Brainstorm. Write. Repeat.
Before I was brave enough to call myself a writer, I was writing. It came in spurts. I’d get an idea and I’d start putting words on the page. At the [...]
Your Amazing Year!
The holidays are whipping by as they usually do. They might be leaving you breathless with parties and shopping and other celebrations. Or perhaps you’re relaxing in front of the [...]
What’s The Plan?
This used to be my biggest impediment as a writer: I’d get so excited about an idea that I’d just start writing. No outline, no nothing. Somewhere along the line [...]
Write. Don’t Tell.
This happens all the time: I'm out somewhere and I meet a new person who is excited to hear that I'm a writer and a writing coach. The person claims she [...]
Call & Response
In any dramatic scene, the energy should flow back and forth – like a tennis match. Someone says or does something and the other person responds. In the best scenes [...]
Here’s What They Think of Your Writing
Recently, I saw a post on Facebook about contest submissions for writers. The person who posted was making the point that assessments about the winners and losers are "sometimes subjective". I [...]
Stop Thinking
This strange phenomenon happens all the time. I encounter a creative person who says they're stuck. Often they paint themselves as desperate: looking for a lifeline from anywhere. Sometimes they claim to [...]
Wisdom From Comic Con!
For the first time, I was invited to speak on a panel at Comic Con. The UCLA Extension School put a panel together of instructors who work in the entertainment [...]
People Die
When I was in playwriting school, there were three distinct groups of artists under the umbrella of the school's Drama Division: playwrights, directors and actors. We collaborated on occasion, but [...]
