Independent Writers' Caucus
Shauna Ray Ratapu
Shauna Ray Ratapu (she/her) is a California-born, Aotearoa/New Zealand-seasoned Gen X storyteller whose work blurs the line between the tragic and the absurd. A former high school drama teacher and theater company owner, she now writes women-centric, character-driven dark comedies infused with serendipity and a touch of magical realism. A Page Awards Semifinalist, Stowe Story Labs Semifinalist, and two-time Austin Film Festival Second Rounder, Shauna draws inspiration from a life raised by a single, alcoholic archaeologist mother and a bar-owning, gunslinging grandmother — figures who taught her that chaos and humor often share the same barstool.
After nearly two decades in Aotearoa/New Zealand, Shauna returned to Southern California in 2019. Her writing carries the layered textures of both worlds, shaped by her Māori husband of 30 years and their three exceptionally talented grown-ass children — two queer, two women, all Indigenous, and one disabled. Through them, and through her cross-cultural lens, Shauna explores the beautifully messy intersections of identity, resilience, and belonging.
Honors & Awards
Semifinalist, The Page Awards - HEN - 2025
Second Rounder, Austin Film Festival - STARS ALSO DIE - 2025
Semifinalist, STOWE STORY LABS FELLOWSHIP AWARDS - 2024
Non-WGA/Caucus-only Member
Female, 55+
STARS ALSO DIE
Feature | Darkly Comedic Family Drama HIS THREE DAUGHTERS meets THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS but with a cosmic twist
When their emotionally abusive, Carl Sagan-obsessed mom is put on hospice care, four estranged siblings reunite for a hilariously dark and cosmically chaotic Thanksgiving.
HEN
Halfhour Dramatic Comedy | Mystery | SciFi
In the spirit of HACKS, BETTER THINGS, and a splash of THE GOOD PLACE
A sharp-witted empty nester becomes obsessed with a mystical sourdough and the enigmatic TikTok baker behind it, sparking a cosmic unraveling of her reality, identity, and everything she thought she’d already baked in.
BIG WHEEL
Feature | Darkly Comedic Family Drama THE SKELETON TWINS meets HONEY BOY in THE FLORIDA PROJECT
When a helicopter mom with PTSD takes in her recovering “asshole” brother, her suburban sanctuary begins to crumble with every reminder of the feral and fearless little girl she was in 1976.
Character-driven, Female-centric, Queer, Coming-of-Age, Dark, International, Magical Realism
Female, 55+
Unrepped