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Let's start with the nitty-gritty:
For the past ten years I've have been a story consultant, and
have worked for WARNER BROTHERS, MIRAMAX and THE WILLIAM MORRIS
AGENCY in New York City, and for VILLAGE ROADSHOW, ICON, MAXMEDIA,
THE DON BUCHWALD AGENCY, THE ANGELA RINALDI LITERARY AGENCY
and THE LOS ANGELES LITERARY AGENCY in Los Angeles.
But while credentials are important, at the end of the day what
really counts is motivation. Mine is love of story. That's why
after graduating U.C. Berkeley, I went into publishing. I spent
a decade as an editor and a publicist, first at W.W. Norton
in New York, then at John Muir Publications in Santa Fe, NM.
Over the years I worked up the courage to try my hand at writing.
My sixth spec script, OVERNIGHT SENSATION, brought me to the
attention of producer Brett Hudson, who along with his brother
Bill (Kate Hudson's father), then hired me to write the pilot
and bible for an hour long family drama they were developing,
THE GOOD BAD BOY.
One of the great things you'll find about this business is that
there are all sorts of hidden side roads that open up unexpectedly
when you begin shopping your work - provided it's really ready.
For me, that lead to a gig as head writer on the game show Hudson
was producing for Fox, AMERICAN POP QUIZ, and then to Miramax's
first venture into reality TV, THE BEST MONEY CAN BUY, and to
Bravo's ALL THE PRESIDENTS' MOVIES. My most surprising stop
was Fox's deliciously trashy WHEN GOOD PETS GO BAD, PART II.
It may be a dubious distinction, but I get a certain perverse
thrill from having worked on a show that was mocked on The Simpsons!
Most recently, I was supervising producer on a number of Court
TV specials and on Showtime's late night reality series, MY
FIRST TIME.
One of the best things about my particular circuitous road,
is that all along it I've been working one-on-one with writers
like you. Sure, over the years I've evaluated, analyzed and
given notes on thousands of scripts and manuscripts, including:
HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE, CHOCOLAT, ABOUT A BOY,
BLUE STREAK, BAG OF BONES by Stephen King, THRILL! by Jackie
Collins and RAINBOW SIX by Tom Clancy. And don't get me wrong,
the big names are great. But the truth is, nothing beats the
thrill of reading a screenplay or manuscript by an unknown writer
and realizing that, with a little work - okay, sometimes, a
lot of work - that unknown writer just might be as celebrated
as any of the biggies. Yeah, I am talking about you! |
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"Ability is nothing without opportunity."
-- Napoleon Bonaparte |
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"Writing is rewriting. A writer must learn to deepen characters, trim writing, intensify scenes. To fall in love with a first draft to the point where one cannot change it is to greatly enhance the prospects of never finding an audience."
-- Richard North Patterson |
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"I don't think it's very useful to open wide the door for young artists; the ones who break down the door are more interesting."
-- Paul Schrader |
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