Credits/Important Assignments:
- Executive Producer, The Nanny Diaries
- Co-Producer and Producer, Friends
- Story Editor and Executive Story Editor, Becker
- Staff Writer, Jesse Formative
Creative Experiences: Hours of Television Watching as a kid; Writer's Boot Camp, Spending Time in the Writer's Room
Influential Movies or TV Shows: HAPPINESS, WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE, ANNIE HALL, Seinfeld
Comment on Your WBC Experience: I've taken two writer's boot camp classes -- one in nyc seven years ago and one in LA April 2003. I found both classes extremely helpful in terms of structure, format, and teacher and class feedback. I recommend the program to any writer at any point in his career.
What are your favorite WBC tools? Honestly, I found every single assigment extremely helpful. The 3-6-3 is an amazing tool. Also, the mini script is an invaluable way to get past writers' block and just start writing.
How you got your start in the business: After I took my first WBC class, I moved out to LA and continued to rewrite my spec for about 3 months. That script got me an agent at William Morris and he helped me to get my first tv job.
How many hours per week do you devote to your creative work: When we are in production, we can work extremely long hours. Till three in the morning sometimes. This past hiatus, I took WBC and worked on a screenplay; I tried to put in ten hours or more.
What biases or preferences do you have regarding the writing process? Rewriting is the most important and the hardest for me. I tend to want to be done with something before I really am. I suggest taking some time away from a project once in a while when you feel burnt out so you can come back to it with fresh eyes. I don't know if that's a "bias or a preference."
Do you have any special rituals, places you write, etc.? I like the idea of going to the coffee bean or to a cafe, but every time I do, I feel like I forget something or there are too many distractions. I get the most work done at home. For me, I can't do more than 4 hours of solid work a day.
Do you have anything you’d like to say about LA or the entertainment world? As bad a rep as the industry has, I find it refreshing that in order to succeed as a writer, you need a good script. No matter who you know, no one will hire you as a writer unless you are talented.