Billy Ray on Writing Hope in Dark Times, and Building Future Worlds — Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators

What does it take to write a story that faces darkness without surrendering to it?

In this episode, Tricia speaks with acclaimed screenwriter Billy Ray about his move into YA fiction with Burn the Water, a future-set story shaped by Shakespeare, political urgency, and a deep belief in young people's capacity to lead us forward. Their conversation explores community, imagination, hope, and the discipline of creating when the world feels bleak. Billy also offers a sharp look at his writing process, including what changed when he moved from screenwriting to novel writing, and why he sees writing less as inspiration and more as problem-solving.

In this conversation, you'll hear:

Why Billy Ray believes community is at the core of everything he writes
How Romeo and Juliet and The Hunger Games helped shape Burn the Water
Why setting a story 400 years in the future opened up new creative possibilities
What it means to write for teens living through uncertainty and disenfranchisement
Why hope is not passive, but something we practice
How writing can help us process emotion, perspective, and possibility
What surprised Billy most about shifting from screenwriting to novel writing
Why he approaches writing like a mechanic, not a mystic
How structure, routine, and problem-solving power his creative process

Memorable ideas from the episode:
Billy Ray reflects on the role of story in helping us imagine better futures, even when the present feels unstable. He talks about art as a way to tell the truth through invention, and about the importance of refusing hopelessness. He also shares a compelling view of young people, not as passive inheritors of crisis, but as the very people who may lead us through it.

Episode takeaway
This is a conversation about craft, courage, and the necessity of hope. For writers, readers, and anyone thinking seriously about the futures we are building, this episode offers both creative insight and moral clarity.

Join Tricia for a free Futures Literacy session:

https://triciafriedman.com/futureoffun/