A lot of writers have great Substack newsletters that offer up helpful information, entertain, or address important issues. But let's address the elephant in the room: Substack has a documented Nazi problem.

That Atlantic article was from 2023. Fast forward to last week when The Guardian released their exposé on Substack's questionable tactics.

One of the things your reps (agent or manager) should do besides negotiate your deals and put you up for jobs, is send your material over to an exec to set up a "get to know you" meeting. These general meetings are also called "generals," "water bottle tours," "cawfee tawlks,” "chin wags"... OK, just kidding on a few of those, but they're a vital part of getting your next job.

Over the weekend, I snooped around Netflix’s menus, dug up the Podcast category, and scrolled through “The Ringer” shows and more. This got me thinking… Amy Poehler's “Good Hang” podcast flies under “The Ringer” banner, so will her show be up for sale on Netflix soon? Ooh, and if so… does that make her a new talk show host?

I used to know what was on TV because of The TV Guide and those big issues Entertainment Weekly put out every year during pilot season. Now, we have so much information but it feels impossible to sort through it all.

In an effort to stop staring blankly when someone asks me what I’m watching/liking these days, I started a simple word document to help me keep track. Reader: That was twenty years ago! I’m so glad I started this watchlist because I love going back to see what piqued my curiosity and even better, what I actually enjoyed.

Pandemic era aside, this has been the most challenging and devastating year of my life… so far. What may seem like an airing of the grievances, dear reader, does have a purpose, so bear with me.

In my attempt to figure out what else I might do should my writing career go the way of the dodo, I decided I better figure out what other discernible skills I have. I dove head first into personal growth courses on LinkedIn, utilized the free courses provided by the Entertainment Community Fund, watched countless YouTube videos, read books about skillsets and career growth, listened to copious amounts of podcasts… the works.

According to the WGA (Writer’s Guild of America), the number of TV writing jobs fell by 42% for the 2023-2024 season. That’s not a meritocracy, it’s a massacre. And I’m one of the many who feels like they’re disappearing without consent during this Thanos snap of industry change.

OK, I fully expect this to be the post that breaks the internet – right next to one coming up on SLUGLINES – but nevertheless, here we go…

This week, I thought it might be interesting to go through the Writers’ Room hierarchy. Whether you’re an aspiring pre-WGA writer, a seasoned pro who needs a refresher on job descriptions, or a confused family member of one of these people trying to figure out what their loved one wants to do/does… this blog entry is for you!

During the pandemic lockdown I looked for something to make me feel less alone. To feel less crazy as I held my breath and gave stink eye to anyone daring to breathe around me. So, naturally, I turned to YouTube.

After 20+ years working and writing in Hollywood, I’m passing along all my lessons learned so you can thrive. I started my film and television career by learning all the aspects of production at Columbia College in Chicago - to working for Dustin Hoffman - to writing TV and comic books.