A rundown of the articles “from the inside” written by me and WGA guest contributors — I’ve been a member of the Writers Guild of America West since the aughts. The sacrifices past members made on behalf of the union won me every protection I have today as a screenwriter. In fact, I would have nothing in my career without their efforts. Consequently, I must do…

These essays about my career in the US film/TV business will hopefully leave aspiring screenwriters better prepared than I was when I arrived in Los Angeles. — After fifteen years as a professional screenwriter, I think it’s fair to say I have accumulated some war stories. Anyone who’s managed to stick around for that long in this business can say the same. When I joined Medium, one of my goals was to share some of them with…

After fifteen years as a professional film and TV screenwriter, I’ve started talking with old and new friends about who they are and how their personal stories inform the screenplays they write — Earlier this year, I turned to Medium and, more recently, Substack as ways to both discuss the arts and explore my own passion for them. The exploration part of this commitment involved interviewing artists I admire — authors, filmmakers, musicians, fine artists, and more — something I hadn’t done in…

The guest contributor discusses our Guild’s ‘glorious’ deal with the AMPTP, the cruelty of the companies that necessitated the strike, and the importance of collective bargaining in our culture — I’ve invited a guest contributor to discuss the Writers Guild of America’s new deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP): screenwriter, novelist, and former president of the WGA Howard A. Rodman.

After twenty years as a bestselling and award-winning comic book creator, the writer discovered he still had a lot to learn…from TV writers’ rooms, of all places — I can’t imagine there are many people in the world who would argue with the assertion that Ed Brubaker is one of the greatest comic book writers of all time. For a quarter-century, his work on creator-owned crime comic books and superhero series has inspired readers, influenced countless artists, and…

From real-life doctor to the writers’ room of ‘GREY’S ANATOMY’ and its latest spin-off, the screenwriter found a unique way to marry her two greatest passions — saving lives and storytelling — A mutual friend introduced Zoanne Clack to me seven years ago, and in the years since I’ve known her as a Writers Guild of America West Board member, a doctor, and a writer on and producer of “GREY’S ANATOMY”. As if this weren’t enough, she was also the mother of…

A compilation of arts-related articles that you might’ve missed — Note: You can read this article in its entirety at my arts newsletter on Substack, 5AM STORYTALK, which I encourage you to subscribe to for free. It’s my preferred way of communicating with readers. On the first and third Wednesday of every month, I share a list of arts-related articles…

From real life crime to crime writing — and, of course, superheroes — the comic book titan turned TV creator discusses his creative journey — When Ed Brubaker’s name showed up in the comments section of my Substack, the art junky in me screamed. The multi-hyphenate storyteller — who has won more Eisners than I feel like counting — has been a part of my creative life since I first discovered his semi-autographical comic book…

A compilation of arts-related articles you might’ve missed — Note: You can read this article in its entirety at my arts newsletter on Substack, 5AM STORYTALK, which I encourage you to subscribe to for free. It’s my preferred way of communicating with readers. On the first and third Wednesday of every month, I share a list of arts-related articles…