Exploring Other Worlds

My name is Claire Elaine Newman and I spend my life exploring other worlds! In my day job I explore the atmospheres of Earth, Mars and Titan, and sometimes get to tell the Curiosity Rover what to do on Mars. The rest of the time you can find me creating other strange and exciting worlds in my fantasy/sci-fi scripts and novels. After many years living in Los Angeles, California I'm a dual UK-US citizen but am now based back in the UK in beautiful Cornwall.

LATEST NEWS: I won Reel One Entertainment's 2022 "Write a Romcom" competition.

FEATURE SCRIPTS: My fantasy-drama "Devotion" reached the second round at Austin in 2019.

TV SCRIPTS: In 2013, my "Castle" spec was a Finalist at Austin. In 2015, I reached the final interview round of the WB TV Writers' Fellowship with a spec for "Arrow" and my pilot script "Incarnate," and I have reached the second round twice since. In 2017, my "Jane the Virgin" spec was a Quarterfinalist at Scriptapalooza. My pilot "Book of Ruth" reached the Quarterfinals of the Script Pipeline competition in 2018, and my latest pilot "Wolven" was inspired by what I wanted to watch during lockdown on the edge of Bodmin Moor, Cornwall!

NOVELS: In 2018 I published my first novel "The Matchmaker: Valentine's Day" on Amazon and am now working on the sequel.

FEATURE SCRIPTS

In fantasy drama "Devotion" a dog who dies saving the life of his owner’s daughter is rewarded by being brought back as a man, then falls in love with his family all over again as he learns how to live as a human. It’s Starman meets A Dog’s Purpose. "Devotion" reached the second round at Austin in 2019. Read an extract here and another here.

In drama "Safe" a Hollywood tour guide who took refuge on his bus after a traumatic home invasion is forced back to his old home, but his return to normality soon becomes a nightmare. Read an extract here and another here.

I also co-wrote the screenplay for romantic comedy "Chinese Girl" under contract for Serenity Media.

TV PILOT SCRIPTS

In modern fantasy drama "Wolven" Met detective Rosie Cantrell flees London to stay with her aging mother in Cornwall, but finds complications in the form of an attractive young carpenter and the legends surrounding the village of Wolfbole. Read excerpts here, here, and here.

In 1960s drama "Book of Ruth" a woman raised in a midwest religious sect must adapt to life in a liberal LA suburb when her husband starts grad school at Caltech. "Book of Ruth" reached the Quarterfinals of the Script Pipeline competition in 2018. Read the script here.

In fantasy drama "The Matchmaker" a cynical ex-cop turned PI who's turned his back on romance is cursed to become a supernatural matchmaker. "The Matchmaker" reached the second round [top 10% of TV pilots] at Austin in 2013. Read the script here.

You can also email me at planetwriter@gmail.com to request any of my three current TV pilot scripts not available online:

  • Light-hearted sci-fi drama "Readers" about a telepathic hustler who has to curb her life of crime to give her teenage daughter a normal life.

  • Dark sci-fi thriller "Incarnate" in which a successful horror writer hunts those responsible for his wife's death, and uncovers an ancient order that holds the secret of eternal life. ("Incarnate" reached the second round at Austin in 2014.

  • Fantasy drama "The Sorcerer" about an ex-soldier with exceptional survival instincts who finds he's the last in a unique bloodline of men and women who can access incredible mental powers. But will he survive long enough to master his new abilities?

NOVELS

In 2018 I turned my fantasy drama pilot "The Matchmaker" into a first novel. You can purchase or read an extract from "The Matchmaker: Valentine's Day" on Amazon and can also read the book free if you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited!

I'm now working on the sequel to "The Matchmaker" and looking forward to bringing more of my characters to life in novel form with a series of books inspired by my light-hearted sci-fi pilot "Readers."

OTHER WRITING

TV spec scripts

I've written numerous spec scripts for a range of TV shows, from "Castle" (which was a finalist at Austin) to "Jane the Virgin" to my most recent spec for "Billions." You can find my spec scripts here.

Short scripts

I recently had the joy and privilege of seeing two of my short scripts acted out by a fantastic group of actors. Thanks, Henry et al.!

"Father and Son" is a drama about the tragedy of dementia, while "Truth or Dare" is a dark comedy about what happens when secrets are revealed among a group of friends.

You can find both short scripts and some photos from the staged reading of "Truth or Dare" here.