The story drove the book. That had a very seminal effect on the way I saw writing and storytelling. If you can set a character in a story that is compelling and has a backbone, you draw people in.

I do love television. But the business is accelerating and people are not getting the chance to fail.

There was an interesting article in Los Angeles Magazine about women directors. A woman director makes one bad independent film and her career is over. Guys tend to get an opportunity to learn from their mistakes.

If the scripts are not good, I'll tell somebody, 'This isn't good.

If you're going to vote on a television contract, there is a certain rationality to saying that the same structures that are applied to Health Plan participation should be placed on the right to vote on a strike.

I've known John Landgraf for 20 years. He said it perfectly. People will ask if I've seen X. My response has often been, 'Seen it? I've never heard of it.'

The most positive step is to try to expand the employment base by making it, if not economically friendly, at least not economically disastrous, for studios to take on deficits.