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TV writer who eats danger for breakfast

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Writing Routines: A Holistic Approach to Crafting Your Weekly Writing Schedule

January 23, 2019 by Amy Suto Leave a Comment

If you think I’m writing these blog posts in part so I can spend my mornings browsing aesthetically pleasing photos of coffee and desks and people writing in dramatic lighting, you’d be 100% right.

Also, it’s January, so I’m on that Self Development Kick that we all get when advertisers are hammering into our minds how we can be better, and our new years’ resolutions haven’t faded from our minds for the next 11 months.

Okay, I say that but I love setting and achieving my new years’ resolutions. Maybe it’s my obsessive compulsion tendencies and love for color coding and aggressive goal-setting, but I just adore making elaborate goal tracking whiteboards and sharing my insane notecarding process on my Instagram.

as it turns out, if you write a pilot full of logic puzzles and mysteries, you have to figure out how all those logic puzzles and mysteries actually work

What Makes a Successful Weekly Writing Routine

When I was thinking about my most successful years, I realized that it comes down to how much control I have over my weekly schedule. If I have more flexible hours, I’m able to design my writing routine around creatively inspiring activities that feed into what I’m working on. If I’m struggling with a boatload of freelance projects, I find myself feeling creatively exhausted and my writing suffers.

The best weekly writing routines are holistic and well-rounded: an ideal schedule includes activities that are creative, kinetic, and reflective, and support your writing process so that you can hit the page feeling energized and inspired.

So, using my own trial-and-error, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to build your perfect weekly writing routine:

[Read more…]

Filed Under: All Posts, Creative Screenwriting, Most Popular Posts, Screenwriting, Who is Amy Suto?, Writing for TV Tagged With: writing routine, writing schedule

The 4 Best Los Angeles Coffeeshops to Write Your Screenplay In

January 20, 2019 by Amy Suto 1 Comment

So the best new years’ resolution I’ve ever achieved is ‘become a regular in independently-owned coffeeshops I love.’ And as a screenwriter living in Los Angeles, this basically makes me a god. Or just someone who drinks way too much coffee.

Anyways, here’s my ultimate ranking of the top 4 Los Angeles coffeeshops to write your screenplay in:

Coffeeshop #1: Paper or Plastik (Mid-City)

I found this gem six years ago and haven’t stopped taking all my dates/friends/networking drinks/acquaintances/mortal enemies since. If you and I have met up for drinks or coffee, it’s probably been here.

This coffeeshop is a cool, hipster spot that’s part ballet-studio, part coffeeshop, part cafe. It’s got some incredible food, dope specialty lattes (like a cinnamon whiskey latte!), and cool events. They often play movie soundtracks and other great music so if you forget your headphones, you won’t go uninspired.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: All Posts, Living in Los Angeles, Most Popular Posts Tagged With: coffee, coffeeshops, Los Angeles

The Americans: Day 4 of 31 Days of Spy Films & Television

December 24, 2018 by Amy Suto Leave a Comment

When I started this blog series, I was just going to rattle off my favorite spy content and highlight the best of the best.

That was before I finished The Americans.

Because I work on a spy show, I knew I had to see the full series. I, like so many people I know, gave up around season 1 because I found it a bit dull. On the spectrum, I prefer a bit more elevated spy thrillers because I find that if you get too grounded you run the risk of something too muddled and pedantic rather than a slick and gut-wrenching show that hits in an emotional place while keeping the tension high.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: 31 Days of Spy Films and Shows, All Posts, Spy Films and TV Shows, TV Show Reviews, Writing for TV Tagged With: The Americans

A Writers’ Life in 2018: Novel Writing, Freelancing, First Episode of Television

December 3, 2018 by Amy Suto Leave a Comment

It’s December! You know what that means: a lengthy reflection on the year that’s passed, with all the ups and downs and status on my impending carpal tunnel!

Amy’s Best Posts of 2018

Before I dive into the shape of this year and what I’ve been up to, here are some of my top posts of 2018. You can always look in my Most Popular Posts section for an overview of the content I care about.

  • How to Write a TV Series Bible
  • Day in the Life of a Freelance Writer
  • How I Made My First $10k as a Freelance Writer on Upwork
  • Writing in Hollywood: Should Men Be Telling Women’s Stories?
  • Exercises for Method Writers

I didn’t blog a ton this year, because it’s been a crazy year of beginnings, endings, and adapting to new jobs and writing projects.

It was a year of learning new skills (like how to make money as a freelance writer on Upwork) and engaging with my creativity and self-reflection on a deeper level than I’ve done in the past.

Wins and Co-Writing My First Episode of Television

One of the biggest wins of 2018 is getting the opportunity to work in the writers’ rooms of one of my favorite shows, and being able to co-write an episode. (I’m! So! Excited!)

As a policy, I don’t blog about the writers’ rooms I’m a part of in detail because I want to protect the safe space that is that bubble of creativity and its inhabitants. But I will say that everyone who works on CONDOR is a talented writer and truly amazing person. From the top down, it’s a great, supportive environment I wish every writers’ room had. This is the second room I’ve worked in that I feel this way, and I’m very lucky to have had such positive experiences so far.

Other wins this year include: 

  • Being commissioned by an art magazine to write a short story collection (which will be my first set of published prose!)
  • Learning how to do freelance work when I’m on hiatus in order to pay bills.
  • Trying new forms of storytelling (like immersive theater and narrative podcasting!) and learning more about these mediums.
  • Wrote 3 pilots (2 of which were co-written with my writing partner Eric Reese and placed in several competitions and made it into the second round at AFF), a spec episode, several short stories, a small book of poetry, a podcast episode, and am in the home stretch of a novel.
  • Learning how to be better and mindfulness and de-stressing in a big way.

It’s been a record year of accomplishments, but I think my biggest win was really retooling my mindset and where I’m coming from and being grateful for everything I have and the incredible people in my life. 

Oh, and doing Scary Things and having Hard Conversations.

Doing Scary Things in 2018

“A person’s success in life can be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations he or she is willing to have.”

Tim Ferriss

I started 2018 in a low place. I was at the wrong job, in the wrong relationship (with a good person who just wasn’t the right match), and I wasn’t confronting either of those things. It took two months of slow realization of these facts and the decision to make tough changes and have tough conversations to move on to a transformational summer. 

In this industry, especially as a woman, it’s easy to fall into a pattern of not wanting to upset people and remain agreeable no matter what. To not cause waves, to just accumulate allies and fear of creating any enemies.

And yes, that ‘quitting my job’ conversation in March went badly. Even though I ended up leaving for something that would benefit my career and was a no-brainer to take, I felt awful about the decision, despite being the right one to make.

I was a nervous wreck before that hard conversation. But both me and the people I was working for were better off because I left — an unhappy employee isn’t going to become happy overnight just because they decide to or are implored to stick it out — and that hard conversation was beneficial for everybody despite being a negative experience.

Same in my personal relationships. I’ve had some hard conversations that have been tough in the moment but ended up better in the long run. Some went better than others. I’m still learning. 

That’s the trick, though: it’s these hard or uncomfortable conversations that make us grow. As writers, it’s important that we learn how to be vulnerable, how to communicate, how to be honestly introspective. 

Without getting too much in the personal, here, I’ll just say that the rollercoaster from March to now was something that led to adventures, connections, and realizations that have changed me as a person and a writer. It’s because of these hard conversations and decisions that I’m here, and I’m better for it.

There’s a reason why openness to experience is one of the indicators of a creative person: it’s almost impossible to foster creativity if you’re living within the confines of your comfort zone. 

If you’re a writer, I challenge you to keep finding ways to have new experiences, meet new people, and explore new ideas.

Onwards to 2019

It’s important for us writers to keep pushing the boundaries of our work in order to write and live authentically.

So, in 2019, I want to continue sharing my stories in new formats (plays! more short stories! narrative podcast!) as well as continuing to write for television so that I can one day run my own show. I’m also going to start sharing some of my short fiction on here more often as well instead of letting it just hang out on my hard drive until I can find a place for it.

Also — I want to thank you all for reading my posts and sending me emails. I love hearing from readers, and it’s nice to know all the yelling I’m doing into the void actually does have an impact on you all. So thank you, and don’t be a stranger! 

What about you? What are your writing goals for this year? Share below in the comments, or get at me on Twitter! 

Filed Under: All Posts, Most Popular Posts, Musings, Who is Amy Suto?, Working in Hollywood, Writing for TV Tagged With: 2018, television writing, writer's life

The Bourne Trilogy (Spy Month, Day 3)

October 26, 2018 by Amy Suto Leave a Comment

First of all, I never said that spy month was going to be a CONSECUTIVE 31 days. Right? *checks with lawyer, who nods solemnly* Right. Cool. Okay, if you want to read the other blog posts you can do so here. 

Yes, It’s JUST a Trilogy

In this weird shadow universe where tyrannical television hosts now run nations, I refuse to let one more injustice tip the scales. So, we’re not going to acknowledge any of the Bourne films beyond Ultimatum. You know that a series has really given up when they give up their title schemes (Bourne Identity/Supremacy/Ultimatum/Legacy) and just go “ah, well I guess we could just call it JASON Bourne.” Seriously? You couldn’t even do “Bourne: Jason” as a clever call out to Bond? 

Anyways, I know I tell you guys to fight me a lot when you’re holding opinions that are different than mine, but you can fight me if you think Legacy and Jason Bourne were actually good movies.*

*By the end of spy month, I’m just going to be fending off strangers with my jiu jitsu skills 24/7 as I get tackled in the streets by the populous of Los Angeles with terrible taste. 

Why Bourne Beats Bond

Look at this poster. I would stand in line for this poster.**

**Get it? It’s a Moby joke. If you don’t get this great joke, stop everything and go re-listen to Extreme Ways, aka the greatest theme song in spy movie history, and its 27 remixes come back an enlightened human being with good music taste. I’ll wait. 

[Read more…]

Filed Under: 31 Days of Spy Films and Shows, All Posts, Spy Films and TV Shows

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  • Writing Routines: A Holistic Approach to Crafting Your Weekly Writing Schedule
  • The 4 Best Los Angeles Coffeeshops to Write Your Screenplay In
  • The Americans: Day 4 of 31 Days of Spy Films & Television
  • A Writers’ Life in 2018: Novel Writing, Freelancing, First Episode of Television
  • The Bourne Trilogy (Spy Month, Day 3)

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Recent Posts

  • Writing Routines: A Holistic Approach to Crafting Your Weekly Writing Schedule
  • The 4 Best Los Angeles Coffeeshops to Write Your Screenplay In
  • The Americans: Day 4 of 31 Days of Spy Films & Television
  • A Writers’ Life in 2018: Novel Writing, Freelancing, First Episode of Television
  • The Bourne Trilogy (Spy Month, Day 3)
  • La Femme Nikita (1990) and the Nikita TV Series: Spy Month, Day 2
  • The Third Man (1949): Spy Month, Day 1
  • 31 Days of Spy Films and Television
  • Method Writing: Exercises to Experience the Stories You’re Writing
  • How I Made My First $10k as a Freelance Writer on Upwork

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