My Best Articles
• 3 Essential Steps to Writing a Killer Logline
• How to Create Great TV Bibles & Treatments
• My Number #1 Tip For Writers: Self-Compassion
• 6 Ways to Turn Your ‘General Meeting’ into a Job Opportunity
• How To Give Good Meeting... And Get the Job, Part One
• How To Give Good Meeting Part Two: Four Key Strategies
• How to Write a One-Pager that Gets Traction
• What is a “Leave-Behind” & When Do You Need One?
• Get your Sh*t Together! 10 Ways to Organize Your Creative Life
All Articles & Blog Posts
How to Network Painlessly Even If You’re an Introvert
The business side of Show Business can be tough for writers, because I know many of you are introverts. But networking is a necessity if you want to have a successful career.
How to Create a Killer Personal Pitch That Will Help You Sell Your Project
Even before you start pitching your project, the buyer is deciding if they want to be in business with you. Even though writers hate to hear this, you have to sell yourself before you can sell your project.
4 Ways to Start a Script that a Reader Can’t Put Down
It’s heartbreaking, but it’s true: many decision makers (agents, producers, and executives) will decide if a writer is good or a project is compelling after reading only the first ten pages of a script. And in TV, it could be as little as the first threepages. This is why the beginning of your script is so important: its life or death often depends on its first few pages.
How to Write Better Dialogue
Writing great dialogue is what makes your story come to life. Some of the most beloved writers are revered for their masterful dialogue, like Nora Ephron and her iconic character banter in WHEN HARRY MET SALLY, or Aaron Sorkin’s rapid-fire dialogue style in THE WEST WING and THE SOCIAL NETWORK.
5 Common Mistakes First-Time Indie Filmmakers Make
Finally producing your first movie is very exciting. You’ve nailed the script (which can take years), you’ve secured financing, and you’re ready to finally (finally!) shoot and sell it. You’ve crossed many difficult hurdles to make it this far. So why do so many first-time filmmakers fail? Read my tips below to avoid common first-time filmmaking mistakes that will help set you up for success.
It's Never Too Late to Have a Screenwriting Career
Want to be a screenwriter but you’re not 22? Don’t panic. Smart showrunners and decision makers are often looking for grownups and will open the door for someone with talent, enthusiasm, and great personal stories. Your work needs to be contemporary, but your life experience can make your writing richer and lend authenticity in meetings and pitches.
What Successful Screenwriters Know About Using Social Media
If you’re hoping to build momentum in your writing career, social media can work in your favor. But it can also be a double-edged sword. Read on for the good, the bad, and how to do it right.
4 Classic Scripts that Deliver on their Promise
Every script makes a promise, and it’s inherent in its genre. If you’re writing a comedy script, it must be funny. If you’re writing horror, your script must be scary. This might sound obvious, but you’d be surprised how many writers fail to execute the promise of their genre on the page.
3 Ways to Turn Your Weaknesses into Strengths
Entertainment is one of the most competitive industries in the world, and it has a knack for testing the strengths – and weaknesses – of everyone brave enough to try to break in. To stay resilient, it’s important to practice accurate self-appraisal and identify what your weaknesses are.
What Does True Success Look Like?
As a writer, your days can fill up quickly. As you spend your time not just writing, but prepping for meetings, navigating notes calls and hustling to get ahead, the bigger picture can become smaller and smaller until you forget what you were looking at in the first place. It’s important to take a moment away from the everyday business of writing to remember why you started, where you’d like to go, and what true success looks like to you.
It's Hollywood! What Could Go Wrong?
Execs that love your project leave their jobs. Companies get bought and dismantled. Your showrunner gets fired. YOU get fired. The network gets a new President with entirely different taste. A project just like yours gets sold or picked up first. This is why you need a Hollywood Game Plan.
Keep Your Writing Chops Up! Some Top Writers' Workshops That Can Help.
If you feel like you’re continually delving into the same tired bag of tricks while crafting your scripts, consider taking a workshop to breathe new life into your writing routine.
Understanding the Broadcast Network Selling, Buying & Producing Cycle
People say the broadcast network system is on the way out, overtaken by cable, streaming and digital platforms. But trust me, it’s not dead yet.
The Top 6 In-Demand TV Comedy Pilot Scripts
Sure, you can take every writing class, seminar, and workshop in the world to improve your writing skills. But there’s still no better way to learn what makes a great pilot than to experience it for yourself. Click the links below to read the top 6 in-demand TV comedy pilot scripts and see what blazing hot material really reads like.
The Top 6 In-Demand TV Drama Pilot Scripts
Many writers over-analyze their work. They obsess about the little things that could make their script great or small mistakes that might be holding it back. But none of this incessant scrutinizing will make a bit of difference until you’ve personally experienced what it’s like to read a killer script.
4 Ways to Break Through Dreaded "Writers Block"
Many screenwriters will tell you that being “in the flow” is one of the greatest – and most elusive – feelings. But what do you do when you just can’t get there?
How to Receive Feedback: The DOs and DONTs
So you’ve just sold a TV pilot idea. Congratulations! Don’t ruin all that hard work by not knowing how to properly receive feedback during the development process.
How to Make Sure Your First TV Series Staffing Job Won't Be Your Last
You’ve finally landed your first staff writing gig, congratulations! Here’s how to make sure it won’t be your last.
How To Create a Hollywood Resume That Gets You to the Top of the Pile
I have some advice on how to turn your blinking cursor into the Hollywood resume that leaps out from the large pile your potential future employer is sloughing through.
How to Get That Elusive Hollywood Mentor
When you’re starting your screenwriting career, you’re hopeful, excited, and pretty confused on how to get ahead, so of course you’d jump at the chance of having a Hollywood mentor take you under her or his wing. Now, for the question everyone’s asking: how do I get one?