Diablo Cody aka Candy Girl Wrote 'Juno' Oscar Contender (Photos)

is the pen name for. The writer and blogger was first known for her yearlong stint of stripping and doing peepshows in Minneapolis. She chronicled her escapades in a 2006 memoir, Candy Girl: A Year in The Life of an Unlikely Stripper.

Cody, 29, wrote her first screenplay two years ago and against all odds, it has turned golden for her. The 2007 movie, Juno, tells the story of a 16 year old who finds herself pregnant. The movie, directed by Jason Reitman, was rolled out in limited release, beginning in early December. It has picked up momentum, rave reviews and is developing an Oscar buzz. She has several other screenplays in the works, including a Showtime pilot The United States of Tara, that she is working on with Steven Spielberg.

Calling herself an emotional scavenger, the writer admits to being fascinated with stripping and all things seedy. She told David Letterman that the reason she changed her name was because Brook sounded tedious. Diablo means devil.

She is married to graphic designer Jon Hunt. The former exotic dancer called her current life both charmed and frenzied. The media hype is way over the top right now but she is doing what she can to keep herself grounded under the sudden onrush of success.

Entertainment Weekly named Cody to their 50 Smartest People in Hollywood. Her film is a runaway hit that has been nominated for three Oscars, including one for Writing (Original Screenplay). Not bad for a woman who is still young and finding her way.

