A decade ago, my niece — who is hard of hearing — led me to produce a horror short about a deaf child whose mother was possessed. It was deeply personal. And it opened my eyes to something the industry still hasn't fixed. Stories centering differently abled people are rare. Hiring differently abled actors and crew is even rarer. We live in a world full of people who look different, move differently, and experience life differently from us — yet we keep writing characters who only mirror our own experience. That's not just a missed opportunity for representation. It's a missed opportunity for better stories. I challenge you: step out of your comfort zone. Include a character who is integral to your story, whose life is drastically different from your own. Do the research. Talk to people. Get it right. You'll be surprised by what it does for your story — and for the community of people who finally see themselves on screen. Who's the character you're not writing because you're afraid to get it wrong? Drop it below. Let's figure out how to write them right.

Many of you may not know that I'm currently living and working as a teacher in South Korea. And lately, my daily interactions with the kids, parents, and the culture have sparked a flurry of new ideas I never expected to come. Inspiration doesn't always show up when you're sitting at your desk. Sometimes it hits you in a classroom, on a subway, in a conversation you weren't expecting. So what's been piquing your creativity lately? Something you read, watched, heard, or experienced? A random encounter? A line from a friend? A song on repeat? Drop it in the comments. Let's see what's fueling each other right now.

Because Not Everyone Learns the Same Way Webinars, classes, and 1-on-1 coaching aren't for everyone. Some writers don't have the time. Some learn best by reading. Some just want a resource they can keep coming back to. That's exactly why I wrote Piecing Your Script Together. It's everything I've learned over a decade of screenwriting — distilled into 65 pages. A practical, motivating guide that helps you turn ideas into powerful stories. Inside, you'll find proven methods for building a writing practice, developing concepts, world-building, and creating characters that actually resonate. No fluff. No filler. Just the tools you need to craft your best script yet — whether you're starting out or you've been at this for years. Grab your copy NOW!

If you have a short script or a short film that needs finishing funds, consider Shore Scripts Short Film Fund. They will award a $15,000 cash production grant to one short script and $4,000 cash in finishing funds to one short film in post-production. We accept narrative short scripts and films (live action & animation), including proof-of-concept shorts for features & TV shows, from writers, producers, and directors around the world. Final Deadline is May 4th! The Short Film Fund offers an opportunity for emerging screenwriters and filmmakers to receive much-needed financial support to get their work produced and distributed. Our partnerships with ARRI Rental, Oscar-nominated producer Maria Gracia Turgeon, and Tribeca short film programmer Kimberley Browning elevate the films that come through our Fund with free camera equipment, mentorship, and film festival strategy.

The industry is always changing, and as creatives, especially in the indie space, we must be visionaries. With that in mind, over the next couple of days and weeks, I will be sharing with you spaces where you can break in. First up, Verticals, popularized by the Chinese market. I have mentioned this one before, but this is probably the format with the most potential. Vertical dramas (micro-dramas shot in 9:16 for mobile) are a $14 billion global market, and producers are actively hiring writers who understand the format. Watch Vertical Dramas - Your Next Writing Job Traditional TV staffing is brutal right now. Verticals have stepped in as a legitimate source of consistent work — especially for writers who can master the format quickly. We're talking: - 50-100 episodes per season - One beat per episode (Hook/Twist/Cliffhanger) - Visual-first storytelling (faces, hands, intimate close-ups) - Scripts that shoot 10-15 pages per day The writers who get good at this, NOW, will be ahead of the curve as major studios pour more investment into the space. Drop your thoughts about verticals below. Have you written for vertical dramas yet?* If yes, what's your biggest challenge with the format? If not, what's holding you back from exploring this market? And if you're actively developing a vertical concept, share your logline. Let's workshop the hook. P.S. — Know a writer looking for paid work? Tag them. Verticals are hiring, but you need to understand the format first.