In this interview, Christopher Soriano reflects on leaving Watsonville for Los Angeles and how that in‑between identity shapes his voice, discusses the resonance of his poetry collection the world is burning and i’m late for work and its exploration of mental health, relationships, and generational anxiety, and shares how moving fluidly between poetry, plays, and screenplays informs his work with Work in Progress (WIP) Productions, his love for intimate rom‑com and slice‑of‑life stories inspired by studios like A24, and his commitment to creating honest, form‑driven stories that meet people wherever they are.
Hi Christopher, thank you so much for joining us again. You grew up in Watsonville and moved to Los Angeles nearly seven years ago to pursue writing. What motivated that move, and how has living in LA shaped your voice as a poet and storyteller?
Los Angeles was an awakening for me. I love my hometown of Watsonville, CA. I miss it dearly every day. That said, moving to Los Angeles was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. There’s something about LA that fueled my desire to pursue my dream no matter what. I will always consider myself a citizen of Watsonville, but I consider myself one of Los Angeles just as much by now. And of course, that has been a theme in some of my stories through the years. The leaving of your old community for a new one. Looking back matters a lot to me. I’m essentially a pillar of salt, and that’s very human of me.
Your poetry collection the world is burning and i’m late for work really resonated with readers. What themes were you exploring in that book, and how did writing poetry influence the way you approach other forms like plays and screenplays?
I was genuinely surprised and grateful for the support my book received last year. Yes, I have a poetry collection titled the world is burning and i’m late for work, and it turned one year old on January 19th, 2026. It had very minimal marketing and was mostly sold through word of mouth via friends and family. That said, it managed to strike a chord with every reader I’ve met. I think there’s a reason for that. The book deals with my personal journey with mental health issues, relationship woes, and financial insecurity. Those are three themes a lot of millennials and Gen Z-ers can universally agree are in crisis. On top of that, the world really is burning, and we’re still expected to go to work as if everything was normal. It’s not. Nothing is normal about what’s going on right now. It hasn’t been for a long time. Yet here we are, and I think a lot of folks were able to relate to the book for that very reason. It fits the moment, for better or worse.
You wear a lot of creative hats — poet, playwright, screenwriter. How do you decide which stories want to live on the page, the stage, or the screen?
I love this question, because it’s a daily struggle for me. But talking about it helps. In all seriousness, each project/ work of art has an essence when it’s formed in my head, and I try my best to think of what format works best to capture that essence. I’m not always right the first time. I adapted a short story I was never able to finish into a feature-length screenplay. The story worked better in that genre. It’s the same with another idea I had for a novel that is now being adapted as a stageplay. And that’s the beauty of being a creative. You can wear so many different hats at different moments. I don’t just have to be a poet. I can also be a screenwriter, playwright, and novelist. You are not limited. You can create whatever you want. You want them to kiss in the story, make them kiss. It’s a beautiful and liberating concept.
You’re also the primary writer for Work in Progress (WIP) Productions. How did that collaboration come together, and what excites you most about building stories as part of a creative team?
I love working with WIP Productions. They have been very welcoming and kind to me from the very beginning. I first met them back in 2019 through a mutual friend. I had just moved down to Los Angeles and had no screenwriting background, having earned my MFA in fiction writing instead. That said, they decided to give me a shot. Our project have been a long time coming, but we are finally making things happen. A music video we wrote and filmed for Nesquik was just released. We finished filming a short film that have might have more potential as a feature. And we are preparing larger projects as well. It took a while for us to get our feet off the ground. But I couldn’t be more excited for what’s next.
WIP has been producing short films and is now moving into bigger projects like a feature screenplay and a vertical drama series. What can you share about the direction those projects are taking and the kinds of stories you’re most drawn to telling next?
I can’t share too much about those projects, unfortunately. At least, not yet. Yes, we are moving on from smaller projects to larger ones.But we are keeping those under wraps for now. As for the other question being what kind of stories I’m most drawn to telling, I really want to write a perfect rom-com. A24 is one of my favorite filmmakers and I personally strive to be just as good as them. Of course, we are a film crew with numerous voices who will want to produce different genres and projects. But I personally love a good rom-com and slice-of-life story. I think it comes from my initial background as a novelist. But those are the stories I love to tell.
As you look ahead in your writing career, what feels most energizing right now — and what do you hope people take away when they experience your work, whether it’s a poem, a short film, or a larger cinematic project?
I don’t think that’s up to me. People are going to experience my work in different ways, which is completely valid. Sometimes my work won’t resonate with others, and that’s fine. My work isn’t universal; it’s not for everyone. But what’s motivating me right now are the possiblities of what my work can be. I can work on a screenplay this week, a stage play the next, and an epic poem in between the two. It’s exciting to dream what I’m capable of. And I’m grateful for the support I have to pursue it. That’s why I feel the need to work so hard for it. I can’t let anyone down. Not my friends. Not my crew. Not my family. But also, not myself. I’ll make everyone proud.
