“Determination is something you can control. […] Determination, if you have it, will more than compensate for shortcomings in your talent.” – pg. xv
“Write the show that you know and love!” – pg. 14
“One of the persistent themes of situation comedy is that human beings overreact to minor problems.” – pg. 54
“Sitcom stories work best when they have a theme: when there’s a reason for telling the story.” – pg. 55
“If you find yourself struggling, don’t be discouraged. If this were as easy as it looks, everyone would be doing it.” – pg. 75
“Trust your instincts. If it feels right, it probably is right.” – pg. 76
“If we understand why a character is doing something, we will accept almost any behavior no matter how outrageous.” – pg. 121
“Most people never try to write anything. Most of those who try never finish. Writing is a lot about talent, and it is also a lot about following the rules and doing the preparation, but writing is every bit as much about finishing. If you don’t finish, you aren’t a writer. If you do finish, you are a writer!” – pg. 147
“If criticism doesn’t hurt, then I don’t believe you care very much about what you wrote.” – pg. 151
“There is truth in even the dumbest note.” – pg. 151
“You’ll never get your lucky break if you aren’t hanging around the neighborhoods where lucky breaks happen.” – pg. 162
“If your spec scripts are good enough to get you into one pitch meeting, they’re good enough to get you another one” – pg. 173
“if they’ll write your whole script for you in the pitch meeting, let them!” – pg. 181
“They key to getting a second writing assignment is doing a good job on the first assignment.” – pg. 194
“The smartest writers are the ones who keep a smile on their face even when everything around them is falling apart. If they need to vent their frustrations, they wait until they get home.” – pg. 218
“The real living that you are going to do on this planet will happen away from your job.” – pg. 223
“The less starry-eyed you are about Hollywood, the better you’ll navigate your career.” – pg. 243
Notes Log:
Seven Plot Elements
- First Goal
- Obstacle
- First Action – Involves an unwise decision
- Act Break – First Action backfires, and the character is further away from goal (heightened emotional state, cliff hanger)
- Second Goal – Desperate Plan B to solve new problems
- Second Action – Plan B makes things even worse
- Resolution – Problem is solved with ironic twist
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