This month, I'd like to use this space to share a letter from an unlikely collaborator  (insert big dopey smile) who has been pushing me to work on my most challenging project yet. It's been 2+ years. I don't know what you're working on but I hope you find someone who inspires you to keep going.  I’m Onicia’s Ol’ Uncle Hank.  This is my story of collaborating with Oni: At only our second meeting, I asked Oni what she did…exactly.  She told me she tells stories ; her stories or she helps other people tell their stories.  The mediums varied widely: stand-up, books, movies, sit-coms, screenplays, articles, blogs, or podcasts… but in essence, she’s in the storytelling business.  Heck, want to tell a story at your wedding?  Then hire her as your wedding planner…that’s a fine medium too.  How cool!  So, of course, I tell her I’ve always had an idea for a book.  While she remained polite, I knew she was thinking, “If I had a...

You know a series is great when you feel the same or more excitement when watching it a second time around. I had to wait about two years, but Tokens was worth the wait. Winnifred Jong’s Tokens is a masterclass in woke storytelling. As a viewer, Tokens was a fun ride with lots of surprises and instantly lovable characters. Jong’s storytelling is educational without feeling like an afterschool special. As a screenwriter, I was confronted with all the tired tropes that I’d picked up and unintentionally repeating in my work. Rewatching the series was a great study in how to flip the script on race and gender issues without being heavy-handed or preachy. In the eight 5-minute episodes were featured multiple storylines that came together for a fresh and fun viewing experience. I wish there were more Bettys (Shelley Thompson) in the casting world. After watching the series, I daydreamed about how much more exciting the storytelling world would be if there were more diversity in...

In a previous newsletter , I asked my friends to vote on my next project. The suggested Counting on Kendra . So, Maya Montrell and I will post updates as we go. Here's our version of a TV script treatment/pitch. Would you like to collaborate with us? Send me an email or shout at me on Twitter . Title: Counting on Kendra A dark comedy by Maya Montrell and Onicia Muller Logline : When her prestigious forensic accounting career is paused, a Black woman (30) with an undiagnosed chronic illness stumbles into the risky world of private investigations. Now the Chicago Police Department is determined to stop her as her work uncovers their major deficiencies. Summary: ACT I We open on a stylish but unkempt apartment and hear the tail end of a video on the secret ways supermarkets get shoppers to spend more. This is the type of content Kendra (30) lives for. She downs a handful of meds with a water bottle from her nightstand. She tosses the empty bottle across ...

I never really won anything cool or was the most popular person. Getting a shot the fourth-grade prize box because I had perfect attendance didn’t count. Any ole Joe can have perfect attendance; you just need parents who ride you and bus drivers who wait when they see you running. One year some colorful plastic strings called Scoubidou appeared on the playground. Rebecca got some while away on vacation and weaved away her recess time. After making the same snide remarks about teenagers playing with string like old women knitting in groups for the thousandth time, Rebecca challenged to stop hating. Making the simple two-strand square was a no-brainer. Same for the two-strand circle. Instead of quipping, the clouds parted in my hater heart and I could feel the glow of this wholesome activity radiating through my body.  My brain screamed: MAKE ALL THE DESIGNS YE WITH GIFTED HANDS! We invested in the string market. Rebecca handled the money bag and individual string sales. I d...