Miriam Glaser  as Leah. 'Big Smoke' is written and created by Laura E. Bray and Miriam Glaser. Big Smoke is basically what my life would have been had things not worked out for me and Le Roommate.  About four episodes into this 6-part comedic web series about selling a TV show, I realized that Big Smoke is basically what my life will be once I work up the courage to actually sell my scripts. Here’s what Big Smoke creators  Laura E. Bray  and Miriam Glaser taught me about selling a television script. You can’t sell a screenplay if you don’t shop your screenplay. There are plenty of people looking to buy, so shoot your shot . Despite what LinkedIn profiles, IMDB pages, or company websites say, everyone is just blowing smoke and hoping for the planets to align . So, yes, go to that pitch meeting with a positive attitude. Don’t sweat it if things fall through. Don’t cyber-stalk your ex or creative competition -- especially not ...

Many how-to guides showcase one or two ways to do an activity. Iris Kirkland's straightforward journaling guide includes eight journaling ideas for self-development. Whether you're short on time, not too chatty, or planning long-term goals, My Journal Guide presents several ways to get into journaling. Iris even explains how those who don't consider themselves as writers can benefit from journaling. Here's why you should download Iris Kirkland's FREE journaling guide: Journaling is a great way to gain clarity. You don't have to do it forever. You don't have to journal every aspect of your life. "The more I journaled, the more I became clear about the kind of writer I want to be. To be honest, it's helped me to figure out what kind of person I want to be too." -- Iris Kirkland, My Journal Guide My two favorite exercises: the joy list and adding scriptures to written prayers. I usually run to ice cream when I feel sad. Having...

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...

Not related to comedy or storytelling BUT THIS IS MY BLOG AND I SUPPORT ALL MY FRIENDS!!! (The all caps made me laugh.) Hi friends! I’m doing a FREE class series for the next 4 Mondays starting on the New Moon: Holistic Cycle Awareness: Journey through the Menstrual / Fertility Cycle in 4 Phases  Mondays, June 3, 10, 17, 24  5:30 - 7 PM PST / 7:30 - 9PM CST  /  8:30 - 10PM EST Each class will go through a layer of anatomy and physiology to help understand and connect to what’s happening each day of the month (or however long a cycle happens to be). Then we’ll go deeper into each phase of the cycle: how it might look and feel, the energetics, symbolic, and emotional aspects. Some of you may have taken a cycle awareness class with me before, but this will be a new format, more space for questions and sharing, and we’ll be leaning in to the moon cycle phases as a ritual for all of us to collectively get more in tuned with the fertility/menstrual c...