To Be a Screenwriter in New England - Take 2

This is the topic that Randy Steinberg and I struggled with as green-behind-the-ears writers. It reminds me of the old adage of needing both roots and wings. We felt like, as writers, we would best take flight by staying within the ambit of our families and our roots while being true to our craft.

So, we did.

My brother, Brendan Hughes, decided upon graduating Yale Drama School to do the Hollywood thing. He's enjoying it tremendously. He runs into working actors from hit series. They are like anyone else in the town - just working.Randy and I have been fortunate to have cultivated some folks in LA whose opinion we trust. If we write something that's not "there there", we trust them to let us know. As our our grad school mentor Steve Geller used to say, "Your friends will let you know."

It's also true that you need to put in an appearance once in a while. There needs to be a face to go with a name (not merely on a website). At the end of the day, the screen trade - like any business - is people dealing with people.

-Joe