Monica Cecilia Lucas is a neurodivergent, Puerto Rican screenwriter who hails from suburban California. Raised by a career-military father and a New Yorican mother, Monica lived a sheltered childhood of strictly enforced rules. As a teenager, she rebelled the best way she knew how: by moving to rural Ohio, where she sank deep into the world of politics. After receiving her BA in Political Science, she relocated to Washington, DC where she spent four years as a political activist working in the U.S. Department of State and for various nonprofits and think tanks. Disillusioned by the 2016 election, she abandoned her political ambitions and moved to Los Angeles, where she received her MFA in Writing for Screen and Television from USC.

Although she left politics, Monica is still heavily invested in social and political change, and believes that stories are a far more powerful way of influencing hearts and minds than white papers and politically motivated blog posts. She hopes to use film and TV as a platform to tell meaningful stories that promote empathy and human connection.

These ideals are reflected in Monica’s writing. She tells character-driven stories about complicated relationships and uneasy power dynamics. Her work has earned her recognition as a recipient of Inevitable Foundation’s Accelerate Fellowship and the inaugural Visionary Fellowship. She was a member of the 2024 Artist Disruptors Fellowship and is member of the 2025 Mentorship Matters cohort. She was a participant in the 2023 Story Incubator Lab and was the 2021 JHRTS Feature Drama Winner. In addition to screenwriting, Monica has also written for narrative podcasts and games. Her commitment to a better future is reflected by her participation in the Renew America Together Civility Leadership Institute as well has her volunteer work for Women of Cinematic Arts and Reading Partners.

Monica currently has her first short film in development. She’s repped by RBEL Agency and Elevate.