General Hospital breakdown writer bids farewell to soap

Shannon Peace, who has been writing for General Hospital since 2021, has confirmed she is no longer on contract with the ABC soap.

Just as General Hospital's new head writing team of Elizabeth Korte and Patrick Mulcahey gets off to a roaring start with the return of Jason Morgan comes some news that isn't as great: breakdown writer Shannon Peace is no longer on contract with the long-running ABC soap.

Peace, who earned a degree in screenwriting at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts, announced the news on her Instagram page on March 26.

"After almost 3 years on staff and 106 episodes penned, I am no longer on contract with General Hospital," Peace wrote. "Writing for this country's longest running television serial drama has been an education of epic proportions; I will forever be grateful that I earned my WGA card on a daytime fixture that holds memories for so many."

Peace went on to talk about diversity on soaps and important scenes she wrote as the only Black member of the show's writing team.

"Even more importantly, as the sole Black breakdown writer (and only POC in the writers room) during my tenure, I pushed for vital interactions and discussions that prioritized inclusion, visibility, and representation," she continues. "Stella and Portia's frank July 2022 conversation about the role race played in Esme's framing of Trina is just one example of the impact I'm gratified to have had."

Peace also thanked former GH head writers Chris Van Etten and Dan O'Connor for helping her bring more diverse stories to life. She admitted that she has a soft spot for the romance of Spencer and Trina, Sprina for short, and regrets not being able to write for them anymore.

"I also want to thank fans who were so supportive and complimentary of my work, especially the recognition of my love for Sprina," she said before stressing that she hopes GH continues allowing different voices to be heard.

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"In the aftermath of a historic writer's strike that shed new light on the troubling ways writers are regarded in daytime, my sincere hope is that General Hospital recommits to valuing staff writer efforts and input, with a more intentional focus on diverse viewpoints -- and thrives for another 60 years."

What do you think? Have you appreciated the intentional work on hearing diverse voices? Do you hope it continues? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.

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