I was talking to someone today who said "Wow, Glo, you really made it." And it struck me as very funny. Because you never feel that. What even IS "making it" -- for me I like to work. I love the joy of being on a set knowing that the story will go to the world. That is the joy. But I can't say that I feel I've "made it" because that assumes that you succeeded. And having success and succeeding in Hollywood are different things. For me, it getting to make stuff. And I don't actually get to be on a set that often. It's the state of the industry.

I am reading a zillion scripts right now and...man, a lot of them are bad. Like A LOT of them. Please please please work on your samples. And get HONEST feedback. It takes so long to get the agent/rep & get your script into someones hands...that first impression IS EVERYTHING! I will also say that there are some AMAZING writers out there! With vision and interesting tones and fantastic characters! It is easy to choose because the cream really does rise to the top.

Let's talk auditioning. Watching auditions again has been so amazing. I just love actors. Their ability to put themselves out there is so brave. And I love a big choice! I love specificity! I love when people dress the part & take me on a journey. Thoughts: WATCH THE SHOW. Make sure you know the tone. Make sure you know how to pronounce the names of the characters. You don't have to be fully off book but if you are then you better not adlib too much. I'll allow a word up top or at the end but not a monologue in the middle.

Trying to put together a little database of entry-level resumes. If you LIVE IN LA currently -- not tomorrow or next week but now & want to be up for PA positions then send your resume to assistant@glonationstudios.com SUBJECT: PA Positions FOLLOW DIRECTIONS TO A T. If you don't live in LA now then PLEASE don't waste our time. I will do these often so if you are coming then just wait til you are here. This is for PA only. Put all relevant info in that resume. Make sure it looks professional.

Thoughts on mentoring. A THREAD. Had the pleasure of hearing my queen @ava speak today. She put into words something I've been trying to articulate. Often strangers ask me to mentor them. I don't think they realize what an ask that is. Ava put it so beautifully. It's a very intimate request. Like asking someone to be a lover. You don't just ask that of someone. You are assuming they will share their time, their heart, their soul with you when they don't know you. I had no mentor for years! Yet it seems people these days expect one.

Okay, y’all, I’ve been wanting to discuss this for awhile & as we are all reflecting on societal change & challenging previous systems that keep marginalized voices silenced…this seems as good a time as any to share what I have learned. So, here goes: (A THREAD) Institutional racism in marketing needs to be challenged. It’s SO HARD to get a show made. Especially when it challenges the status quo & is about an underrepresented subset of society. BUT if it doesn’t receive the same marketing as it's peers it is doomed.

You got to LA, You did the work, You worked hard for a long time, You finally got a show, It was a critical darling and it STILL got canceled. A THREAD. Here we are. I can’t believe it but it happened. The show I love just got canceled. This happens. This is part of the gig. This is where the REAL test occurs. Where your resilience is tested. Luckily, you’ve had years of hustle. Years of fighting. So, you got this. Be Heartbroken. Feel that. Send your love emails. Call the people you are so grateful to have worked with. Cry. Go for a walk.

Financial insecurity for artists: A THREAD. We, as artists, deal with a lot of insecurity. But the one I think we talk about least is financial insecurity. I think it’s because many of us are not taught how to properly take care of ourselves while pursuing a career in the arts. I think that getting good with money is important. It’s how we’re fed. It’s how we pay our basic bills. And if you are making art it helps to have a roof over your head & food in your belly. I think saving is important. Making a plan. Do you know what you cost every month?

How to get staffed. A THREAD.

Staffing season is coming up. Mid-May the showrunners will get the call that changes their life. They get to make a show & they must hire a staff ASAP. The thing many don’t know is that it takes about a year before to get all of your ducks in a row to make getting hired a real possibility. Not to say you can't get staffed this year. But there are important steps. Here's what I know.

Professional etiquette: A THREAD
I no longer have time for coffees so I talk to young writers on the phone on my way to meetings. I'm noticing again and again a few things. I want to share them so that you don't do them. First, know this, someone giving you their time...even 5 min is HUGE. That's 5 min that they don't get to listen to an awesome song or a podcast or check in with a friend. So, if you get to talk to an industry "pro" be prepared. Have your questions ready. DO NOT WASTE THEIR TIME.

The aftermath of initial pilot pick-ups. A THREAD.
So, I've talked about this. We make content. Sometimes it moves forward & sometimes it doesn't. It's the gig. The added frustration for a creator from a marginalized community women/POC/LGBTQIA+/Disabled, etc are these... Every year we get a fresh chance to try again. It feels good! And, for me personally, I want to tell positive Latinx (Afro-Latinx, Latino-Chino, etc) stories as a priority. I'm trying to infect culture with stories showing our goodness and common humanity.

Pilot Season for writers after they turn in their scripts. A THREAD.

So, I went out with three new shows this year. I love them all for different reasons. Two have already been passed on. Beautiful little shows. The heartache is real but this is the the gig. One about a Mexican/Salvi family the other was about Mexican, Afro-Caribean & Trans people forming their own bonds. Both were filled with heart & tons of humor. One took two years to write. THIS IS THE GIG. We try. We fail. We keep trying.

Writer Thread: Pilots & staffing. This is pilot season. Writers are waiting for their pilots to get a pickup. If you are interested in staffing you should already have an agent. If you don't have an agent then it is unlikely you'll staff this year. Focus on getting repped! If you are repped then READ THE TRADES. Follow the shows you think you are right for. Then make sure to communicate with your reps about your focus. And have a sample that is appropriate to the show you hope to meet on.

Audition Thread: I used to volunteer to be "a reader" for a well-known casting director just to see auditions. It was invaluable. You'd see how actors would sabotage themselves. All the CD wanted was for them to do it well. Have a take. Be committed. I would get the actors & try to provide warm energy to calm them before they entered the room. Once an actress came in & I learned that she "crashed" the audition. She found out about it & showed up. She said it felt old Hollywood -- showed her hustle. The CD kicked her out.