Creative Principles

From a young age, Jack Carr had two dreams: serving his country in uniform as a Navy SEAL and becoming an author. Following twenty years in the SEAL Teams, Jack shifted his sights to publishing and fulfilled his literary objective with the release of his debut novel, The Terminal List. Since then, he has captivated readers worldwide with the gripping tales of James Reece in his New York Times best...

Johnathon Schaech is an actor, writer, and producer, celebrated for his dynamic presence on both big and small screens. His breakout role came in 1996 when he starred as Jimmy Mattingly in Tom Hanks' directorial debut, "That Thing You Do!". He has appeared in numerous TV series, some of his credits include 'Ray Donovan' and 'Legends of Tomorrow,' where he portrayed Jonah Hex, a fan-favorite charac...

Award-winning Mad Men writer Victor Levin recently debuted his latest TV series 'Alice & Jack' on PBS. The unconventional six-episode romantic drama stars Oscar nominee Andrea Riseborough (To Leslie, Birdman) and Domnhall Gleeson (The Revenant, Black Mirror). The series explores how love plays out between two very different people over the course of 15 years, and the story inspires questions of wh...

“The idea really came from my own life because I am a person who had a lot of very close male friends in college and remained close to a lot of them,” says Francesca Delbanco, “but a moment happened when people started getting married and coupling up and having children, when I noticed I was getting becoming closer friends with my friend’s wives and Nick was becoming close to my friends and the wo...

“Initially, I never thought film was an option. I grew up in Wisconsin,” says Michael Sarnoski, “and I didn’t have a lot of artistic, creative people around me or outlets to share in. I think storytelling, doodling, writing, and drawing comics — that was my hobby, my secret. It was very gradual.” Overtime, Sarnoski met other kindred spirits who shared his same passions. “I was never like, I’m goin...

“I wasn’t looking to be in a business,” jokes Danai Gurira. “I really felt like I wanted to tell stories about things I haven’t seen.” The Zimbabwean-American saw a way to use the craft of writing to inspire others, even though she initially thought she was going to be an academic.  “The focus is always around African women,” she says. “I was born in the midwest but we moved back shortly after Zim...

“I was a theater kid, so I started out writing plays,” says David Zabel. “But I started to think, what does a movie script look like or what does a play look like? Once I had access to those things to see how they worked, I started writing screenplays and had ideas for TV pilots. That pilot opened a few doors of me.” An agent helped him get his first job on the series JAG, which later led to Star...

You know her best as Maggie Greene (later Maggie Rhee) on The Walking Dead, but additional credits include Chuck, The Vampire Diaries, Archer, The Boy, The Mindy Project, Mile 22, and Whiskey Cavalier. She described the acting bug as follows: “I have this muscle memory of being on stage and losing all sense of space and time. It was like swimming. Once you taste it, it’s so intoxicating to disappe...

Rhea Seehorn studied visual arts in college, but when she was asked to take an extracurricular, she took a technique and craft class on acting. “I was completely hooked,” she told me. You know her best as Kim Wexler on AMC’s Better Call Saul, but maybe you’ve also seen her in Trust Me, Whitney, House of Lies, Franklin & Bash, Veep and Bad Boys - Ride or Die. In her latest project, Cooper’s Bar, sh...

“It was the magic of the environment that drew me in. The idea that you could tell a story, and the live audience follows it, and they could be a part of it, emotionally involved, if it was engaging,” actor Giancarlo Esposito told me about his childhood as an actor. You know him best as Gus Fring on Breaking Bad, Buggin Out in Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing, and Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian, but...

Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne are a dynamic couple in the entertainment industry. Tig is a renowned stand-up comedian, writer, actress, and radio contributor, celebrated for her deadpan humor and unique storytelling style. She gained widespread recognition with her critically acclaimed album "Live" and her Amazon Prime series "One Mississippi." Stephanie Allynne is an actress, writer, and comed...

“Honestly, and I know it sounds sentimental, but when I became a writer, I held Pixar out as my beacon,” says Meg LeFauve. “At the time, I thought some of the best storytelling was coming out of Pixar and I had heard about the Brain Trust room. I thought the scariest, most thrilling thing I could do is be in that room as a writer with those Story Brains.” Everybody told Meg it was impossible and t...

Geraldine DeRuiter is an acclaimed author, world-renowned public speaker, and the voice behind the award-winning Everywhereist blog. In her latest book 'If You Can’t Take the Heat,' Geraldine shares stories about her shockingly true, painfully funny (and sometimes just painful) adventures in gastronomy. In this interview, we talk about her blog, finding your voice as a writer, what makes a good id...

Ken Coleman is a career expert and #1 bestselling author of The Proximity Principle: The Proven Strategy That Will Lead to the Career You Love. At Ramsey Solutions, he hosts The Ken Coleman Show, a nationally syndicated radio show—part of the Ramsey Network—that airs in more than 35 cities across the U.S. every weekday. Ken is America’s Career Coach and has appeared on shows like Fox & Friends, Ya...

Stephen Camelio is a freelance writer and former editor at In Style magazine. His work has appeared in countless publications including ESPN The Magazine, Field & Stream, Entertainment Weekly, and Men's Journal. His latest film 'Mending the Line,' follows a Marine wounded in Afghanistan who is sent to a V.A. facility in Montana where he meets a Vietnam Vet who teaches him how to fly fish as a way...

“I always knew that I wanted to write in some way. My mother is a writer and I kind of just grew up around writing and literature,” says Lulu Wang. “But, it felt like such a lonely art form, so when I got to college, that was the first time I thought about filmmaking as a career.” Like many viewers, she hadn’t thought much about the writer behind her favorite shows and movies. “I took a 101 class...

“I didn’t really know I was allowed to be a screenwriter, so I didn’t consider that as a career or life option growing up Southeast of England,” says Drew Pearce. “People I knew didn’t go to University and they definitely didn’t work in movies.” “Throughout my life, I have shown a staggering lack of imagination in thinking I can do these jobs. But when I meet a person who does the job, I do think,...

Zainab Johnson is a stand-up comedian, actress, and writer. Her comedy is based on her unique point-of-view, shaped growing up in Harlem as one of thirteen siblings in a black Muslim family. Zainab debuted her very first one-hour comedy special 'Hijabs Off' on Amazon Prime Video, and is currently a series regular on the Amazon Original hit series titled 'Upload' from Greg Daniels. She is also one...

Adele Parks MBE is one of the most-loved and biggest-selling women's fiction writers in the UK. She has sold over 5 million plus copies and has been translated into over 30 different languages. She has published 21 novels, all of which have been London Times bestsellers. The film adaptation of her book 'The Image of You,' starring Sasha Pieterse, follows the story of two identical twins, Anna and...

Zach Woods got his start at the Upright Citizens Brigade doing improv. Brandon Gardner followed a similar path, eventually shifting to playwriting and sketch. The two continued to share work and support one another as they moved from New York to Los Angeles.  For their latest collaboration, In the Know, where they’re listed as co-creators with Mike Judge (Office Space, Silicon Valley), the story f...

Jeff Annison is the Co-Founder and President of 'Legion M,' the world's first fan-owned media company. With 50k investors, over $20M raised, and over 150k members overall in the community, 'Legion M' is paving the way to democratize the business, challenge the traditional studio system, and open the doors for fans to become genuine stakeholders in the creative process. This year the company has pr...

“There was David Cronenberg (The Fly, Scanners), but not many other examples,” says Don McKellar, about his childhood as a Canadian where he felt there were few role models in the business. “But I did love theater. I created shows with my friends and all the disciplines — writing, directing, acting — blended together for me.” Those live performances helped to shape his work. “I co-wrote a musical...

Ned Benson is a writer, director, and producer known for his profound storytelling. His debut film, 'The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby,' premiered at Cannes in 2014, showcasing his unique narrative approach by exploring dual perspectives on love and loss. His recent film 'The Greatest Hits' follows a love story centering on the connection between music and memory and how they transport us, someti...

“I was hungry,” says Kurt Johnstad, who took any position he could find to get on set. “I was just looking for an avenue to tell stories. I looked at all the jobs and the flow and rhythm of being on set. I realized a director or cinematographer needs all these people, but you could be self-reliant and self-generate — it’s the writer.” “The writer can just sort of be in their little shack and type...

Stephen Moyer is a renowned actor and director best known for his role as vampire Bill Compton in HBO's 'True Blood.' Starting his career on the London stage, Moyer transitioned to television and film, starring in productions like 'Quills' and '88 Minutes.' He has showcased his versatility by directing several episodes for different television projects, including 'True Blood', and more recently th...