January 2011
3 posts
Letter To A Writer
J -
One of my resolutions is to stop giving people advice, because I feel like one of my kneejerk reactions is to just immediately launch into telling people what to do. And I don’t like that about myself. Call it ‘bossy older sister syndrome’.
I will say this: I stuck with novel writing way longer than I should have because it was what I always wanted to do with my life...
December 2010
9 posts
Story Shorthand
I used to write slowly. As a novelist, I would meander, let myself go, simmer, get stopped up, go around in circles, find my way again and again. I still do that, I just do it very fast now.
If you’re on a deadline, but want to write a rich story fast, here’s a shorthand:
Every character gets an arc that hits at least three beats:
We meet them when they’re low — or...
Get Dangerous
I went in to meet with a film executive the other day, who asked – why did The Dish think you were ‘too dark’?
I told him – because I’m dangerous.
As an artist, I threaten the status quo. I test boundaries. I push limits.
Now, that isn’t to say I don’t get along with people or don’t follow directions or don’t take notes. I do. I believe in storytelling as a collaboration, and TV as one of the...