The key to moving a maybe to a yes is to make the buyer feel as though other buyers have already said yes. ... It helps if it's true, but it never is. No one wants to be the first yes. Why is this? I don't know, but I think it's anthropological.

When I was starting out, the first women studio heads and writers were just getting into their perches - development execs learning their chops.

Love and friendship, two of life's abiding rewards, are endangered species in Hollywood. People crave both, mistaking alliance for friendship, lust for love, and ambition for both.

Ego problems are endemic in every walk of life, but in the movie business egomaniacs are megalomaniacs.

No single movie or event makes or breaks your career. Everything can be undone, including success.

The only way I can access all my strength is to relax. ... The paradox is that you must learn to be relaxed while using all your power.

It is just as important to move on in the wake of stunning success as in the wake of disaster.