Home Base: Valley Village, CA 
Bio: I’ve always had a passion for television. As a child growing up in a small town in WI, I used television as an opportunity to experience different places and people. When I moved to LA, I was lucky enough to get a job at FOX. Since good writing is pivotal to successful television, in the Spring of 2010, I decided to take a writing class through the UCLA Extension Program. My purpose was simply to learn more about the writing process and what constituted good story. Surprisingly, I fell in love with writing and have been haunting coffee shops throughout Los Angeles ever since.
Press Coverage:
http://writers.uclaextension.edu/2013/11/04/meet-our-2013-television-writing-competitions-winners/
Spec Script Portfolio – Loglines
- Original Pilot: “ORDNUNG” When a young Amish boy uncovers a dark secret, his family and community are forever torn apart.
UCLA Extension Television Competition – First Place
Pilot Launch Teleplay Competition – Semifinalist
Table Read My Screenplay Competition – Semifinalist
Writers on the Storm – Quarterfinalist
Nashville Film Festival – Finalist (Top 3)
- Original Pilot: “CTA” Set in the 1970s, a naïve Midwestern boy gets a surprising welcome on his first day at Hollywood’s most powerful talent agency, CTA.
UCLA Extension Television Competition – Top Ten Finalist
Champion Screenwriting – Quarterfinalist
Austin Film Festival – Second Round
- Original Pilot: “UNION” As America is ravaged by the Great Depression; three families from different social classes are forced to rely on each other to survive.
PAGE International Screenwriting Awards – Quarterfinalist
Table Read My Screenplay – Honorable Mention
Big Break Screenwriting Contest – Semifinalist
- Original Pilot: “DRAG” Sequins and feathers fly when a ragtag group of three drag queens, two transsexuals and one cute blond cocktail server fight to save their beloved nightclub from a tyrannical new owner.
PAGE International Screenwriting Awards – Semifinalist
- Original Pilot: “HAPPY PINES” A rough and rowdy redneck soap opera set in a trailer park in Cadott, WI – population 1,400. The lives of the locals are turned upside down when the ex-resident bad boy returns.
Champion Screenwriting – Semifinalist
- Original Pilot: “THE ADVENTURES OF REECE RANDOLPH, PRIVATE DETECTIVE” Set in the 1950s, with the flavor of Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe, Private Detective Reece Randolph discovers twins are twice the trouble when he’s tasked with finding a missing one.
- Original Pilot: “S. WINDLER” In the Old West, a hobo becomes a hero when he mistakenly, apprehensively and reluctantly takes on the identity of the new sheriff of a small Californian town.
- Original Pilot: “FISH” When a young boy, protecting his mother, accidentally stabs her meth-head boyfriend, he’s thrust into the violent dysfunctional world of a juvenile prison.
- Original Pilot: “MACMILLAN AND SONS” After their father mysteriously disappears, three brothers take over the family-owned private protection company.
Why I Write: It’s a fun escape from the real world. After a hard day of getting beaten down at the office, I can go home and torture my characters.
Inspiration: For me, inspiration can come from anywhere – a newspaper article, an overheard conversation at a coffee shop, a dream, etc… Next thing you know, I’m racing down the rabbit hole.
Brand: One-hour cable dramas, with a dark edge, set in interesting worlds
Writing Process: I think and think and think about a script or scene when I’m driving to work, at the gym, running errands, etc… When I have the kinks worked out and I can clearly envision the details in my head, I jump in front of the computer and get it down on paper.
Writing Schedule: Recently, due to a crazy work schedule, I’ve become a weekend warrior writer. On Saturdays and Sundays you’ll find me at a coffee shop, laptop in hand.
Actions I’ve Taken to Further My Career: I’ve been very proactive in launching my writing career. I’m constantly taking writing courses, attending seminars, meeting with my writers’ group, reading books on writing and networking… networking… networking! Also, I’ve been working at FOX for the past six years – learning the ins & outs of television.
What’s Worked: Contests (UCLA Extension, Austin Film Festival, PAGE, etc…) have been a great way to get feedback on my writing and see where it stands in comparison to other writers. Also, placing prominently has opened the door for my work to be read. So far, the most read requests came from winning the UCLA Extension Television Pilot Competition.
What was a Waste of Time: When I first started writing, after completing a script, I’d send it to one of the script review services – spending big bucks for notes. I quickly realized that the notes I received weren’t worth the money. The readers often had no writing experience, no produced credits and little background in the entertainment industry. If you’re going to pay for notes, make certain to thoroughly vet the reader’s credentials.
