Desk of Amy Suto

TV writer who eats danger for breakfast

  • About
    • Kingdom of Pavement
  • Popular
  • Writing
    • Working in Hollywood
    • Writing
    • Creative Screenwriting
    • Writing for TV
    • How to Create A Web Series
  • Blog
  • Press
  • Book

Nobody is Going to Make Your Thing: The Cavalry Isn’t Coming and Other Hollywood Pep Talks

November 6, 2020 by Amy Suto Leave a Comment

I get a lot of people who ask me how to get started in the industry, i.e. how to sell a script or something or get somebody to produce your idea or get a studio to buy your screenplay or make your podcast or whatever.

I’ll let you in on a secret:

Nobody is going to make your thing.

Unless you’re famous or get to take advantage of some sweet, sweet nepotism, people aren’t gonna make your film/show/podcast/interpretive dance show about aliens.

The Cavalry Isn’t Coming

Mark Duplass gave this incredible talk about how you need to make your own content, and how no gatekeepers are going to come and save you. We as creators need to find our own way in the world.

“There is no excuse for you to not be shooting $3 short films on your iPhone with your friends on the weekends.”

I really like this talk in part because it’s so universal. No matter if you’re wanting to get into indie filmmaking, TV writing, immersive theater, scripted podcasts, or whatever — you need to start by building, doing, and making.

There is no excuse to not be making things, even if those things are low-budget scripted podcasts or Zoom musicals.

How I Made My Own Stuff on Basically No Money While Working Multiple Jobs and Going to Classes

I’ve been writing, shooting, editing and producing my own work for as long as I can remember.

I made my first short films when I was gifted a tiny little DV Film camcorder thing in something like sixth or seventh grade. I cut together music videos with my brother and I, and was constantly writing scripts and coming up with stories that I would rope my friends into acting in.

From parody musicals called “Middle School Musical” to spy thrillers to times where I literally draped a green sheet over the back of my parent’s car to create a car chase with some very rudimentary green screen editing, I taught myself how to shoot, edit, write, and produce all of my own content.

A lot of my early videos still exist on the internet, like my short film called “VOICEMAIL” I wrote, shot, edited, and acted in ninth grade with said car chase. That 30-second trailer summarizes the whole plot in a way I still get a kick out of in that cringe-y way when you’re looking back on your own work.

In high school, I slowly got more sophisticated with my filming and editing after many, many hours running around my hometown shooting things, as you can see for my trailer from a short film I shot called “Swap the Rook”:

My junior year of high school, I gathered all my friends and all the nerf guns and plastic champagne flutes I could find, and we shot my spy thriller New Years’ Eve short, called The Final Countdown:

Because, of course, why WOULDN’T you write yourself into a film saying the words, “looks like we’ve got a party to crash” into a script??? I don’t know what you guys did for fun in high school, but this was my whole life and I loved it.

All of this stuff is what helped me get into USC for screenwriting, and helped me explore the themes, characters, and plots that I loved.

//College Years

I didn’t mean for this to become a recap of Why I Didn’t Go to Parties And Had To Make Up for That Post-College, but here we are!

Immediately when I got to USC I started shooting stuff. That began with my webseries Antidote 15, which was made for like $50 and a bunch of help from my film school friends. I shot and edited most of season one, which turned out pretty good seeing as we had basically no gear and our dollies were longboards and I couldn’t hold a camera steady for the life of me:

Season one was so much fun, I somehow not only managed to convince everybody to return for season two, but I also roped in more lovely and talented people for season two:

After Antidote 15, I was like, “hell yes I love not sleeping and producing things outside of class, let’s do more of this!!!”

So, from there I made my flagship USC project, CON, which was nominated for two College Television Emmys by the TV academy and won Best Drama and Best Actor at the Miami International Webfestival:

Everything I made in college I made for basically zero dollars: just favors I would pay back (or continue to pay back!). A lot of the people I worked with on these series are people I hired to work with me on the scripted podcasts I now make at Kingdom of Pavement, and are people I’ll work with forever.

//Post-Graduation

I made the mistake and listened to advice that I was given when I graduated. I was told that I needed to go and learn the industry, go and do the assistant route. So while I continued to write, waking up at 5am to get to a coffeeshop to write before my assistant job started, I put most of my producing work on hold.

Until this year, where I produced The Last Station Podcast, and created an entire media company built around trying to empower rising creatives to make art in an ethical, sustainable way.

I’m back in the mix of making a whole lot of cool stuff with equally if not much cooler people, finishing up a novel, and turning all those screenplays I’ve been writing into scripted podcasts and other forms of media.

Because if you can write something great, make it yourself, and find an audience — that’s true power in this industry. And you don’t need a zillion dollars to do it, either.

Be a Builder, Not an Exception

We love stories of exceptions: that one USC grad who sells a script worth millions or lands an agent at First Pitch and that kickstarts their career.

If you’re an exception already — great! That’s awesome. Take that momentum and run as far as you can with that.

If you’re not an exception and haven’t landed a multi-film deal or are showrunning your own TV show, that’s totally okay. Some of the most talented writers and creatives I knew had careers that built slowly and holistically, and they spent years happily honing their voices and churning out great work. Their patience was rewarded, and they grew into their own.

The key here is building. You should be constantly writing, creating, and building your body of work.

In high school, I wanted to learn how to write. So, I read every book on writing, but most importantly, I wrote a ton. In high school alone, I wrote something like four or five screenplays, four novels, dozens and dozens of short stories and short scripts, and produced full-length webseries, short films, and tons of short-form content.

In every minute of my spare time, I was able to experiment with my storytelling, hone my craft, and find a joyful sense of play in everything I make.

Today, I still love playing in my joyful little corner of the world. I wanted to play radio DJ and do a music-inspired podcast that incorporated music from my favorite artists around Los Angeles I had met during my time hosting open mic nights for my company Kingdom of Pavement. So, I created The Last Station that did just that.

I’m naturally a builder, and we can all build our worlds in different ways. Creativity and writing should be fun to you, like you’re building a super cool lego empire.

If it’s not — if you’re not naturally energized by getting into the nitty gritty of making stories — you should re-evaluate what brought you to this profession. Are you in it just for the status? Because nothing else seemed to fit? Do you actually love this work, or are you in love with your perception of what it could be in the future?

My colleagues and I notice people who want to be showrunners but don’t want to put in the work of being writers. That’s like saying you want to be a painter but don’t want to bother with colors!

I routinely find myself awake at 2am at my laptop, giggling to myself as I type out a 9-page short film or a chapter of my novel. I’m addicted to writing and telling stories, and I feel happy just in the experience of storytelling. Even if nobody read my work, I would still be happily typing out my stories in the middle of the night.

So: build your art. Make stuff. Experiment. And most importantly: find the joy in it all. If there’s no joy, there’s plenty of other careers to explore that might be a better fit, and there’s no shame in realizing that.

What You Gain When You Produce Your Own Content

First and most importantly, you gain confidence. Confidence in your own abilities as a storyteller, and your ability to bring something to life.

Secondly, making your own stuff is so much fun. There’s generosity in collaboration, and there’s so much we can learn when we work together. All of my produced work was elevated by my collaborators, who lended their own inspiration to projects that made them feel really special, even as they were mostly student projects. I still look back fondly on these projects, and they exist as time capsules of what we were able to do on a shoestring budget, and are infused with love, hard work, and deep collaboration.

You learn, most of all, you can’t do this alone. We have to build communities to create art. The myth of an auteur is just that. My name might be on these projects, but these stories would not exist without the lovely people who poured their time, energy, hearts and souls into bringing them to life.

I’m still striving to make higher quality pieces of art, still trying to learn and listen and collaborate to hit the notes I want my stories to hit. I will be learning for my entire life, and I’m grateful to be learning alongside some of the best and most talented people in the world I’ve been able to surround myself with.

So, make stuff: that way, you can learn what it feels like to collaborate and experience the magic of making stories with talented people.

If you’re generous of spirit and hard working and persistent, you can absolutely find a way to spend your life telling stories.

Question Traditional Advice

In almost every panel or Q&A in Hollywood, you always hear writers asking, “how do I get an agent?”

My best friend and business partner-in-crime Kyle Cords said it best when we were talking about this the other night:

“We’re constantly wanting to be chosen, because that means we’re special. But the ability to choose is really what makes us special. College builds into us that we need approval and need to be validated. But it’s not about being represented at an agency, it’s about finding the agency within ourselves.”

It’s true: we’re conditioned to seek out validation, to go to the gatekeepers and ask permission. To do things any other way feels like we’re frauds, like we can’t actually “make it.” Like we’re failures.

In reality, it allows us to take back our creative powers and make the art we want to make. And the proving grounds of making your own stuff? That’s where you ironically have the best shot of having the leverage you need to get the reigns of larger industry projects if that’s what you desire from your career.

Be Your Own Cavalry

This is something I return to over and over again:

Nobody is going to say yes to you: you have to say “yes” to yourself.

Our peers are more important than gatekeepers. Rising stars are more important for us to collaborate with rather than established celebrities. We’ve got to create our own projects and spark the bonfire in order for our friends to join us around it and share their own stories.

There’s so many low-cost or very cheap ways to write and create your own work. Even on platforms like TikTok we’re seeing storytelling at the lowest budgets take off to the largest audiences.

Now is the time to produce your own podcast, publish your short story collection, shoot that one-person single-location short film, and be your own cavalry.

The Resources I’ve Written to Help You

If you’re daunted, that’s okay! The way that you overcome that as a new screenwriter or creative is to just commit yourself to a journey of learning and embracing the beginner’s mind.

Feel free to look through the archives of this here blog, which go all the way back to 2008, when I started my own journey. You’ll see me speaking with authority on things I’m learning about, some of which I still believe and some I don’t. You’ll see me teach myself different art forms, sometimes to silly results and sometimes to a kind of time-capsule-approved success.

You can find the full list of my most popular posts here, and below are some more resources that you might find useful.

Want me to write a blog post about something? I’m always taking recommendations! Get at me on Twitter @Sutoscience

…

How to Write and Produce a Scripted Podcast

Scripted podcasts are all the rage right now, as they should be! Looking to make your own? Check out these posts:

  • How to Write a Scripted Podcast
  • How to Produce a Scripted Podcast
  • Podcast Production Services: Hire Help to Make Your Podcast
How to Create a Web Series

Part One: Pre-Production

Part Two: Casting

Part Three: Production

Part Four: Post Production

Part Five: Marketing

Filed Under: All Posts, Essays, Living in Los Angeles, Most Popular Posts, Screenwriting, Who is Amy Suto?, Working in Hollywood, Writing, Writing for TV

Looking for writing help? I gotchu!

Let’s work together! Tell me about your project and what you’re looking for from a writer or writing coach and let’s talk.

 

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

About Amy Suto

I’m Amy, I write thrillers for TV and ghostwrite memoirs for people all over the world. I also write personal essays, short stories, and things for the internet. Check out my portfolio page, sign-up for my writing tips newsletter below, and don’t hesitate to get in touch and share your favorite coffeeshop recommendations! Want to work together? Tell me about you and your project here.

My Freelance Writing Services

High-End Freelance Writers’ Collective I Co-Founded

Amy’s Newsletter

Join now to get exclusive content and downloadable writing guides and workbooks!


The Last Station Scripted Podcast: Listen Now!

Amy Suto

It’s here! Visit TheLastStationPodcast.com to listen to the scripted podcast I wrote and produced about the last radio host at the end of the world who gets her first caller and realizes she’s not alone. It’s a sci-fi mystery series and I can’t wait for you to experience it.

If you want to support the show, listen, subscribe, and review on Apple podcasts and consider supporting us on Patreon for cool perks!

Find Freedom in Freelancing

Hi friends! Not sure if you heard, but I wrote a book about how freelancing allowed me to travel the world and focus on my writing full-time in-between writers’ rooms. If you’d like to read about how I made my first $50,000 on the freelance platform Upwork while I was still an assistant and how I’ve grown my freelance business since then, check it out on Amazon!

Recent Posts

  • So You Wanna Be a Great Writer/Artist/Musician: How to “Honor the Work” as a Creative
  • How Much Does Hiring a Memoir Ghostwriter Cost?
  • Quarantine Nomads: How Freelancers Can Live and Work Remotely — and Safely During COVID-19
  • Nobody is Going to Make Your Thing: The Cavalry Isn’t Coming and Other Hollywood Pep Talks
  • Get Help Becoming a Freelance Writer + Writing Your Novel/Screenplay/Whatever: Consultations + Writing Coaching Sessions Open!



Ask Jeeves

Because I’m a Millennial

sutoscience

Amy Suto
Snippet from our shoot in the desert last year wit Snippet from our shoot in the desert last year with the badass @idaliavalles_ and @medwardsphx, can’t wait to eventually get back to filming projects again!

#Repost @idaliavalles_
・・・
A casual stroll in the desert 🏜 excerpt from @sutoscience projects 🎥 @medwardsphx
Happy NYE to all the people who saw my hair in var Happy NYE to all the people who saw my hair in various stages of disarray on Zoom this year!!! In 2020 I spent a lot of time running @kingdomofpavement, writing/producing @thelaststationpodcast, prepping @kingdomofink_writers for launch with the help of our incredible team, and I got to write some cool books with my amazing clients you’ll be able to read soon. Work aside, I also struggled a ton and worked a lot and dealt with all the existential dread we all went through. I would not be smiling and continuing to avoid my hairbrush without the love and support of the people around me, and I’m grateful to pieces. Here’s to another year of virtual meetings, moving our remote office to gorgeous new places, and pretending “windswept” is an accurate description of my bedhead.
In 2020, we were constantly faced with our own mor In 2020, we were constantly faced with our own mortality. If your life was taken away from you tomorrow, what would you do differently today? What would you change in yourself and the world around you? In reading this book about how different cultures around the world treat death so much differently than us, I also think our fear of death harms us. In thinking that we’re going to live forever, America pretends very real viruses don’t exist, and we don’t make the changes today that would lead to a better tomorrow. The fact that death is an inevitability is both freeing and a call to make the most of the time that we do have. Here’s to 2021 and the way in which we can make the most of it ✨
I'm doing a blog series heading into the new year I'm doing a blog series heading into the new year about building better habits and mental frameworks around our work as writers and creatives, and this first installment is about how to "honor the work" it takes to make great art. Check it out at AmySuto.com and I will one day also be updating my email newsletter before the end of this godforsaken year so if that's your jam feel free to sign-up!
Taking a yoga break in-between working on a key wr Taking a yoga break in-between working on a key writing project today— I’ve loved playing with standing balance flows lately because they help with focus. If you’re trying not to fall over it’s hard to have wandering thoughts 🙂 warrior 2 > triangle > half moon > crescent 🌙 lunge > warrior 3 > half chair > eagle > warrior 3 was one of my favorite challenge sequences I taught in my yoga classes pre-pandemic, and is a great way to quiet your mind even if you fall out of it like I did 🙃 one of my favorite yoga teachers used to tell me falling is just proof that we’re challenging ourselves. If we’re doing everything perfectly, we’re too far within our comfort zone.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#yoga #writing #movement #yogapractice #yogaflow #yogadaily #writing #scriptchat #nature wearing @alo #aloyoga
I’ve spent most of 2020 in cozy spaces reading w I’ve spent most of 2020 in cozy spaces reading with my cat, and there’s something satisfying in the simplicity of sifting through all these good books. My current read is “Women Who Run With Wolves,” a book analyzing mythology and feminine nature that’s deeply fascinating and a life-changing read. We don’t think about the wisdom we need to protect our creative nature and inner worlds, and this book goes into how to find restoration and strength even in our chaotic environment. A full list of all my favorite books from this year coming to my blog soon!
This is been a year of climbing mountains. Whether This is been a year of climbing mountains. Whether we’re forming a fictional folk band and need to get our album cover or creating new systems and structures from scratch, I couldn’t be more grateful for the people beside me as we build a kingdom that can pave a new road into Hollywood and storytelling. Every day I get to wake up and work on projects I love, help fascinating folks tell their stories, and try to make my corner of this world a little brighter. In 2021 I’m planning to keep upholding the standards and values I want in our work, and to bring some really special art to life. Even as things are burning, we can find a way to use the flames to show us the way to what’s next.
Enjoying the last few days of working remotely in Enjoying the last few days of working remotely in Palm Springs. It’s been a lovely month soaking up the last of the summer (fall?) sun while writing by the pool and transitioning to fire pit days. Working in inspiring places has helped me focus on the top-secret writing work I’m doing for really inspiring people, and think deeply about the right way to tell a story from all angles. Soon, back to LA, home for the holidays, and onto the next adventure as we try to make the most of our quarantine world with really exceptional people.
Lots of late nights writing, working, and drinking Lots of late nights writing, working, and drinking whiskey lately 🥃 it’s been a busy year, but I’m lucky to be working on projects I love.
Spent all of the past month living and working rem Spent all of the past month living and working remotely in the Colorado Rockies, and here’s what I learned:

1) Fresh air and long hikes can fix a lot
2) What can’t be fixed by 1 can be remedied with good friends and long conversations 
3) What can’t be fixed by 1 and 2 can be solved by renouncing all material possessions and just moving to the woods permanently and taking up whittling 
4) While I’m not quite at 3 just yet, I’m working on trying to carve out a place in the world that feels full of life and heart and community. It’s going to take a long time to build everything we’re working on, with a lot of hard decisions along the road. But I’m excited to keep making progress and creating stories I care about with talented folks.

Stay safe and here’s to hoping we’ll get our blue skies back in LA sometime soon 💙
The trees are changing like we all are; the season The trees are changing like we all are; the seasons of life we go through can either cultivate personal growth or personal fear and I’m hoping to always have the courage to choose the former.
Spent the past four days off-the-grid, driving to Spent the past four days off-the-grid, driving to Colorado and spending a night in a yurt in the middle of the Utah desert 🌵 now we’re in the woods and back in semi-civilization to write, quarantine together, and work on all the things.
This is easily one of the most influential books I This is easily one of the most influential books I’ve read this year: even if you haven’t dealt with trauma personally (and there’s different levels of trauma), you interact with people in your world who have — even if you don’t know it. Understanding how trauma affects the core of us on a cellular level is critical to understanding how the mental affects the physical. This book is also an important glimpse into why people behave badly: usually, there’s unresolved trauma at the heart of someone acting out. If everyone was more trauma-informed, we’d be able to make strides to solving the public health crisis at the heart of these traumatic incidents, and be in a better place to help provide healing modalities like yoga, therapy, and EMDR.
Going to the woods for a bit to work remotely and Going to the woods for a bit to work remotely and write and maybe take up an obscure hobby like whittling. Maybe I’ll build a cabin with my bare hands and just work on the land. Maybe I’ll finally finish my Next Great American Novel. I don’t know. All I know is that pine trees are cool and we have to be well-rested for the revolution 🌹
In episode 103, Holden is trapped in an abandoned In episode 103, Holden is trapped in an abandoned mine with no way out — with a monster that steals time and distorts the airwaves. Catch up on @thelaststationpodcast now! // THELASTSTATIONPODCAST.COM // trailer edited by @lizzskywalker ✨
So I'm not ~saying~ you should go illegally downlo So I'm not ~saying~ you should go illegally download CONDOR season 2 just to watch episode 206 that I co-wrote.... but if you do, I hope you enjoy :) This season isn't available in the US yet, but can't wait to share it legally once it is!
My co-producer and I at this morning’s awesome r My co-producer and I at this morning’s awesome recording session for @thelaststationpodcast episode 104, what a joyful few hours! Lots of talented folks in this ep, lots of chicken puns written by yours truly, and you’re not going to see the twist coming :) get your ears ready for some more sci-fi post-apocalyptic storytelling and sweet tunes ✨
Hey guys, the newest episode of @thelaststationpod Hey guys, the newest episode of @thelaststationpodcast is out, written by the amazing @bentelejack, and I’m just so fucking proud of our team on this one. If you ever wanted to hear what the inside of a nightmare sounds like — be our guest! 🚨 @sid_phoenix who plays Holden delivers an incredible performance — this episode is a breathless, tense experience and a one-man show at times as Holden is pursued by a monster that steals time and we experience flashbacks through a tape recorder. The incomparable @portiajamas brings her energy and charisma as Marina, trying to help Holden escape from her side of the airwaves. @linabean113 and @the_other_keanu are our amazing guest stars and bring the intrigue ✨ @mr_dejas and @it_groovy absolutely crushed it when it came to the sound design, editing, and mix/mastering of the episode and have heard from several friends already that they felt like the SFX was in the same room. Stephen Ptacek and Anthony Al-Rifi kill it with the original compositions and atmospheric music. If you like what we’re doing and want to support us, leave a review and subscribe on Apple podcasts, share our show, and consider becoming a patron! All the links and more at: TheLastStationPodcast.com 🎙
the only secret of the universe that I discovered the only secret of the universe that I discovered at the top of that mountain is that the universe is only a secret if you believe it is hiding something from you. otherwise, it’s just a new frontier waiting to be explored
When I started writing @thelaststationpodcast thre When I started writing @thelaststationpodcast three months ago, I wasn’t just writing a post-apocalyptic sci-fi radio drama about an indie music radio host and a cowboy braving the end of the world. I was — and still am! — using this scripted podcast as a way to explore the themes we’re all experiencing in quarantine: loss, missed connections, grieving the way the world once was, facing evils that feel so much greater than ourselves — and trying to find great music to carry us through. Not only do I get to play in this sandbox of finding hope at the end of the world, but I get to do it with the best people. The caliber of incredible talent on this project from our actors to our writing team to our guest musicians to our stellar editors and composers — it’s unreal. And it’s the beginning of an incredible journey: we’ve got 8 more episodes for you, and I can’t wait for you to experience each one. We’ll get through this together, and I can’t wait to introduce you to your new favorite creatives every step of the way through this story.
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Contact Me

Email Me

Categories

  • 31 Days of Spy Films and Shows
  • Adventures
  • Agency Life
  • All Posts
  • Behind the Scenes of CON
  • Book Recommendations
  • Completed Films
  • Creative Screenwriting
  • Eaten Alive by the LA Millennial Underground Story Series
  • Essays
  • Freelance Writing
  • Ghostwriting
  • Good Books
  • How to Create A Web Series
  • How to Pre-Write
  • L.A. Creatives
  • Living in Los Angeles
  • Most Popular Posts
  • Musings
  • Portfolio
  • Remote Work
  • Screenwriting
  • Screenwriting Lessons
  • Script Breakdown
  • Scripted Podcasts
  • Site News
  • Spy Films and TV Shows
  • TV Show Reviews
  • Uncategorized
  • Weekend Read
  • Who is Amy Suto?
  • Working in Hollywood
  • Writing
  • Writing for TV
  • Yoga for Writers

Tweeting into the Void

Tweets by AmyMSuto

Pages

  • About Amy Suto
  • Contact Me
  • EATEN ALIVE BY THE LOS ANGELES MILLENNIAL UNDERGROUND // A Multimedia Serialized Story by Amy Suto
  • Join My Newsletter
  • Most Popular Posts
  • Portfolio
  • Press, News Appearances, Talks

Tweeting Into the Void

Tweets by AmyMSuto

Recent Posts

  • So You Wanna Be a Great Writer/Artist/Musician: How to “Honor the Work” as a Creative
  • How Much Does Hiring a Memoir Ghostwriter Cost?
  • Quarantine Nomads: How Freelancers Can Live and Work Remotely — and Safely During COVID-19
  • Nobody is Going to Make Your Thing: The Cavalry Isn’t Coming and Other Hollywood Pep Talks
  • Get Help Becoming a Freelance Writer + Writing Your Novel/Screenplay/Whatever: Consultations + Writing Coaching Sessions Open!

Because I’m a Millennial

sutoscience

Amy Suto
Snippet from our shoot in the desert last year wit Snippet from our shoot in the desert last year with the badass @idaliavalles_ and @medwardsphx, can’t wait to eventually get back to filming projects again!

#Repost @idaliavalles_
・・・
A casual stroll in the desert 🏜 excerpt from @sutoscience projects 🎥 @medwardsphx
Happy NYE to all the people who saw my hair in var Happy NYE to all the people who saw my hair in various stages of disarray on Zoom this year!!! In 2020 I spent a lot of time running @kingdomofpavement, writing/producing @thelaststationpodcast, prepping @kingdomofink_writers for launch with the help of our incredible team, and I got to write some cool books with my amazing clients you’ll be able to read soon. Work aside, I also struggled a ton and worked a lot and dealt with all the existential dread we all went through. I would not be smiling and continuing to avoid my hairbrush without the love and support of the people around me, and I’m grateful to pieces. Here’s to another year of virtual meetings, moving our remote office to gorgeous new places, and pretending “windswept” is an accurate description of my bedhead.
In 2020, we were constantly faced with our own mor In 2020, we were constantly faced with our own mortality. If your life was taken away from you tomorrow, what would you do differently today? What would you change in yourself and the world around you? In reading this book about how different cultures around the world treat death so much differently than us, I also think our fear of death harms us. In thinking that we’re going to live forever, America pretends very real viruses don’t exist, and we don’t make the changes today that would lead to a better tomorrow. The fact that death is an inevitability is both freeing and a call to make the most of the time that we do have. Here’s to 2021 and the way in which we can make the most of it ✨
I'm doing a blog series heading into the new year I'm doing a blog series heading into the new year about building better habits and mental frameworks around our work as writers and creatives, and this first installment is about how to "honor the work" it takes to make great art. Check it out at AmySuto.com and I will one day also be updating my email newsletter before the end of this godforsaken year so if that's your jam feel free to sign-up!
Taking a yoga break in-between working on a key wr Taking a yoga break in-between working on a key writing project today— I’ve loved playing with standing balance flows lately because they help with focus. If you’re trying not to fall over it’s hard to have wandering thoughts 🙂 warrior 2 > triangle > half moon > crescent 🌙 lunge > warrior 3 > half chair > eagle > warrior 3 was one of my favorite challenge sequences I taught in my yoga classes pre-pandemic, and is a great way to quiet your mind even if you fall out of it like I did 🙃 one of my favorite yoga teachers used to tell me falling is just proof that we’re challenging ourselves. If we’re doing everything perfectly, we’re too far within our comfort zone.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#yoga #writing #movement #yogapractice #yogaflow #yogadaily #writing #scriptchat #nature wearing @alo #aloyoga
I’ve spent most of 2020 in cozy spaces reading w I’ve spent most of 2020 in cozy spaces reading with my cat, and there’s something satisfying in the simplicity of sifting through all these good books. My current read is “Women Who Run With Wolves,” a book analyzing mythology and feminine nature that’s deeply fascinating and a life-changing read. We don’t think about the wisdom we need to protect our creative nature and inner worlds, and this book goes into how to find restoration and strength even in our chaotic environment. A full list of all my favorite books from this year coming to my blog soon!
This is been a year of climbing mountains. Whether This is been a year of climbing mountains. Whether we’re forming a fictional folk band and need to get our album cover or creating new systems and structures from scratch, I couldn’t be more grateful for the people beside me as we build a kingdom that can pave a new road into Hollywood and storytelling. Every day I get to wake up and work on projects I love, help fascinating folks tell their stories, and try to make my corner of this world a little brighter. In 2021 I’m planning to keep upholding the standards and values I want in our work, and to bring some really special art to life. Even as things are burning, we can find a way to use the flames to show us the way to what’s next.
Enjoying the last few days of working remotely in Enjoying the last few days of working remotely in Palm Springs. It’s been a lovely month soaking up the last of the summer (fall?) sun while writing by the pool and transitioning to fire pit days. Working in inspiring places has helped me focus on the top-secret writing work I’m doing for really inspiring people, and think deeply about the right way to tell a story from all angles. Soon, back to LA, home for the holidays, and onto the next adventure as we try to make the most of our quarantine world with really exceptional people.
Lots of late nights writing, working, and drinking Lots of late nights writing, working, and drinking whiskey lately 🥃 it’s been a busy year, but I’m lucky to be working on projects I love.
Spent all of the past month living and working rem Spent all of the past month living and working remotely in the Colorado Rockies, and here’s what I learned:

1) Fresh air and long hikes can fix a lot
2) What can’t be fixed by 1 can be remedied with good friends and long conversations 
3) What can’t be fixed by 1 and 2 can be solved by renouncing all material possessions and just moving to the woods permanently and taking up whittling 
4) While I’m not quite at 3 just yet, I’m working on trying to carve out a place in the world that feels full of life and heart and community. It’s going to take a long time to build everything we’re working on, with a lot of hard decisions along the road. But I’m excited to keep making progress and creating stories I care about with talented folks.

Stay safe and here’s to hoping we’ll get our blue skies back in LA sometime soon 💙
The trees are changing like we all are; the season The trees are changing like we all are; the seasons of life we go through can either cultivate personal growth or personal fear and I’m hoping to always have the courage to choose the former.
Spent the past four days off-the-grid, driving to Spent the past four days off-the-grid, driving to Colorado and spending a night in a yurt in the middle of the Utah desert 🌵 now we’re in the woods and back in semi-civilization to write, quarantine together, and work on all the things.
This is easily one of the most influential books I This is easily one of the most influential books I’ve read this year: even if you haven’t dealt with trauma personally (and there’s different levels of trauma), you interact with people in your world who have — even if you don’t know it. Understanding how trauma affects the core of us on a cellular level is critical to understanding how the mental affects the physical. This book is also an important glimpse into why people behave badly: usually, there’s unresolved trauma at the heart of someone acting out. If everyone was more trauma-informed, we’d be able to make strides to solving the public health crisis at the heart of these traumatic incidents, and be in a better place to help provide healing modalities like yoga, therapy, and EMDR.
Going to the woods for a bit to work remotely and Going to the woods for a bit to work remotely and write and maybe take up an obscure hobby like whittling. Maybe I’ll build a cabin with my bare hands and just work on the land. Maybe I’ll finally finish my Next Great American Novel. I don’t know. All I know is that pine trees are cool and we have to be well-rested for the revolution 🌹
In episode 103, Holden is trapped in an abandoned In episode 103, Holden is trapped in an abandoned mine with no way out — with a monster that steals time and distorts the airwaves. Catch up on @thelaststationpodcast now! // THELASTSTATIONPODCAST.COM // trailer edited by @lizzskywalker ✨
So I'm not ~saying~ you should go illegally downlo So I'm not ~saying~ you should go illegally download CONDOR season 2 just to watch episode 206 that I co-wrote.... but if you do, I hope you enjoy :) This season isn't available in the US yet, but can't wait to share it legally once it is!
My co-producer and I at this morning’s awesome r My co-producer and I at this morning’s awesome recording session for @thelaststationpodcast episode 104, what a joyful few hours! Lots of talented folks in this ep, lots of chicken puns written by yours truly, and you’re not going to see the twist coming :) get your ears ready for some more sci-fi post-apocalyptic storytelling and sweet tunes ✨
Hey guys, the newest episode of @thelaststationpod Hey guys, the newest episode of @thelaststationpodcast is out, written by the amazing @bentelejack, and I’m just so fucking proud of our team on this one. If you ever wanted to hear what the inside of a nightmare sounds like — be our guest! 🚨 @sid_phoenix who plays Holden delivers an incredible performance — this episode is a breathless, tense experience and a one-man show at times as Holden is pursued by a monster that steals time and we experience flashbacks through a tape recorder. The incomparable @portiajamas brings her energy and charisma as Marina, trying to help Holden escape from her side of the airwaves. @linabean113 and @the_other_keanu are our amazing guest stars and bring the intrigue ✨ @mr_dejas and @it_groovy absolutely crushed it when it came to the sound design, editing, and mix/mastering of the episode and have heard from several friends already that they felt like the SFX was in the same room. Stephen Ptacek and Anthony Al-Rifi kill it with the original compositions and atmospheric music. If you like what we’re doing and want to support us, leave a review and subscribe on Apple podcasts, share our show, and consider becoming a patron! All the links and more at: TheLastStationPodcast.com 🎙
the only secret of the universe that I discovered the only secret of the universe that I discovered at the top of that mountain is that the universe is only a secret if you believe it is hiding something from you. otherwise, it’s just a new frontier waiting to be explored
When I started writing @thelaststationpodcast thre When I started writing @thelaststationpodcast three months ago, I wasn’t just writing a post-apocalyptic sci-fi radio drama about an indie music radio host and a cowboy braving the end of the world. I was — and still am! — using this scripted podcast as a way to explore the themes we’re all experiencing in quarantine: loss, missed connections, grieving the way the world once was, facing evils that feel so much greater than ourselves — and trying to find great music to carry us through. Not only do I get to play in this sandbox of finding hope at the end of the world, but I get to do it with the best people. The caliber of incredible talent on this project from our actors to our writing team to our guest musicians to our stellar editors and composers — it’s unreal. And it’s the beginning of an incredible journey: we’ve got 8 more episodes for you, and I can’t wait for you to experience each one. We’ll get through this together, and I can’t wait to introduce you to your new favorite creatives every step of the way through this story.
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2021 AmySuto.com · All Rights Reserved.