I was getting off the plane in Fairbanks, Alaska…..

….about to meet the producers who had flown me out from Los Angeles to do research for their film project, when I recognized that I was nervous. New people. A completely unfamiliar part of the world. A story that was bigger than I could wrap my head around. I had taken on too much, I thought. But we all feel that way at the start of an adventure. The main character in the story felt that way for sure when he moved from his big city office job to Fairbanks Alaska to spend time with the ancient Toklat wolf pack. It’s a universal feeling for any new, unimaginable task. And this is the way I feel when I start writing any new script. I am caught up in the adventure of the story and the immediate drive and need of the characters.

Whether I get to travel and do research for projects (Alaska, Berlin, Oktoberfest in Munich, Paris), or whether I’m writing at 3am in my workroom, (surrounded by bobble heads, action figures and plastic soldiers–I like to play out things in the middle of the night), writing is a great adventure. I’ve taken this journey many times alone, so I’m grateful for the occasional company in working on a project.

At the heart of every project, I ask myself, is there a story worth telling around the campfire? One that will keep us riveted, even though it’s almost too cold to be sitting outside any longer. Is this a story worth staying up too late, and getting too icy cold for? Most stories aren’t when I first meet them. But then all stories, like most people, don’t reveal themselves right away. It’s my job to inspire them enough so that they open up to me.