I've taught screenwriting for almost as long as I've been a professional writer, but it was never very formalized. I wanted to change that. Two years ago, I committed to the Story and Plot Weekly Email and a daily post here on Twitter/X. I haven't missed a single entry yet. The goal was primarily to promote my courses, but I wanted social media and The Weekly Email to be valid options for anyone who couldn't afford to take a class with me. In short, I wanted my free stuff to be as good as anyone else's paid stuff. And I want my paid stuff to be absolutely transformative. On April 4. 2023, I had 884 followers on Twitter from a little-used account. I had 1174 subscribers to my email list, which I only emailed when I had a class. Today, even though the screenwriting population here is shrinking, I have 12k+ followers, and more importantly, 8k+ people subscribe to the Story and Plot Weekly Email. I even started a TikTok account in November! I consider The Weekly Email library to be a valuable free screenwriting resource for anyone who needs it, and it's the support from all of you that allows it to exist. Thanks to everyone who has liked a post, shared, or commented. The whole experience has been immensely gratifying, and I don't take it for granted.

Everyone has their own screenwriting process, and always do what works for you... But the so-called "vomit draft" sounds like a grinding, time-consuming, emotionally draining, confidence-killing, half-baked outline to me. It just feels like the much harder way to do it.

Screenwriting is a mental battle. The business does not owe you a living. It doesn't even owe you a read. Once you start complaining without looking for a solution, you’re losing. Work smarter or work harder. Those are your options.

Most screenwriting debates can be summed up by simply saying, “If the script is great, nobody cares. If the script is not, doing WHATEVER THE THING IS WE’RE FIGHTING ABOUT will make you look green.”