I have never been an ambitious person, and my participation in this industry is a fluke, but only male writers can afford to be coy and self-deprecating.

I think when you take people who are damaged and you give them money and freedom, it can be a toxic cocktail.

Stripping toughened my hide, but exposing myself as a writer has been a lot more brutal.

For me, stripping was an unusual kind of escape. I had nothing to escape but privilege, but I claimed asylum anyway. At twenty-four, it was my last chance to reject something and become nothing. I wanted to terrify myself. Mission accomplished.

People say 'teenage girls aren't so clever. Your characters should be less articulate to reflect our youth.' People who say that aren't spending time with teenagers.

I grew up in the Midwest; you don't know any screenwriters. It didn't seem like a realistic career possibility.

The one thing I have found about Hollywood is it's a town full of people who believe in themselves, often to a degree where they're what you would call "delusional."