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that is precisely true: there IS no single path. But the “Machine” is a clear high-level view of the process:
1) Write 1-4 stories a month
2) Finish what you write
3) Submit
4) Read 10 X as much as you write
5) Don’t rewrite except to editorial request
6) Repeat for 100 stories.

Your position on this road seems pretty clear. Congratulations!

Making a mean pie is a strength! Bringing joy to yourself or your loved ones with that? Yum!

I make a mean pie.

LOL. That’s an excellent question, LaVeda. I’m going to have to think about that for awhile. I can come up with a lot of writing weaknesses but… it’s hard for me to celebrate any strengths, let alone say “this one” is my best. Thank you, I need to chew on that for a bit.

I fell into it.

Too shy and awkward to be much of a storyteller at any age, but I always liked to read and daydreamed constantly, writing my own stories in my head. Had a theater-minded friend; we wrote a play in third grade.

I found the high school newspaper, continued with the college paper — liked it because it gave me an excuse to talk to…[Read more]

That sounds interesting, Tom! Hmmm…

I suppose that’s true – old wine, new bottles, or the 1964 Falcon wrapped in new sheetmetal and renamed ‘Mustang.’ Fresh and exciting to people who weren’t there in theatres for The Big Screen Experience in 1977.

I think my strongest capacity is regulating my emotions. The ability to remain positive in adversity.

I used to lie a lot as a kid, and got punished for it. But when I spun those same lies into “stories” people liked them. I made friends. Part of it was an attempt to imitate what I saw in books and television and film. But another part was trying to fill in the gaps, as I didn’t see black people in so many of those stories. So…I wrote.…[Read more]

I think that what “A New Hope” did that was new was an A-level presentation of B-movie tropes, combined with stunning special effects and a very simple mythological storyline. Amazingly powerful, really. A LOT of people complained about the visual familiarity of TFA, and I can’t blame them.

Cool! Where are you most powerful?

Don’t know if we ever talked about this – I started out as a kid writer, but detoured (ahh, pudness) into theatre. Eventually I stopped performing to be a producer of concerts, events and opera. In the middle, I was also worked in a SAG/AFTRA talent agency.

All of which goes to say I stand by my first comments ‘SW:TFA’, that the producers wanted…[Read more]

“The Force Awakens” is a perfectly fine example. Lucasfilm had multiple tasks to accomplish: setting up the next trilogy, providing a satisfying film experience, reinvigorating a franchise they’d paid over a billion dollars to acquire, and so forth. Their decision, and it seems to have been a good one, was to recapitulate the experience of the…[Read more]

As Steve has remarked in several places, after you’ve gotten accustomed to THJ, no one wants to go the movies with you anymore (especially if you predict upcoming plot points and character development aloud).
In some cases, this solitude is enjoyable.
As far as ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ goes, I found it visually attractive but predictable…[Read more]

My greatest weakness is that I was clever enough to be lazy about developing my “business mind”–the little kid inside me was able to spin elaborate lies and make a ton of money. Now, I need to learn to be more “adult” in the world of money and business, and realize there are entire arenas where I am so ignorant I don’t even know what I don’t know!

Tom–can you be specific about how “Glitch” did this? And for fun, how about choosing a movie we’d all be likely to know, and give us your take on how the HJ breaks it down?

The most important thing you can do is have a Morning Ritual that anchors your emotions, focuses your mind and awakens your body EVERY MORNING. The closer to awakening the better. You will actually be able to measure the difference in terms of depression, actions, results by how faithful you are with this single 10-20 minute practice.…[Read more]

Your fear of being inadequate causes you pain. You could reframe this and think of it as the learning experience of a lifetime! Wow! What a woman!

What you need is that inner connection. The outer work is healing your finances.

Mind = Finances
Emotions = Relationship/sex
Body = Physical exercise, health, fitness
Finances = Income and…[Read more]