Let's say 12 noon today, Pacific Time! I've been running around like crazy this past week, time to catch up with what's going on with everybody and get clear on our goals moving forward in December!

Friday’s Story Development session was 🔥 — six writers walked out crystal clear on what to tackle this week, not “someday.” @Magenta Rose Brown @Karen Morgan @Michael Stratigakis @Valeria Salas @Faviola Rivas @Brittany Wright all left with specific story goals and exact next steps. That’s how you go from “I’ll write it someday” to “I’m writing it today.” I’ve got one hour open Monday 10 a.m. — space for six writers who want the same clarity and momentum. If you’re torn between ideas or stuck figuring out what to focus on next, jump in. Let’s lock your direction and set you up for a real week of progress. 👉 Comment “I’m in” below to grab a seat.

Time to step up! You don't need a full screenplay. A treatment is fine as well, since it's the foundation for everything.

Actually, since I just started this community, we're all new members, So, I'll go first. I'm David Stem, long time screenwriter who decided after my daughter kept telling me I need to teach. She's at NYU now studying creative writing, and she and I have had many long conversations about the creative process and the mindset it takes to be a successful writer over time. I spent my entire 20s trying to figure out how to break into the business and made every classic mistake there was to make ... especially jumping into screenplays just because I got excited about an idea and yet had no real idea how to structure, not only the script itself, but my life as a writer. The good news was that during that journey, I at least learned to develop my own voice. And that led me to working as a journalist and in advertising. Both of which I loved much more than the office job I'd previously had for years. When I was 29, I was finally hired on a Nickelodeon sketch comedy show called, Roundhouse. And my career took off from there. I've seen many writers come and go during that time. And have realized the biggest obstacle any of us face is ourselves. I would say self-mastery is key to this process, but that sounds too harsh. I think there's a walk between discipline and self compassion that keeps a writer sane and productive. Especially when most of us are dealing with ADHD or whatever else drove us to want to be writers in the first place. Something I read long ago has always stuck with me on this journey: The blank page is God's way of showing you it's not so easy to be God. Which is why I created this community! So we could all face that and learn together. So, jump in, introduce yourself, tell us about your journey. Then go read the 10 Iron Clad Rules for a Writing Life and post which you excel at and which you struggle with! Those rules come from 25+ years of being in the trenches, day after day, with... myself!