In 2017, WGA negotiations with the AMPTP got to a point where a strike authorization vote was called. It was an extremely strong turn-out. We were in the midst of writing the final season of Halt and Catch Fire. Rogers and I were fully absorbed with ending our dream project of a show, how to complete it just right. Suddenly a strike was looming and it was all in danger of suddenly going away.

On #Maythe4th, here is a list of screenwriters who have worked on STAR WARS TV & Film projects:

George Lucas
Leigh Brackett
Lawrence Kasdan
Jonathan Hales
Michael Arndt
JJ Abrams
Rian Johnson
Chris Terrio
Derek Connolly
Colin Trevorrow
Henry Gilroy Steven Melching
Scott Murphy
Dave Filoni
Chris Weitz
Tony Gilroy
Johny Knoll
Gary Whitta
Jonathan Kasdan
Pat Proft
Leonard Ripps
Bruce Vilanch
Rod Warren
Mitzie Welch
John Korty
Bob Carrau
Jim Wheat
Ken Wheat
Miki Herman
Peter Sauder
Richard Beban
Steven Wright
Joe Johnston

In January 2020, I went to Long Beach Comic-Con, did a panel, sold some Doctor Doom issues and copies of my books She Could Fly and Everything.

Sitting at the small table, a young woman approached me.

https://twitter.com/variety/status/1646229083066601473

She had come all the way down to Long Beach and bought a pass to the Con just to find me and tell me how much Halt and Catch Fire had meant to her, particularly in some more difficult times for her recently, especially when she was transitioning.

Late payments to the artist effectively killed / paused indeterminately an original 4-issue I co-created with Aftershock. Have had good faith convos w/ EIC Brian but w/ 2 issues done, no movement. If within a year you don’t have art costs to finish 2 issues within your budget… …then your whole enterprise should be called into question. This statement says all under contract will be paid… but when? No word on that for months now. Zero direct communication. “Late” at a certain point becomes “non” if your income has a giant hole in it for 6+ months…

Okay over the years I’ve managed to collect what I believe to be invaluable screenwriting advice. Take it from me, a top-tier pro (the air up here is JUST fine!), that I’ve got some WISE WORDS. So listen up, here’s my screenwriting school in the form of Tasha Yar pictures: That first idea phase is the most fun. Have a blast at this stage, but remember, the joy will fade as you get several parsecs out with this “fun thought” you had for a split second. Have gratitude for the joy of the creative process, but know you’re going to need discipline!

Permit me this geeky tangent, but I’ll make it worth your time. I stumbled upon a seemingly typical moment in Star Trek that I found emotionally resonant and quite profound when contextualized in history.

It has to do with the Apollo Space Program in 1967. There’s an episode in Season 2 of Star Trek called “Return to Tomorrow,” and it’s otherwise standard stuff: godlike aliens looking to take corporeal form again, asking to use the bodies of Enterprise crew so they can build permanent android bodies yada yada yada. But...

I spent a year in college studying the structure of Jaws. It was film school; I was too stupid and selfish for something like criminal law or medicine. But it breaks down like:

Act I: seq i
Act I: seq ii
Act II: seq i
Act II: seq ii
Act II: seq iii
Act II: seq iv
Act III In Act I; seq i a challenge is posed to the portagonist(s) and they are forced to make a decision.

For Brody: the girl dies of a shark attack and he decides to close the beaches.