If cultural connection, curiosity, and interrogation is some bedrock to our interest in, and fondness for the genre, what else draws audiences so endlessly to these films?

Kids are very aware of what’s going on around them. And I think they want to escape into worlds that ultimately make sense, regardless of the offbeat concepts or quirks that define those worlds.

It’s true that some people are born with a natural loathing for screenwriting. But that doesn’t mean it’s unattainable for the rest of us.

If a writer is going to present his POV in those big, neon letters, becoming almost strident in his or her moral clarity, then one should hope to be as clever as Sorkin.

Let women be women, let mothers be badass. Let us fight! You won’t be disappointed.

It’s almost like I’ve got a blank page on which to write this new entity from scratch. Similar to creating a character for a screenplay.

It was time to grow. I could see it coming miles away, and I knew it wouldn’t be pleasant.

It's more valuable that you know how people answer their own questions without your input, since you won't always be in the room when audiences experience your work.

Unless you’re writing only for you, you need to keep the audience in mind. Especially if that audience is the gatekeeper to all your hopes and dreams.

The working-class is what I know, and they’re almost always at the heart of the stories I tell. As for why we’re not hearing enough about them—I don’t know. Superheroes are overqualified for the jobs out here.

Overworking doesn’t make you a better or more dedicated writer.

"I’ve become, like many of my peers, frustrated with the machinations of getting a film made in Hollywood ... I’m only interested in work that speaks to me on a very personal and intimate level.’’

I hope this story offers readers some kind of kindling—for warmth, or to stir some hidden fire. Mostly, I hope this story helps someone reclaim their own skin—whatever that means to them.

Mistake 3: Accidentally direct-messaging an agent on Twitter who I thought was my IRL childhood friend.

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