Let It Develop

Wednesday, March 11, 2015 , , , , 0

Nik: Sit, settle in, soak in the creative bath, let the words find you, ride the ride, let it unfold, let it be great, let it be average, breathe life in and let it live.
Alex: Are you starting a new pilot?
Nik: Yep.
Alex: Yesssss. I can’t wait to read this bad boy. Is this on your new pilot playlist?
Nik: #1 and currently on repeat.
Alex: Do you always make a playlist for every project you write?

Sober January

Thursday, March 5, 2015 , , , , 0

Alex: A lot of people in LA go sober for the month of January. Mostly because they drink so much over the holidays and need a refresh. I decided to join the trend and take on the challenge. I don’t have a drinking problem or anything, but I wanted to realign my will power. As a writer, you set a lot of your own deadlines and I felt like I was slacking with self discipline so I needed to remind myself that I control my choices. I went with what I thought would be simple… sobriety. But it wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be. I noticed how much of a crutch drinking is in a social setting. The booze becomes a security blanket that warms me up when stepping outside of my comfort zone. It’s easier to talk to someone you just met or dance and not care what anyone thinks once you’ve had a few drinks. But after the first night…

Ms. Understood

Alex: I’m trying really hard to turn my frustration, and hurt, into motivation. I think that’s the only thing you can do when you’re feeling these emotions. I sent my dad and stepmom a copy of my script (they always nag me for not having anything done) and so I was excited to hear what they had to say when a 55 page script arrived at their front door. The excitement was short lived. When he called to congratulate me, and let me know he received my script,  he also told me…

Inch By Inch, It’s All A Cinch

Monday, January 12, 2015 , , , 0

Nik: Get up at same time everyday, use Sonicare, meditate, run, take vitamins, take probiotics, drink less coffee, drink more water, drink less wine, exfoliate, wear sunscreen, get healthy, think healthy, be healthy, eat healthy, strong mind, keep moving, strong spirit, keep laughing, love more, hate less, be positive, be impeccable, cook more, travel more, be a better friend, be a better daughter, be a better sister, be a better lover, be a wife, be a mother, be a creator, motivator, mentor, finish spec, start new spec, finish feature, work on my serve, go to the driving range, learn Spanish, learn French, organize drawers, organize schedule, organize mind. Breathe. I’m ready, are you?
Alex: I’m so ready to…

Elf Myself

Thursday, December 11, 2014 , , , , 0

Nik: Every Thanksgiving my family watches Christmas movies while we work through the turkey coma. It’s always the same… Christmas Vacation, Elf, A Christmas Story.  Each year, I notice something new; usually in Christmas Vacation (btw, I live for Chevy Chase’s monologue at the end), but this year I learned something deeply profound from Elf. My sister and I were sifting through the Black Friday deals in the newspaper while simultaneously bashing the hordes of morons who actually shop on that day (us included–it’s a love/hate affair) and while we were sifting, Mary Steenburgen’s character asked Buddy how he slept and he responded with, “Great! I got a full 40 minutes!” My sister and I looked at each other and…

No Thoughts, No Title

Tuesday, October 14, 2014 , , , , 0

Alex: Have you ever gotten half way through a script and realized you hate it? And that it’s not nearly as good of an idea as you thought it was? Well, that’s where I’m at. I’ve been writing scenes everyday and even though this is the first one I’ve ever written, I know I’m capable of producing better! My vocabulary stinks. My plot line isn’t as complex as I want it to be. My transitions are okay but could be better. I’m just not liking anything I’m writing at the moment. Describing a character or a scene is a lot harder than what I thought it would be! What was I thinking writing a Sci-Fi for my first script? I guess the only take away from this experience is that I am on the right path. I know I was born to be a writer. Even though I’m stumbling right now, I want to keep going.  I just wish I would have realized this sooner and finished this damn pilot months ago so I could be working on something new. Have you ever written a script and done nothing with it?
Nik: I actually think it’s…

Nothing’s Original

Alex: I feel like EVERYTHING has been done before. It’s annoying and irritating and makes me want to pull my hair out and kick my computer screen off my desk and scream like a child who just found out that Christmas isn’t happening this year. While I was writing a scene  last night, I thought of a concept for my next pilot. Later, after I was done writing, I danced with the new idea for a bit. I decided to do a little research and within 30 seconds I discovered it’s already been made into a show. I put away my phone and pouted like a little girl until I fell asleep. Why? WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY!?
Nik: The first pilot I ever wrote was in development until the network called and said

I’m obsessed with… IN-Q

Thursday, September 18, 2014 , , , , 0

Alex:  If you have not heard of IN-Q then your life isn’t as complete as it could be. His poetry is my new obsession. His message, his passion, his wisdom is so raw and real. I can’t get enough. I saw him at an Allen Stone concert last year, but I didn’t know who he was. He came out during Allen’s set and performed “85. Everyone in the audience was silent, taking in his words, his knowledge.

Cry Baby

Tuesday, September 9, 2014 , , , , 0

Alex:  Saturday nights used to be Janae  putting on her MEOW playlist as we’d try on 3 or 4 outfits before deciding what to wear.  Shelly would pour the drinks and after the buzz kicked in, Griffel would remind us that it was time to order the Uber. We’d dance until about 2 am, come home and make a pizza. It sucked when we ran out of ranch. Sundays were spent recovering, usually watching How I Met Your Mother, or off to the beach to relax and wait for the ocean to take care of our hangovers.  As much fun as that was, I wasn’t getting anywhere on my script! It’s been a couple of months now at my new job and I’m not

Magical Room

Alex: Today was so exciting, Nik!!! I took notes for the first time in the writers’ room. Well, it wasn’t the main room but who cares. The writers split up into two groups and I was pulled into one of them to take notes on character arcs. I loved hearing how they brainstormed ideas. How they took turns talking and giving pitches. It was so cool to see them debate and question each other. Honestly, it was magical. I can’t tell you how hard it was to stay focused. At times my brain would wander… I wanted to play too! It feels incredible to be working somewhere where I want to move up the ladder. I had to bite my tongue so many times because