Primarily a screenwriter, Zainab discovered her passion at the age of fourteen. Before bringing her own ideas to life, she gained valuable experience working as a production assistant for several years. Her films went on to compete in both national and international festivals, expanding her professional horizons. Zainab later served as a script judge and reader for the esteemed Austin Film Festival. It was during this time that she conceived the project Who Is Lee?, a story she ultimately realized was best suited as a novel before adapting it into other formats.