Danielle Tjoelker

http://DanielleTjoelker.com

Danielle Tjoelker is an award-winning screenwriter who writes where resistance meets romance, and power meets partnership. A former corporate leader turned storyteller, Danielle channels a decade of managing global teams into emotionally charged narratives about ambition, dignity, and belonging. Her genre-spanning portfolio includes dramas like Sexually Speaking (Page Turner & ISA Fast Track Winner), workplace comedies like Garbage People (Creative World Awards Winner), and horror features like Ravenous (CineStory Feature Retreat).

Her latest pilot, Speedway, follows two women fighting to dominate motorsport in an industry that doesn’t want them there — a story about legacy, rivalry, and rewriting the rules of power. Danielle’s writing lives at the intersection of grit and grace — emotional stories with social bite, told through flawed, driven characters who refuse to be reduced. A Coverfly Top 1% writer and Stage 32 Recommended Writer, she crafts stories that challenge convention and expand who gets to lead on screen.

Honors & Awards

Featured, The Stunt List - SEXUALLY SPEAKING - 2025

Featured, The Golden List: Best Unproduced Screenplays of the Year - SEXUALLY SPEAKING - 2024

Finalist, Cinestory TV Retreat - SPEEDWAY - 2025

Non-WGA/Caucus-only Member

Female, LGBTQ+, 40+

GARBAGE PEOPLE

1/2 Hour TV, Workplace Dramedy

Parks n’ Rec meets Schitt’s Creek

When married white-collar criminals are sentenced to time served in waste management, they must shelve their egos to connect with their wholehearted coworkers and complete their community service without going to prison.

SEXUALLY SPEAKING

Hour TV, Historical Dramedy

Julia meets Sex Education 

In 1980, Dr. Ruth Westheimer teams up with an intrepid producer to launch the radio show that will make her the most famous sex therapist in the world, transforming the conversation about sex in America.

SPEEDWAY

Hour TV, Action Adventure Dramedy

GLOW meets F1

In the male-dominated world of IndyCar racing, accomplished driver Rachel and unyielding track owner Courtney engineer a rivalry between their all-female team and an all-male team to gather sponsorships and climb the ranks of the Indy 500.

Character-driven, Female-centric, Queer, Western, Fantasy, Horror, Historical/Alternative History, Coming-of-Age

Female, LGBTQ+, 40+

unrepped