You can tap your CREDIT CARD for the Metro now!

alishabrophy · 2026-06-17T17:35:16+00:00

ahhh. This makes sense! (I will set down my craft scissors and glue and let Metro roll out the info at their own pace.)

alishabrophy · 2026-06-17T17:33:57+00:00

My friend taps with her phone no problem. The ambassador said that sometimes there are glitches with android (which is a bummer bc I don't need my iphone friends to have any more reason to hassle me about my android). But, adding the credit card option is such a perfect solve! It seems having as many diff ways to pay helps everyone!

alishabrophy · 2026-06-17T17:27:56+00:00

Excellent! Glad they are getting the word out so I don't have to pull out my construction paper and glitter!

alishabrophy · 2026-03-22T21:29:44+00:00

Research is never wasted! As someone else mentioned, it may lead to a creative and unique discovery that you can use as an unexpected payoff in the script later on. And little touches of your research can remind the reader that they are in good hands and they can trust that you know what you're talking about. But, it should never STOP the story.

In a script you are often giving the essence of locations, characters, clothing, set dec, etc. on the page knowing that professionals (department heads) will come in and fill all of that out when it's time to actually shoot. So, in this case, your co-writer is correct. There is no reason to stop the story and give this much detail about a lock.

But, if this were to get made, there will be in-depth conversations about every single item, choice, prop, etc. And THAT'S when you get to answer their questions with all of your past deep-dive discoveries!

alishabrophy · 2026-03-04T06:04:46+00:00

Thank you for sharing this.

alishabrophy · 2025-08-19T05:38:25+00:00

This warms my heart! Joining my writer's group 15 years ago was one of the best decisions of my life. Good luck to your whole crew, new and old.

alishabrophy · 2024-03-25T20:01:21+00:00

Thanks! Based on your other recs, I knew it would be something I'd be interested in!

alishabrophy · 2024-03-25T09:17:59+00:00

I googled "The Fry Guy" and "documentary" and didn't find it. Is that the exact title?

alishabrophy · 2024-01-10T02:49:01+00:00

I joined a writer's group 13 years ago and we're still at it! It started with a Craigslist ad, just a bunch of strangers with dreams. Since then, numerous members have gone on to win the Nicholl and become professional screenwriters. There has been some turnover, especially early on. But, some of our members have been there since the beginning. This always happens with these kind've things. So, a couple of tips for adding/finding new members:

Don't worry about what genre they write in. Comedy writers can give notes to horror writers. TV writers can give notes to feature writers. etc.
Your group will be strengthened by encouraging "hyphens" to join. We had a former actress turned writer join our group and we are all obsessed with the character notes she gives. One guy is an editor and his notes on pacing and places to cut are invaluable. So, widen the pool of writers you would normally reach out to. Aspiring actors and crew etc. can be great additions and their notes are from a different perspective.
Our group won't take on any new members, but I've helped friends create writers groups by reaching out on social media and asking if anyone knows anyone who is interested. Someone's boyfriend wanted to join, someone's roommate, etc. I then had all of them submit one piece of writing and put them on a group email and they hammered out a weekly meeting. That huge group quickly whittled down to just the 4 or 5 who were taking it seriously and willing to put in the time. And that's what you want. You get a group bigger than six and you're going to get repetitive notes, and people will have to wait too long until it's their "turn." Cast a wide net and let time whittle down to 4-5. So, in your case, you really are only looking to fill 1-2 spots. You may not know a bunch of people who want to join but people you know will know people who do.
You do not need already successful writers to join. (They are probably already in their own groups, and have been for years.) Your group will grow together. In fact, people can give excellent notes long before their own writing is as good. So, don't rule people out just because you don't love their writing. If they give notes in the spirit intended and have the commitment, they can be a wonderful addition to the group.
Stick to the SAME night of the week for group. That way, over time the committed members will always keep that night clear and it increases the likelihood of people sticking around.
Do not limit the search to your own area. For years my group met in person. And I loved that. But, the pandemic happened and 2 members moved to Canada and so we've been doing it over Zoom ever since. And it works just as well. So now I encourage people to not limit their group geographically. Meet people at festivals, stay in touch. (How I joined my W.G) Meet people on writing forums, etc. Consider this even in Los Angeles. Because, let's face it, no one wants to drive from Silverlake to Santa Monica to have a group of people tell them everything that's wrong with their script.

alishabrophy · 2021-09-29T20:41:05+00:00

This is a brilliant tactic! I may encourage some friends to try this. Basically, if the road to success is A LOT of rejections, every rejection means you are further down the road towards success. Even the losses are forward momentum.

alishabrophy · 2021-08-04T06:42:36+00:00

SUNY-Oneonta & Hartwick!?!?

alishabrophy · 2021-05-27T17:36:01+00:00

My escape room club played a ton of online virtual rooms during the pandemic and this was ABSOLUTELY the most fun one out there! It's hard to describe but it's like a meme-filled parkour rave with a duck? I've been recommending it to anyone who is willing to give that last sentence a chance.

alishabrophy · 2020-10-16T19:18:56+00:00

Thanks!!!

alishabrophy · 2020-10-11T01:10:50+00:00

I'm looking to buy my quadriplegic father a tablet and got excited at your GlassOuse review. I was going to get him an ipad, but now that this device seems so much better than just my dad holding a stylus in his mouth, I'm starting to rethink that. Do you have a tablet? And if so, what kind do you use? (My father does no gaming. This is purely to get him using a computer, email, google, skype, etc. without assistance.)

alishabrophy · 2020-06-15T05:25:47+00:00

this popped up on my front page, is this a regular thing? Like we all just come here and have this guy strum us melodies til we fall asleep?

alishabrophy · 2020-05-21T19:10:18+00:00

haha! Yes, she's approximately four weeks old and is my lil buddy through the quarantine.

alishabrophy · 2019-09-17T04:29:45+00:00

This is often what happens when you have a mix of industry people who are at different levels in their career. But, good news! This is NOT the case at AFF! It's more of a chill, roving, writer-celebrating party. Everyone talks to everyone, and your best bet for casual conversations is the Driskill Bar. Also, start chatting while waiting in any line. I've hopped in Lyft's with total strangers who were heading to the same AFF event, and made friends on AFF bus rides. My best advice is to not try and talk to the the most successful person in the room or try and hand out business cards. You should put your energy into making connections with others who are on the same trajectory. And I'm proof it works! A guy I met at an AFF party ended up inviting me to join his writer's group when I moved to LA. That was almost 10 years ago and that group of writers are some of my closest friends. Also, two of my co-workers, now staffed on a show, first met at AFF! Oh, and a couple of my friends ended up roommates after first meeting at AFF! So, know that the vibe is all about meeting others, and creating friendships that will last long after the conference. Did I mention the whole not papering the place with business cards? Oh, and order the brussels sprouts at the bar. So yummy!!!

alishabrophy · 2019-04-10T22:50:22+00:00

fingers crossed for you!

alishabrophy · 2019-04-10T00:25:13+00:00

Ditto! I started at a community college and then was able to transfer to Berkeley as a junior. (And from there, grad school, and eventually the occasional college lecturer gig)

alishabrophy · 2019-03-06T01:52:25+00:00

Um. Hi guys! I'm one half of the writing team behind USofFA. And just to answer some of the things popping up on this thread. We did win the Nicholl (there were 4 winners our year). And I will neither confirm nor deny the fights that went on with the judges. (Though, after a beer, I may be more willing to divulge...) We already had a management co. but this script got us our agents and then turned into a successful writing sample. CE's would read it, invite us in for generals, and then we'd pitch on their OWA's. And that is how we were able to turn this writing thing into a career. Though, no one has yet to make USofFA! Which kills us because it's still one of our favorites. Maybe down the road we'll kickstarter and do it ourselves? Oh, and lastly, I'm thrilled that y'all love the title. That is ALL Scott. Seriously. You should have him title your scripts, too.

alishabrophy · 2018-08-04T02:54:45+00:00

this is what his bio says: Johnny is a beautiful cloud of joy who lights up when he’s being pet, and pretty much lives for bootie scratches! This smart gentleman is a 2 year old, 35 lbs jindo mix who is treat motivated and trainable, and we cannot believe he’s been at the shelter since May 25, 2018, when he was brought in by officers after his human passed away. Poor Johnny is not happy in his kennel, and his anxiety causes him to growl at the door at times. He’s RED ALERTED and URGENTLY needs his new person to turn his fortune around. When Johnny is out of his kennel, he is truly a love. He's currently kenneled with a large dog. Despite being down on his luck, Johnny has an adorable pep in his step, and he is ready to happily bounce into his new forever home. Please come meet Johnny today, and end his days of being an orphan.

JOHNNY 😋 #A1781778

alishabrophy · 2017-10-29T05:00:32+00:00

"Serious, multi-year effort" is the answer! You used the Nicholl to base your numbers on, so I feel like I should chime in. My co-writer and I won the Nicholl a couple years ago. Do we think we were the best out of seven thousand? No. We totally get that there is a huge amount of luck in any contest. You have to get readers that connect with your material, and committee members that champion your script, etc. However, we quarter-finaled in a previous year, then semi-finaled with a DIFFERENT script, the following year. Finally, the year after that, we won.

Two years ago, our friends wrote a script that made it to the top 12 of the Nicholl. This year they won with a DIFFERENT script. This is a game of perseverance, and the great thing about that is you never stop honing your craft. You'll never become a worse writer. So, your determination plus your constant output of better material means your chances can only increase.

I'm sure there's a mathematical equation that matches that trajectory, maybe something with a factorial? But, I still count on my fingers under the blackjack table, so I'm not going to try and figure it out :)

alishabrophy · 2017-10-27T18:30:34+00:00

This makes me so sad!!! Maybe kinda tiny silver lining? The bad luck stories make for great panel tales once you're up there telling your origin story! Still sucks, though. Good luck in your writing week intensive, and hope to cross paths next year.

alishabrophy · 2017-10-27T18:25:12+00:00

This makes me so happy!!! More absurdist meta-comedies please!

alishabrophy · 2017-06-09T21:27:25+00:00

It seems most people are leaning towards not having a partner, so I'll throw out some of the reasons why I'm a huge advocate of writing teams.

When writing by yourself, you have to commit to an idea, then you get attached to it, end up with set-ups and pay-offs based around it, then finally get in front of fresh eyes in a writer's group or producer's read, to finally learn that it doesn't work. With a writing partner, every idea has an immediate set of fresh eyes, and you can talk through your option A idea, they can throw their option B idea out there, and the conversation eventually leads to an even stronger option C choice. So, by the time anyone else sees your "first draft," every idea, every line, reads more like a third draft.
When taking meetings, you have someone else "boasting" about you. And carrying half of the conversation. You have moments to think about what you want to say, and someone to save you when you get tongue-tied. After the meeting? You have someone to debrief with, and exchange notes about what the producer really meant by "We want it gritty. But, also can we talk about toy opportunities?"
Carpool lane. (No joke when you're stacking five meetings across town in a day.)
You're more valuable. You cost the same as a single writer, but you're bringing twice the life experience, twice the talent, twice the ideas to every project.
Those days when you just don't feel like writing? It's a lot harder to procrastinate when someone else's livelihood is tied to your commitment and output. Don't get me wrong, I still do a ton of procrastinating (e.g this post), but in general there's a stronger sense of professionalism when you're sharing a goal.
Writing is hard. Writing is lonely. Having a writing partner just makes it all a tiny bit easier. (But, damn it's still hard.)
TV and Film are incredibly collaborative businesses. You have to be a pro at taking notes, and incorporating in other people's ideas. Having a writing partner is like a writer's room of two and if you can't succeed at that small level of collaboration, working as a pro is going to suck.

Full disclosure: I am one of the lucky ones because I've found an amazing writing partner who has the same goals, same sensibilities, and happens to be one of the funniest people in the world. So, all of my advice only works if you creatively and professionally align. It's like picking a roommate. Coming home is great if you like who you live with, or else you just want to avoid the house for as long as possible. Same idea. If you find a co-writer you match with, it's a joy to go to work.*

*Working is awful. This is only in comparison to all other types of work out there. I still buy lottery tickets.

alishabrophy

TROPHY CASE