I first met Kamala Harris at a small lunch in 2010. Just four or five of us around a table. Harris was running to become California’s next attorney general, so a friend suggested we meet her. I found Harris to be incredibly bright and charismatic. I donated to her campaign on the spot. Afterwards, I […]
First Person
PayUpHollywood progress, an update from ‘Christian’
Three years ago — October 8, 2019 — a writer who went by “Christian” emailed about their experience as a writer’s PA, explaining how they were expected to do the jobs of multiple support staff on a tiny salary. We discussed their email on the show, including the issue of needing to have a car. Last […]
The Odd Joy of the Wizard/Paladin
On Scriptnotes 541, Craig and I discussed which of the classic D&D attributes (Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom, Constitution, Dexterity and Charisma) were most important for an aspiring film and TV writer. We ranked intelligence first, while acknowledging that charisma was important for the social aspects of the job. We felt wisdom was gained through experience — […]
Writing with an invisible illness
Annie Hayes is a longtime friend of Scriptnotes, who first helped me out at the Austin Film Festival. I’m currently a staff writer on the CW’s In the Dark. I previously had several different assistant jobs in the industry. I also have a genetic disease called cystic fibrosis. As an assistant in Hollywood, you’re often […]