Life & Work with Amy Mass of Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Mass.

Hi Amy, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
When I was 4-years old I used my mom’s typewriter and copied my favorite library book letter for letter, declaring I was an author. While I’ve always known I wanted to be a writer, the medium keeps changing and I’m currently on my third writing career.

I got my start as an advertising creative assistant in New York City the day after I turned 21. I eventually became a copywriter and wrote everything from those Verizon “Can you Hear me Now?” commercials to Taco Bell ads. One of my most memorable moments from my advertising days was when I was visiting a friend in Chicago and randomly saw a Mastercard “Priceless” ad I had written on a billboard at a Cubs game.

When I realized 30 seconds wasn’t long enough for me, I moved to Los Angeles with dreams of becoming a TV writer. To get my foot in the door, I quit my senior copywriting job and took a 90% pay decrease to become a showrunner’s assistant… starting at the bottom again. But it was a risk I needed to take in order to break into a highly competitive industry. (There’s a stat that says you’re more likely to become a professional baseball player than get into the Writer’s Guild – the Screenwriting Union.) From there I worked my way up and was a sitcom writer for 15 years on shows like “Last Man Standing” and “The Goldbergs”.

During the pandemic, when Hollywood shut down, my family and I moved outside Atlanta. I’ve been enjoying a slower pace of life and have transitioned to writing movies and books. After five years of writing, querying and pitching, my first romantic comedy novel, REALITY BITES, came out May 12th, 2026 with Harper Collins.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Being young and broke on an assistant’s salary in New York was definitely a challenge. I could barely afford rent in the 3-bedroom house in Queens that I shared with several roommates, so I had to get creative. I used to take leftover bagels from meetings at work and save them for dinner, and I quickly learned which bars had free food at happy hour.

TV writing had its own set of challenges. Once you’re a working TV writer, getting hired on a show that lasts more than one season is like winning the lottery. Shows are constantly getting canceled so it’s like you’re applying to a new job every year.

And being a woman in comedy writing was an obstacle in itself. Often there were only one or two women on staff and a lot of the time, I was the only woman in the writers’ room. Sometimes it felt like an uphill battle making sure the female actors were getting good jokes and storylines that weren’t cliched or offensive. One time I even had a showrunner tell me to focus on plot and story because he needed “big fat men with big fat jokes.”

Needless to say, it’s been so refreshing and freeing to write my own stories now. I’m thoroughly enjoying my latest career shift; penning action-comedy screenplays and romantic comedy novels. And while the writing process feels easier and more fulfilling in a lot of ways, there have been some unexpected challenges. I have films in development where directors or actors drop off the project for one reason or another, and everything always seems to take longer than you think it will. And on the book side, I didn’t realize how much self-promotion, marketing and social media that authors are expected to do. While I love interacting with readers and fellow writers on Instagram and TikTok, I see how it can become a full-time job.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m happy to say that my dream as a 4-year-old with her mother’s typewriter has finally come true: I’m a published author.

REALITY BITES is my debut romcom in which a scientist reluctantly becomes a contestant on a trashy reality dating show in order to save her lab—only to realize her secrets are threatened when romance unexpectedly finds her behind the scenes.

My goal is to continue writing comedies and rom coms, that are heavy on the “com.”

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Making others happy is what makes me happy. My writing leans heavily into comedy because I love the escapism it gives us and I strongly believe laughter is the balm we need to get through tough times. Whether it’s a TV show, movie or book, I hope my words make people laugh, brighten their day, or give them a much needed break from reality. If I can make just one person happier because of something I’ve written, I’ll feel like I’ve served my purpose.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.AmyMass.com and/or https://www.harpercollins.com/products/reality-bites-amy-mass?variant=44065294712866
• Instagram: @amymasswriter
• Other: tiktok: @amymasswriter