Last week was interesting. It was week 20 of my 20-week contract on Covert Affairs
and on Wednesday I hadn’t heard whether I was going to be renewed or whether my tenure at the show had ended. I’d been really balanced about the whole thing. Overall the job has been going really well and I’d been showing up to the best of my ability and really enjoying the work and the other writers. So I was surprised in the middle of the week to be obsessing about whether not I’d be coming back. And, since Friday was the end date, I was also surprised to get to Wednesday without any answers.

I recently read a Buddhist meditation about how in every moment we are living and ... Read more

I’m on a deadline with my script for Covert Affairs. First draft is due this Friday, so I’m taking a few minutes out of my writing time to create this article.

Getting help is essential in my process. Even with this script, (especially with this script?) I’m loathe to go it alone. I’ve reached out for help at almost every step of the process. Research? I’ve asked several friends, read books, found videos, talked to strangers to get a handle on what I need to know. Challenges with style and technique? I’ve turned to my fellow writers on the show to gain insight into how they’ve done things in the past – and I’m reading past scripts and watching past episodes constantly to get a ... Read more

One of the biggest surprises about my TV writing job is how much energy it takes. Every weekday I sit at a table all day with 9 other writers discussing character and story. It’s not physically strenuous. It’s not digging ditches. But it requires a concentration and a focus that is demanding. When I get home, I’m exhausted.

I realized recently I’ve been prepped for this: through my background as an actor. In class and onstage I was taught to show up fully. That doesn’t mean playing things larger than life or putting on an air of grandiosity. It means being awake and conscious in every moment. It means looking into the eyes of the other actors, investing in the moment and the next moment and ... Read more

My job at Covert Affairs continues to be exciting and a terrific learning experience. I’m discovering so much about myself – including a new appreciation of what balance looks like.

Two weeks ago, I was invited to write an episode! This is a huge honor and one that I didn’t know was coming my way. Prior to taking the job my manager told me that I might not get an episode – it would depend on how things unfolded at the show and what the two guys who created the show wanted to do. So I was thrilled, and scared when I found out I would be working on a script. And since the day I found out, I’ve ... Read more

I’ve been at my TV writing job at Covert Affairs for a little over a month and the job continues to surprise me. I’m learning so much. One of the main things I’m learning aboutiscollaboration.

We’re in a room all day working on stories for episodes of the show – and I’m discovering new things about how to get along with people and create at the same time. Here are five things I’ve learned about collaboration.

One: Check your ego at the door.

Collaboration isn’t about proving that you’re the smartest person in the room. Collaboration is about acknowledging that you’re one of the smart people in the room. And that means silence is sometimes as useful as ... Read more

The first two weeks of my new staff writer job for Covert Affairs have gone by swiftly. In a matter of days, I’ve moved through a crash course in what it means to collaborate with professional writers on the creation of a TV show. I’m learning so many things: mainly about the benefits of watching and listening – intensely observing the process.

On the first day we were asked to bring in story ideas for the show. I had three pages of well thought out paragraphs: mixing real life Ideas (from a variety of online sources) with the world of the show. Still, I was nervous about presenting my thoughts to a room full of pros on my very first day. When it came time ... Read more

Last week, shortly after I wrote my newsletter, I got a life-changing call: I’ve been selected as a staff writer on the cable TV series Covert Affairs. I’ve been doing a happy dance ever since!

I moved to Los Angeles almost two years ago in search of TV writing work – and I’m thrilled to get the opportunity. I love the show and the creators are really nice guys. Already I’m in prep mode – doing a ton of research and brainstorming show ideas. I’m also employing all my creative techniques: scheduling, taking breaks, taking deep breaths, asking for help. The writers room kicks in on November 7th – and I’m sure it will be a delightful, challenging adventure.

I’m excited, also, to bring you every creative ... Read more

As I write this, I’m on the set of a commercial I’m acting in. The crew is coming from another location and is making their way over to where I am. The other actors and I have been asked to “take lunch” and (essentially) wait an hour for the rest of the people to arrive. I’ve pulled out my laptop and I’m working!

I’ve written before about the importance of having something else to do (on set and in life). As I see it, it’s all part of being prepared and creating a plan. It’s natural for me to have something else to do – my father set the example when I was growing up. He never left the house ... Read more

If you were on the Creative Strategy Call this past week, you got to participate in our virtual discussion around How To Teach Anything – a five step process to develop a curriculum for any kind of class, workshop or information product. As always, I took questions from those who signed up – and I saw a theme in some of them. One person asked about needing to be an expert before teaching. Someone else wanted to know how to choose the best subject. Someone else was wondering how to order the material. The subtext to many of the questions was: “How can I do this in the best way possible? How can I do this flawlessly?”

Sound familiar? It does to me. I’m a long ... Read more

I was driving through Los Angeles this weekend and I saw a mural with the caption: This is Not A Test. The corresponding visual was of a man with his mouth wide open, as if surprised by the notion that he’s in the midst of real life.

These days I’m engaged in in-the-moment living, working on goals that are important and, frankly, scary. I’m taking better care of myself – focused more intently on the things that I want in life. I’m willing to take actions and willing to let go.

Two weeks ago, I took one of the most difficult actions I’d ever taken: I took a video producer to court over payment for ... Read more