, where we create access for people of color. Amy Aniobi, Prentice Penny, and Lena Waithe have created programs to help increase racial inclusivity and create access. It's about creating opportunities, like these, for people when you are in a position to do so. It’s about reaching out and helping others get to where they want to be.

Do you have any advice for young writers of color?
Yes, keep writing.

Any upcoming or unreleased projects that fans may be interested in?
I have a couple of things in the works that I can’t talk about, but I am very excited about.

What is one hope you have for humanity?
I hope that we are able to come together and unite. Nowadays, I feel like things have become very divided, both politically and socio-economically. I hope that people speak from an operational place of love instead of a place of greed and that they stay more loving.

What is your motto in life?
My motto in life is everything happens for a reason and everything happens in divine timing. Trust in the timing of your life.

To stay up to date with all of Mike’s projects, please follow him on the platforms below:
Instagram: @b.l.a.c.k.b.o.y.w.r.i.t.e.s
Twitter: @blackboywrites
Facebook: @MikeH2H
Websites: www.blackboywrites.com/
https://linktr.ee/Mikegauyo

Take A Step Forward With Mike Gauyo