Desk of Amy Suto

TV writer who eats danger for breakfast

How to Plan a Research Trip for Your Script or Novel

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A spur-of-the-moment research trip to the Bay Area was just what I needed for my new pilot. From the fog to firepits to tunnels of trees, I walked where my characters walk and got curious about who these people are and how to tell this story in a way that feels as authentic and real as it feels in my head. This translation process to the page is challenging, but part of why I love this work. Rejoining society tomorrow for a day before we head to Arizona and shoot our sizzle reel in Anthem with a killer team. Hope your week is filled with inspiration and joy, friends ✨ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #amwriting #travel #writersofinstagram #writer #books #scriptchat #wga #photooftheday #travelphotography

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I’ve been lucky to travel a lot this year. So far I’ve gotten to DC, NYC, San Diego, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Phoenix/Arcosanti, Reno & Tahoe, Temecula — and most of those were “work” trips where I was visiting clients or doing research for my projects.

Traveling for your story is a must. I’m not saying that because I need to rationalize my spending on the travel that isn’t subsidized by my freelancing. (Okay, maybe that’s part of it!)

In the past few months, I’ve been writing and rewriting my new pilot that’s set in the Bay Area. Hitting the road and visiting the places my script is set in transformed my story. I also got to see some dope sea lions, and briefly considered whether or not my cat would be cool if I adopted one.

Find Inspiring Writing Spaces

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There’s a beautiful AirBnb in La Honda that’s a cottage on a gorgeous ranch with horses and an acre or so of grasslands. You can wander the property, say hey — or hay 😉 — to the horses, or take a short drive to the cliffs where you can ponder life’s darkest secrets across the glittering tidepools. To get to this space, you drive through forest tunnels, and it feels as if you’re entering another dimension. My host was also kind enough to help me build a firepit so I could sit outside by the fire and do my writing with a glass of wine. This place is my go-to writing retreat, especially since there’s no wi-fi and had to use data to get my daily dose of the garbage fire that are Twitter memes. (I almost avoided the 30-50 feral hogs meme, but alas.)

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4 Lessons Writers Can Learn from Yoga and Meditation

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As I’ve mentioned before on this blog, I’m in the middle of training for my yoga certification so I can teach yoga for writers. As someone who loves to experiment with ways to improve my writing and creative mind, yoga and meditation were always something I turned to in order to find space for my process. Now, I’m taking a deep dive, and it’s been transformative.

You don’t have to spend eight hours like me every Sunday doing a million chatarangas to get the benefits of yoga in your writing process. Here are some of the lessons and tools from yoga that anyone can use, regardless of your ability to put your foot behind your head:

[Read more…]

I’m Hosting Writing Workshops in Los Angeles!

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It’s official — I’m partnering with AirBnb to host writing workshops on select Saturdays in Los Angeles this spring!

This space is this gorgeous coffeeshop in mid-city. We’ll be meeting in the back room, a beautiful light-filled studio known as MiMoDa Studio @ Paper or Plastik that was also used as a ballet studio where Natalie Portman trained for BLACK SWAN.

I’ve been wanting to teach writing workshops in Los Angeles for awhile, but haven’t had the time. At the beginning of this year, one of my resolutions was to create safe spaces and communities for writers out here — and I’m so glad to be able to do it now in one of my favorite places.

I’m limiting each workshop to small groups to keep it small and intimate. Admission includes a free latte or coffee drink, a TV writing workbook I’ve created specifically for this writing workshop, and an hour-long seminar/workshop in the studio space followed by a half-hour of one-on-one discussion and work in the main cafe area.

I wanted to create a workshop that is accessible to everyone and group-oriented. I’ll adjust the subject matter to who’s attending and the level of experience of the group, as well as what people want to learn. Then, I’ll open up the floor to you and your ideas. We’ll move pretty quickly — which is why we’ll then move to the main cafe area to finish up our discussion from 4-4:30pm as to make sure we have time for everybody’s ideas!

More info can be found on the event page — I’d love to see you there! Get at me on Twitter if you have any questions!

I’m also going to be teaching some yoga classes for writers later this spring. Get more info about upcoming yoga classes and more here!

Hope to meet you at one of my events!

Method Writing: Exercises to Experience the Stories You’re Writing

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I love collecting weird hobbies and experiences, and often joke that I’m a “method writer.”

It’s only partially a joke: I’ve been known to seek out adventures in the same flavor of what I’m writing. (See: this deep cut from my archives where I shot guns and learned about them six years ago for a novel I was writing. Baby Amy was — and still is — a die hard method writer.)

When I was writing a story about my hometown, I made the trek back to Middle of Nowhere, Arizona, and made a point of meeting up with as many old acquaintances as possible. I visited gun ranges to learn about what my characters would know about owning and firing a gun, I hung out with tumbleweeds in the desert and watched the sunset. (The sun setting in the desert is probably the only beauty I’ll admit exists in the wasteland that can be endless stretches of brush and plants that want to fight you. Jumping cacti, anyone?)

The stories I’m working on now are being continually reshaped by the experience I’m seeking out — and vice-versa. I make an effort to be a method writer, and it pays off.

I truly believe the more wildly we wander, the better our words become.

So here’s how I approach “method” writing. [Read more…]

How I Made My First $10k as a Freelance Writer on Upwork

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I just passed my $10,000 milestone on Upwork, time to pop the champagne and share some tips for those of you also looking to jump into the freelance writing world!

As I mentioned in my previous post (Day in the Life of a Freelance Writer) I do freelance writing full-time when I’m in-between writers’ rooms. It’s a great way to keep my skills sharp while doing interesting freelance writing for amazing clients all around the world, and a flexible schedule means I get to travel and have time to do other creative projects during the week (like the immersive theater event I’m working on with my writing partner!) It’s a luxury to be able to abscond to somewhere like Lake Tahoe to do some writing on a Tuesday.

I do most of my freelance work through this platform called Upwork, which connects freelancers with people who want to hire us.

So, here’s how I made my first $10k, and how you can, too! [Read more…]

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