By Sona Schmidt-Harris | [email protected]

Lonnie Baker Bradley shatters the illusion of the writer sitting alone poring over her work in contemplative and tortured silence. Not only is she cheerful, but she also gives back. Bradley is president of the League of Utah Writers, Millcreek branch, where writers support one another whether novice or accomplished.

Bradley has a broad range of writing experience including national magazines, screenplays, podcasts and other genres. Her play “A Grimm Tale” took first place in the TLS Frankfurt Playwriting Competition, and was produced at the International Theater in Frankfurt, Germany. 

Bradley is most animated when discussing her screenplay “Stranger Dangers,” a film directed in Hollywood by Sean McNamara (Nickelodeon) that received the National Parents’ Choice Award.

“The way it came about is, I had written a video for a company called Capstone, and they needed a scriptwriter for a film that they were doing in Hollywood for the director of Nickelodeon. So, I overheard their conversations in the office, and I said, ‘You know, I could do that for you.’” Bradley worked with a scriptwriting partner.

In the script, a Martian comes down to Earth and unfortunately keeps getting kidnapped.  He, with the children watching “Stranger Dangers,” learns the rules that kids need to know about not getting kidnapped.

“I got to go to Hollywood and be the writer on the set and experience what it is like. It was really a high point of my life. And so I started writing more and more screenplays hoping I could get some more bought. I’m on my sixth one,” Bradley said.

Armed with a master’s degree in education and a bachelor’s degree in English, Bradley taught at Salt Lake Community College and Iowa State. She has also taught children as young as 5.

The following excerpt of Bradley’s writing first appeared in “Salt Lake Magazine”:

“On a rainy Easter weekend, Rebecca and Mark Prescott climbed into the back of a rented Suzuki jeep. ‘No worries, mate,’ the driver said as they headed toward the Great Barrier Reef. They had always dreamed of seeing the largest coral reef in the world, so on their honeymoon, they headed to Australia. 

“Suddenly, their world turned upside down as their jeep went out of control on the slick road and rolled into a mangrove swamp. The first thing Mark saw was Rebecca’s body lying face-down in the mud. Excruciating pain from his head and ribs impeded his frantic struggle to get to her, yet he fought for each critical second. When he turned his wife over into his arms, her eyes rolled back. She slipped into a coma that would change their lives forever.”

From “Dreamtime.” “Dreamtime” was an article about a woman, Rebecca, who became an artist after an accident.

Though Bradley’s success as a writer has brought her joy, she said, “My greater love really is running this writing workshop for the League of Utah Writers. Once a month we meet at Millcreek Community Center, and it has been a wonderful joy to be with these people who are in all genres of writing.”

Bradley especially enjoys the support the writers, both novice and accomplished, provide for one another.

The League of Utah Writers, Millcreek meets the second Thursday of each month at 1:30 p.m. in the Millcreek Room at Millcreek Community Center, 2266 East Evergreen Avenue. Check it out — you just may have a Lonnie Baker Bradley inside wanting to come out.