Hot take: People DO NOT actually want to become millionaires. They want to stop checking their bank account before buying groceries.

I don't think Marvel understands how truly lucky they are to have a filmmaker like Ryan Coogler in their ranks.

'A Quiet Place' Duo to Direct High Concept Sci-Fi Movie for Amblin, Universal (Exclusive) hollywoodreporter.com/movies…

You’re getting paid $100k to rewatch one movie 100 times. Which movie survives the challenge?

I have MORE respect for writers who make me LAUGH than for writers who make me CRY. Any competent novelist can make you cry, big or small. But it takes the magic of an innate, unbuyable sense of humour to pull one into helpless hilarity.

‘Industry is telling us EXACTLY what they’re looking for.’ Nonsense. Sorry, gonna bring some truth. That is the absolute worst way to target these people — FOLLOWER mentality vs TASTEMAKER. Remember WANTS vs NEEDS? Write what they NEED, not what they WANT. FACT: The industry doesn’t know what it needs til they read it. Your odds go way up. Note, after any big hit they always ask for “the next___.” Allllwaaaayz. How many people do you suppose asked Shari for the next Gone Girl or Devil Wears Prada AFTER they were hits? A: Everyone who -> PASSED. Do the math. 🧮 Don’t chase moving targets. Bluntly. Create the fucking target 🎯 …be the writer others seek to ripoff. 😘 *How’d I get signed first time with CAA? A: I wrote whatever the fuck I wanted to as a fuck you to the industry. Ironically, they loved it. Do a version of that. 😘

There’s such a major misconception about professional screenwriter’s income. After lawyers and agents and taxes I usually only end up with 20-25 million a year.

Paul Rudnick: “As a writer, I need an enormous amount of time alone. Writing is ninety percent procrastination." #writing