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TV writer who eats danger for breakfast

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How to Produce a Scripted Podcast

July 19, 2020 by Amy Suto 2 Comments

We’re all about scripted podcasts here on the ol’ blog nowadays! If you missed my post about how to write a scripted podcast, I’d recommend starting there. After all, there is no scripted podcast without a script!

Since we’re in quarantine, I feel like everybody should just be figuring out what it looks like to podcast and how to do that.

I know I have — that’s why (shameless plug incoming) I collaborated with all my favorite people to create The Last Station, a sci-fi thriller podcast about the last radio station at the end of the world. You can listen to it now if you like great music, awesome characters, and lots of intrigue.

Anyways, I’ve been chatting to a lot of people about how to produce scripted podcasts, in part because that’s a new offering my company Kingdom of Pavement is diving into. Have a podcast idea? We’ll make it for you!

I’ll also just give away the secrets here on my blog because, well, I think podcasting is cool and I want you to do it regardless if you work with me or not. Sounds good?

[Read more…]

Filed Under: All Posts, Most Popular Posts, Scripted Podcasts, Writing Tagged With: podcast editing, podcast shows, producing podcasts, scripted podcasts

How to Write a Scripted Podcast at the End of the World

June 25, 2020 by Amy Suto 2 Comments

We’re living in extraordinary times, from the pandemic to the incredible revolution sparked by the Black Lives Matter movement. It’s a reminder to all storytellers that we need to support the kinds of stories that reflect the reality we live in: that cop shows have glorified cops for far too long, that we haven’t been questioning underlying structures of our world in the way that we need to in order to create dangerously and be good allies.

I have a lot on my mind, but am still reading and learning and will return here at a later point in order to productively contribute to the allyship conversation when it comes to the role us writers need to play.

Stories retain power, even as it feels as if the world is falling apart. But now, the way we create and share stories needs to be different.

Enter: the scripted podcast.

What Are Fiction/Narrative/Scripted Podcasts?

You’ve probably heard them before: Homecoming, Limetown, Welcome to Nightvale, Carrier, etc. — there’s a ton of amazing scripted podcasts out in the world, and chances are you’ve listened to one of them.

What separates a scripted podcast from, say, a true crime podcast or unscripted podcast, is that the scripted podcast seeks to immerse you completely in a world and story.

Generally, scripted podcasts are more bite-sized than audiobooks, and feature clever uses of sound effects and perspective. The performance is the point, unlike audiobooks where the focus is on the words being read to you. (Usually, without any character shifts.)

Scripted podcasts are often reminiscent of early radio dramas like War of the Worlds, where your perspective comes through a radio host or journalist’s tape recorder — or something else that makes sense in terms of the structure and form of the show.

How to Write a Scripted Podcast

art by Noah Suarez-Sikes

I recently wrote and produced my scripted podcast The Last Station, about a radio host broadcasting after the end of the world. She thinks she may be the only human left after apocalypse, but one day — someone calls in to the radio station. She’s not alone, and the caller himself presents a new set of mysteries. It’s a sci-fi/mystery series about finding hope at the end of the world.

What’s also cool is that the podcast will operate in part like an actual radio station, with music from real Los Angeles bands I love and have met through my company Kingdom of Pavement.

You can listen to The Last Station on apple podcasts here, or check out our website for our mailing list and all the other platforms we’re on.

Regardless of what form you’ve written in the past (novels, TV, features, limericks, etc.) anyone can write a scripted podcast.

Are you looking to write your own scripted podcast? Here’s how to do it:

[Read more…]

Filed Under: All Posts, Scripted Podcasts, Writing

Remote Work Survival Guide: How to Work from Home and Not Lose Your Goddamn Mind

March 24, 2020 by Amy Suto 1 Comment

So, I heard you’re working from home now! WELCOME to the league of pajama-wearing workers like myself. We’ve been doing this for awhile, come on in, the water’s just fine. (So you can stop hoarding water bottles now, okay?)

I’ve written a whole book on freelancing for creatives which has a bunch of tips n’ stuff. If you’re a creative facing the uncertainty of the world and trying to make money online or replace your day job entirely, check out the book and also my articles on freelancing here on the blog:

  • Day in the Life of a Freelance Writer
  • How I Made My First $10k as a Freelance Writer on Upwork
  • How to Ghostwrite a Memoir or Hire a Ghostwriter for Your Autobiography

But if you work a normal job that has just gone to remote-work only, working from home can be ESPECIALLY jarring. Suddenly, you have to be productive in a space you’ve probably designed to be a prime Netflix-watching binge-cave.

Not to mention that it’s hard to focus on real responsibilities right now when you’re sanitizing every single surface in your house and wondering if every sneeze means you’re going to die of the coronavirus.

I’m hoping that amidst this pandemic your boss/team/whoever you work with and report to are chill about you maybe not being on your a-game because the Trump administration keeps on suggesting that maybe we sacrifice our grandparents at the alter of the NASDAQ like some kind of death cult ritual. Cool! Not terrifying at all!*

It’s enough to make you want to social distance yourself from all of society and cut your internet cord and go running off to the forest to write a wandering book on why you refuse to pay your taxes and live as a sovereign soul whilst still having your mom do your laundry.

*this last part is sarcasm just in case you didn’t pick up on that, I would like everyone to survive thanks

**this is a Henry David Thoreau joke just in case you didn’t know his mom still did he laundry when he was writing Walden

Anyways. Here are some of my ~top tips~ to survive working from home now that we all live in a remote work world.

Set-Up Your Home Office

my desk, where I can watch birds do dive bombs and scare squirrels off of the power lines

Okay, we’re going to start this section off with DUMB AMAZON PURCHASES I MADE FOR MY HOME OFFICE THAT ACTUALLY IMPROVED MY PRODUCTIVITY. These are affiliate links btw like all the Amazon links on my blog, so if you buy something on Amazon with them you further enable me to keep devoting time to writing weird blog posts like this and purchase more dumb things from Amazon (yay capitalism!) If you can’t see the Amazon links it’s probably because you have your ad blocker on.

I joke but at the same time we’re going to be here for awhile. If you can allocate some funds to make the place you sit down and work every day a little brighter, that’s rad. While true joy comes from relationships and not material possessions, a Himalayan salt lamp might also be a nice way to fill the void of the warmth of other humans because you’ve been self-isolating for so long you forgot what that was like–

Okay, okay, jokes aside, let’s go.

Get a Desk Lamp (or Two)

I have two desk lamps: a reading light and a mood light (the salt lamp). The reading light I got is awesome, it has a touch-screen like dimmer panel and you can also make the light quality warmer so you don’t get that gross white light.

Both lamps have dimmers so I can control how my workspace is lit: if I’m reading or writing notecards, I’ll have them turned up all the way, if I’m focusing on the computer, I’ll turn on flux at night and dim my lights so that my eyes don’t get strained.

Good lighting is also nice for video chats. I like to be well-lit so that when I’m chatting with clients or friends I don’t look like some kind of ghoul coming to steal their souls.

I also have a few LED tea lights with cute li’l covers that I got for a Kingdom of Pavement secret show that I also sometimes turn on and put on my desk. I love normal candles, but my cat likes to participate in my video calls so would prefer her tail not get caught on fire while I’m working.

For the Love of God, Get a Good Desk Chair

This is as much of a tip for you guys as it is a reminder for me. I really need a new desk chair, because my $40 chair from Ikea I got four years ago isn’t exactly the best thing in the world for my posture. So don’t be like me and invest in a good desk chair now that we’re all going to be working from home for the foreseeable future because we can’t yet band together as a nation and all get on the same page about social distancing!!! Come on guys!!!

There’s also some cool converters that turn your normal desk into a standing desk, which I’ve considered for my own office. Ideally, you’re getting some Outside Time (TM) in this pandemic, but sitting is just as bad for our health as smoking, so the more you can stretch your legs (at your desk or otherwise) the better.

ALSO! Before you buy office furniture of any sort, I recommend checking out a discount website like Wayfair. I got a bookcase from there for under $30, and my gorgeous, fake-concrete desk for under $300 which is a steal for how big and awesome it is. I also got my file cabinet for less than $30 at Ikea, and while my desk chair isn’t the best it’s also still a steal for the cost. You DON’T have to spend a fortune to get a nice home office set-up, and Ikea and Wayfair both deliver obviously so you don’t have to worry about figuring out if there are any office supply stores still open in your area now that we are in Pandemic Times.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: All Posts, Freelance Writing, Most Popular Posts, Remote Work, Writing

10 Things To Do While Under Coronavirus Self-Quarantine for Writers and Creatives (Pandemic Survival Guide!)

March 14, 2020 by Amy Suto Leave a Comment

In a matter of days, my writers’ room began working from home, all my meetings and events got cancelled, and we had to put a pin in all of the in-person programming we had set up for Kingdom of Pavement. I started lining up freelance work for when my writers’ room ends with the intention of just hanging out at home for a bit while this whole pandemic absorbs the entire city and also does the impossible: quell Los Angeles traffic. (Drag racing on Sunset Blvd, anyone?)

But on a more serious note, the coronavirus pandemic is terrifying, and now more than ever our communities need to step up and we have to be there for each other and also self-isolate as much as possible so that we can flatten the curve of the virus and reduce spread of the disease.

As writers and creatives, there’s a part of our introverted selves that might be breathing a sigh of relief (especially if you’ve bene caught up in a particularly busy year), but self-isolation doesn’t mean you need to be cut off from your community.

This is also a perfect time to develop your work: to create that podcast, to write that novel or script.

So, here’s the 10 things you can do while holed up at home during this coronavirus pandemic to continue to exercise your creativity and stay sane:

[Read more…]

Filed Under: All Posts, L.A. Creatives, Living in Los Angeles, Most Popular Posts, Writing Tagged With: coronavirus, playlist, writing tips

A Year of Writing: What I’ve Learned from Traveling, Writing for TV, Freelancing, & Ghostwriting Memoirs for People All Over the World

September 3, 2019 by Amy Suto 1 Comment

I’m on a rooftop bar in Paris, talking to an American who works in “security” in third world countries (read: definitely CIA) and an allegedly famous actor from Istanbul. The sun is setting, the actor is buying all of us shots, and we’re toasting to meeting new people and getting out of our comfort zones in the golden glow of the evening.

The next night, I find myself in an underground wine cellar in one of the oldest buildings in the city with fellow American tourists and expats along with a variety of other people from around the world.

Our host introduces himself and says, “I’m Belgian — we all can’t be perfect,” and continues to pepper in jokes as he serves us an endless amount of wine and cheese pairings that are perfect and surprising. We enter the cellar as strangers and leave as friends, getting another round of drinks on the sidewalk outside of the bar next door before we call it a night.

As I write this, I’m in Berlin. I’m taking a beat to reflect while waiting for my room to be ready at the next hostel I’m staying at, so I’d thought I’d write up this blog post in the meantime.

Through my traveling, freelancing, and writing, I’ve discovered the perfectly unpredictable lifestyle that I find works best for the journey of a writer. (This is also like a spiritual sequel to my last blog post, how to go on a research trip for your pilot.) Here are some of the lessons I’ve learned:

Writers Are the Original Digital Nomads

For the first two and a half years after I graduated from USC, I pretty much just kept my head down and worked assistant jobs and focused on writing new samples and growing my portfolio. I learned everything I could about the industry and the people in it, and then got my break with my first episode.

In those years, I was so laser-focused on climbing the ladder that I lost sight of everything else. That focus got me to where I am now, but now that I’ve had my first “break” and signed with managers and am getting meetings, I’m able to refocus my time onto living a life worth writing about.

Part of that is what I’m doing right now: traveling, meeting new people, and finding ways to experiment with the world around me each and every day.

The writers’ life has been romanticized since before laptop-toting “digital nomads” were a thing. From expats in Paris to writers hiding out in the woods, writing is an act that seems best done in an environment outside of the status quo.

i do love it when a new generation discovers that thoreau’s mom did his laundry while he lived in that cabin

— rachel syme (@rachsyme) August 29, 2019

Doesn’t help if your mom still does your laundry, either.

Writing Routines are Boring: Be Anti-Routine

Routines in general are overrated. I’ve spent most of my life trying to build routines — only to relish in breaking them.

That’s when I discovered that time management and being effective isn’t about rigid routines: it’s about prioritizing and balancing, sure, but it’s also about saying “fuck it” and booking a plane ticket or running off to the desert to shoot a sizzle reel or even just going for a hike in the middle of your day or getting lost in a used bookstore.

This bias towards action and spontaneity led me to read a book in a day and attend a lovely True Crime Book Club at the Last Bookstore which was delightful — both in the people I met there and the experience itself. It’s what brought me here, when about a week ago I didn’t have solid travel plans and ended up booking everything last minute.

The anti-routine is about setting fire to your calendar and making sure that the things that are important to you get scheduled, and the rest can land where it lands.

This advice won’t work for everyone (obviously.) This anti-routine approach also only works if you can motivate yourself to write in large chunks. I think this full-immersion, marathon-style approach to writing drafts is far better than the slowly-chip-away-at-it approach.

But if you’re type-A and a perfectionist like I am, too often we’re caught up in pleasing other people. This means we’re devoting more time to their priorities, not our own. When this happens, our dreams and projects get lost in the shuffle.

The best way to have your schedule be your own? Freelancing.

Freelancing: The Power of Being Your Own Boss

I’ve written articles in the past about a day in the life of the freelance writer and how I made my first $10,000 using Upwork.

I think both of those articles still hold up in terms of the advice that I would give new freelancers. What’s changed, though, is the aforementioned smoldering pile of routines. For me, I set deadlines on what I need to accomplish each week to serve my clients, I block out time to accomplish said work (with a little wiggle room to account for unexpected delays) and then try and leave the rest of my calendar blank.

Yep. That’s right. Blank. (Yeah, it’s scary for me, too.)

This comes in part from listening to Naval’s podcast (if you haven’t, go listen now.) I don’t feel like giving context for this right now and because I’m my own boss I don’t have to. (See? Being a freelancer is great!) Instead, I’m just going to direct you to listen to this Kingdom of Pavement podcast episode I recorded with my friend Dave Cassidy where we talk about some of the best advice we’ve received and also share the books and experiences that have been the most momentum-shifting for us.

Now that I’ve assigned you listening homework with *seemingly* no context whatsoever, I’m going to transition into the rest of this article. Once you give those podcasts a listen you’ll be like “wow Amy all this advice is great!” and I’ll be like “yeah aren’t you glad you just trusted me and listened to those podcast episodes that loosely but definitely related to that article I typed out whilst jetlagged?”

You know, I’m surprised you guys still read my blog. Aren’t you tired of this? Me, breaking the fourth wall? Barely proofreading my posts? Throwing in a cool picture from the Louvre as if it atones for the sins of my youth?

Louvre Drinking Game: Take a Shot Every Time You See a Painting Featuring a Woman With a Man’s Head On a Platter (there’s more than you think)

Anyways.

Back to that blank calendar. When you work for yourself, you can work intuitively.

That means, when you need to take a day off and it’s a Tuesday, you can take that day off and have a more productive Wednesday that makes up for the time you took off instead of slogging through a workday while burned out, thus burning yourself out even more.

This also means you can jet across the world and write lengthy, semi-coherent blog posts that should probably be multiple posts but whatever it’s fine and you know what you’ve only had four cups of coffee and almost missed your flight this morning because you overslept and your phone died — but all this is on your schedule, not somebody else’s! (Even if planes somehow missed the “your schedule” memo.)

Freelancing, of course, has its risks and pitfalls. That’s for another post, but basically I’m still learning how to be good at freelancing across so many mediums.

I would also count being a writer in Hollywood as freelance writing — because it is. You’re a writer, you’re working as an independent contractor mostly, and with rooms getting shorter orders, I’d even argue that those are more similar to long-term freelance gigs rather than “staff/employee” types of jobs like they used to be.

(If you’re on an overall deal that’s different, I suppose, but if you’re on an overall deal with a major studio and are still reading this… why? I’m not even being sarcastic, I’m genuinely curious. How did you find this blog? Why are you here? Why are any of us here? Hit me up and let’s get coffee and discuss some existential dread and how we can stop climate change through leveraging the power of Hollywood, okay?)

Freelancing for people outside of TV has also helped me get better at working within the business. I can meet deadlines when I’m under pressure, I can work quickly and set aside any self-doubt, and I get a nice ping of endorphins whenever my clients give me bonuses or praise my work.

I also have the confidence of being able to walk into a room and talk about my professional writing experience. This gives me a leg up because I’m not just some rando with dreams of running a show one day. I’m a working writer with interesting experiences and clients.

I think I’m going to put together a “freelance writing starter kit” or something for people wanting to do this thing. What do you think? Get @ me on Twitter (@AmyMSuto) and let me know what kinds of resources you want in it and maybe I’ll whip it up and post it on my blog. Cool? Cool.

Ghostwriting Memoirs and Content for People All Over the World

I’m going to wrap this thing up since it’s cold here in Berlin (why???) and I’m wearing shorts (also: why???) so I have to go get a coat and maybe a purse because I was dumb and thought that my laptop bag would be easy & fun to carry everywhere (I just… I just didn’t think any of this through, you guys)

Aside from learning a lot about traveling from being in airports every week for the last month (LAX is my second home now and the TSA agents are the equivalent of annoyed older people telling me to get off their lawn and put my laptop in its own separate bin), I’ve also learned a lot about my chosen niche.

On my Upwork profile, I break down why I’m the best writer out there for memoirs and narrative-driven ghostwriting work. I’ve gotten pretty good at calibrating my tone to match my client’s voice. I can dial up my saltiness and pop culture references for fun subscription service copy, or I can get sincere for moving memoirs. My storytelling work (and shootin’ the shit with you guys on this blog, I guess) have also given me a unique perspective and ability to generate content that stands out. (How many blogs have you read that continuously interrogate their readers?)

I’ve also gotten to travel a bit for my ghostwriting stuff, attending my clients’ family reunions or being flown out to visit them to commence work on a book.

This is really awesome work that changes day-by-day, and I can do it anywhere: from the airplane or from a mall in Berlin where I finally tracked down working wifi because cell service here sucks (thank you H&M free wifi!!)

Calibrate and Create

I really love the word “calibrate” and am going to keep using it. I especially like it for situations in which I’m rewriting something. I’m not “fixing” an arc, because that implies it was broken, but I’m “calibrating” it which implies a sense of fine-tuning.

Same goes with my lifestyle (and attempts to pack what I need for a trip.) Every season in life requires different things, so you have to calibrate your approach. Routines that worked for me yesterday get gasoline poured on them today because they no longer serve me.

It’s that reinvention that’s so key: we have to shed our limiting beliefs to get to that next level.

So keep calibrating, keep creating, and find more excuses to book a one-way ticket out of your comfort zone.

Filed Under: Adventures, All Posts, Freelance Writing, Ghostwriting, Most Popular Posts, Writing, Writing for TV

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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.

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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_
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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.
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#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.
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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.
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#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.
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