R.B. Ripley was thrilled to discover that a shameless childhood television and movie addiction was actually excellent preparation for a writing career. Early on as a writer, he recognized his own folly as a way to reach audiences, and because of this, his work tends to explore universal experiences that connect people, often with the elements of family or an underdog battling an unwinnable dilemma, and set against the backdrop of social injustice.
Currently, he’s working on a dark comedy feature for actor/writer/producer Josh Gad about a junior high school teacher’s tenure battle of wits against a nefarious principal. He's also developing a corporate thriller feature set in the near future set against the backdrop of water theft, and a 1-hour pilot set in western Montana, centered around a Native American nation's struggle against the state and Federal forces over Treaty land. Recently, he wrote two made-for-television movies. He has been a finalist for both the Disney ABC and National Hispanic Media Coalition TV Writing programs, and was recently named as one of ISA's Top 25 Writers. He began his career in development, having worked at Paramount, Disney, Cruise|Wagner and Script Shark. In addition to a daily writing schedule, he helps keeps his story skills sharp by consulting for Third Act Screenplays, and reading for Odd Lot Films.
Ripley earned an MFA in Dramatic Writing from Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama and holds a BA in Music from the University of Houston. When not writing, he enjoys travelling, attending baseball games and plays, and volunteering for a variety of local animal shelters. He’s also mildly obsessed with the green movement, though, a bit embarrassingly, can’t quite get the hang of composting. Ripley currently resides in Los Angeles with his wonderful husband of 19 years and their rescued pooch.