In the United States, we’re living through a period where half of the country is sure they’re heroes… and the other half is equally sure. Both can’t be true at the same time. This means that 50% of the self-proclaimed “heroes” are decidedly on the wrong side of history, and they either have no idea or refuse to believe it.

Now, let’s be clear, I’m VERY anti-Trump, always have been, always will be. If you’ve read this newsletter at all, this will come as no surprise to you. I feel very clear and confident about who is on the wrong side of history — but I also know that MAGA feels just as confident. I think the idea that you can be a villain and not realize it is interesting because it’s the through-line in almost every villain ever written.

Remember, the idea of a villain is subjective — reliant on shared goals or a sense of morality. Everyone fancies themselves the “hero” of their own story, but that also means there’s a good chance you’re the villain in someone else’s. History is told through the eyes of the victor, and every story is about perspective.

But this begs the question… Are you a villain and just don’t know it?

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Creating A Villain

As screenwriters, we talk a lot about writing compelling, relatable characters - ones that keep an audience invested and make us want to tune in for the next episode to witness their hero’s journey. However, I often feel like the villain gets overlooked. Writing (like life) is all about polarity and contrast, so your villain can be the best way to show who your main character (MC) is and what they stand for — the villain provides polarity, shows who your MC is NOT, and what they’re fighting against.

The villain’s job is to act as a reflection of not only your MC, but society as a whole, whether by comparison or contrast. Heroes need to be tested; villains put pressure on them. Many of the best villains are relatable, inspire empathy, and could easily exist in the real world. They aren’t necessarily evil, at least not in black and white terms — they’re misunderstood, abandoned, afraid, and their response to their environment is less than ideal.

A perfect hero is boring, but a purely evil villain is equally boring. Play with the grey area. Let the audience find themselves rooting for the villain once in a while, tug at their heartstrings, and make them feel seen or understood in small ways. Though they’re misunderstood, the audience should sort of understand where your villain is coming from.

Lastly, no one is immune. Circumventing a villain track takes constant vigilance and self-awareness (in real life and in fiction). That’s incredibly uncomfortable. Deep down, a villain is often fueled by ego and afraid of discomfort.

Let’s break it down into four categories:

1. The Motivation (what drives them)

2. The Action (what they do/don’t do)

3. The Internal (how they view themselves)

4. The External (how they view others)

THE MOTIVATION (what drives them)

• They operate from a place of fear (not love)

• They care more about intent than about actual outcome

• They don’t look at themselves critically

THE ACTION (what they do or don’t do)

• They can’t remember the last time they admitted to being wrong

• They don’t care about hurting people or think of it as a necessary evil

• They have stopped learning and growing

THE INTERNAL (how they view themselves)

• They’ve placed labels on themselves but don’t regularly check in to see if you deserve them (think “I’m a nice guy”)

• They hold others to a higher (less attainable) standard than themselves or think of themselves as the exception

• They care more about how they’re perceived than who they actually are (more preaching than practicing)

THE EXTERNAL (how they view others)

• They demand perfection from others

• They put themselves on a pedestal or think they’re untouchable

• They only have empathy for people they know or think that rules/ideas don’t apply to certain groups (the idea of “other”)

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THE MOTIVATION:

This boils down to what drives our villain. Are they operating from a place of love and good faith? Are they willing to look at themselves critically? What lengths are they willing to go to to avoid being proven wrong, humiliated, or shamed?

Often, a villain isn’t thinking or acting based on what they do want, but what they don’t want. What they’re trying to avoid or run from.

What is your antagonist trying to outrun? What are you trying to outrun??

THE ACTION:

When was the last time you admitted to being wrong? And I don’t mean subtly, to yourself, in the privacy of your home — I mean out loud and directly to the person you’re arguing with. Stubbornness is a slippery slope that many people often wrongly see as a virtue.

Along the same lines, let’s examine the idea of neutrality. Are you a good person if you stand idly by and watch an atrocity happen? If you simply withdraw? Would you let your hero do the same? What kind of obligation does your MC have to step in when someone is being hurt or taken advantage of, and do you hold yourself to the same standard??

These are great questions to ask when workshopping your villain (or if you’re looking for a little journal prompt).

THE INTERNAL

The “nice guy” ideology is one that I’ve thought about a lot - the notion that you can simply declare that you’re nice and have no obligation to back it up with any sort of action. I think this is a great lens to look at a villain through, because it’s likely that most of them don’t view themselves as villains. They decided long ago that they were nice, good, kind, etc, but a skill that isn’t exercised regularly fades; the muscle weakens.

There is no neutral zone for kindness — like anything else, it is something that needs to be practiced or it atrophies. Against all odds, let your villain practice it before changing their tune.

THE EXTERNAL:

The external stuff is where villainy becomes unmistakable to everyone except the villain themselves. They hold others to impossible standards, loyalty must be absolute, mistakes or weakness are unforgivable. Meanwhile, their own contradictions get filed under “complexity” or “doing what’s necessary.” They operate above the consequences they impose. Their empathy has borders, as does their grace and humanity.

What makes this so chilling is how righteous it feels from the inside. They don’t see double standards; they see necessary hierarchies. They don’t see cruelty; they see strength. Every person they’ve dehumanized is proof that they’re protecting their own. Every rule they’ve broken is evidence of courage. They look in the mirror and see the hero the situation demands.

And maybe that’s the point - maybe that’s what makes us all so susceptible to the villain curse. So here’s the question: what do you see when you look in the mirror? If you’re honest, how many of these sound like you?

Now, in my defense, I have a few good reasons. Aside from having a dozen visitors come through my NYC guest room last month, in late July/August, I was assigned to two additional screenwriting projects, started brainstorming and researching two new original shows, and directed my first short film.

I’ve been the best kind of busy — the good, creative, fun, happily overwhelmed sort.

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That being said, I like to finish what I start. I have the analysis for my fifth pilot read, “The Good Place”, coming out in the next few days, but in the meantime, let’s talk about what I’ve learned (so far) in reading and analyzing half of the scripts on my TBR.

#1 - My character descriptions SUCKED

Seriously. I’m knee deep in my “pitch-ready” edit of my pilot episode, and not one of the original character descriptions from my first two drafts has made the cut. Not one. So many assinine physical descriptions. Almost nothing of real substance. Nothing that tells the audience anything real about who the characters are, how they move through the world, and what they want.

I’m really proud of who my characters are now. I feel confident in the visceral feeling that I get when they show up on the page for the first time. I’m not saying their perfect, but they’re distinct and fully formed. Perhaps for the first time…

#2 - I’m a wordy little bitch

At least the first time around. But again, that’s the point of the “vomit draft”. I like to wax poetic and overexplain. I like to hash things out and beat a dead horse (yappers unite). HOWEVER - there’s a time and a place for all of that. Give me a vibey bar and a dirty martini, and we can talk for hours, but here, on the page, while I desperately fight for your attention?? Not the place.

I’ve kind of fallen in love with the process — pairing down a paragraph that I was sure was a keeper after my second or third draft. I’m not a gamer (unless you count my annual SIMS house-building binge once a year), but I imagine this is the feeling that people get playing video games. A little challenge, one after the other, until you finally win the whole game or advance to a new level. Is that word exactly what you want to say? Is the action line formatted in the most impactful way? Does he really need to say that?

It’s an insanely frustrating process to be sure, but there’s something addictive about it.

#3 - I have good instincts

Writing those words gives me instant imposter syndrome. I feel too new to screenwriting to confidently declare that I may have an instinct for this. Perhaps when I finish a few more scripts? Maybe when one makes its way on air or to a streaming service? Even then, should I just read a few more screenwriting books - just to be sure??

That being said… I can feel when a scene clicks. I can feel when the pacing of an episode is wrong. I can sense when my dialogue is overwrought. It doesn’t mean those mistakes don’t show up on the page, but in the editing process, which (let’s face it) is a huge portion of the overall writing process, relies on those instincts, and I can confidently say that I have them.

This is your idea, your story, your voice. Trust your instincts. I plan to spend years and years developing mine further and creating the best art that I can.

That’s all for now - I promise soooo much more is headed your way. Happy writing :)

I’ve spent these months getting settled in my new apartment on the Upper West Side and adjusting to my new life in the city I’ve wanted to live in my entire life - and I’m not speaking hyperbolically. I remember longing for New York as early as seven years old, years before I’d travel here for the first time. Then, at the age of fourteen (on my golden birthday), I was given the best birthday present that I could have imagined - my parents surprised me with a trip to New York! My whole extended family had chipped in, gifting me five glorious days in Manhattan with my Mom and tickets for four Broadway shows — nothing in the world could have been better in my young teen mind. To this day, that trip is one of my happiest memories.

Phantom, Lion King, Mamma Mia, Chicago…

The lights of Times Square looked so magical to me — as cheesy as that sounds — and even the cheap knock-offs and dime-a-dozen souvenirs lining the streets were intoxicating. To this day, there’s a small part of me that thinks Times Square is magical when it’s all lit up (rats and all).

New York seemed like a city that loved artists and gave them a place to run free, thrive, and call home — all rolled into one. It still feels that way, decades later. Watching people run around the city at all hours of the day trying to make their dreams (however ridiculous or far-fetched) come true makes me borderline giddy - so it’s no surprise that it’s revitalized me creatively in exactly the ways I had only hoped it would.

The recent months have been full of exploration, artist dates (we’ll get into my experience with The Artist’s Way later), coffee dates with fellow creatives, and OH SO MANY SCRIPTS. Reading them. Writing them. Outlining them. You name it.

I’ve got a lot coming down the pipeline for you… I can’t wait to share what I’ve been working on.

So let’s talk about why I use them, what I use them for, and some tools that you can use to get started.

Why I use mood boards:

Creating a mood board for a TV show/movie can be especially beneficial in several ways:

1. Visual Representation of Concept: Your goal as a screenwriter is to get your ideas out of your head and onto the page so others can experience them. However, screenwriting (as creative as it may be) does have some rules and regulations regarding how those ideas need to be presented. Depending on how comfortable you are taking risks with your script, those rules can feel a bit limiting.

Mood boards (specifically when pitching) give you an extra bit of ammunition that can help create that visual world in your reader’s head - fill in the holes that your scene headings and descriptions may have left behind.

2. Pitch Enhancement: While we’re on the topic… pitching! A well-crafted mood board can make your pitch more engaging, visceral, and memorable, providing a visual element that complements your verbal presentation. This can give the room an idea of not only what the show ideally looks like but can also get them to start thinking about where this would shoot, what the unique selling points are, etc… This helps convey the show's tone, genre, and overall aesthetic, making it easier for potential buyers or networks to grasp your vision.

In short - film is a visual medium so assume that you’re pitching to visually driven people!

3. Character and Setting Development: A moodboard can include visuals that represent character traits, ideal wardrobe, and key settings - all of which can help to flesh out the world of the show.

The world or setting (whether intentionally or not) can also act as a character. A blatant example of this is ‘Sex and the City’, where New York City is not only mentioned in the show’s title, but it funtions as a main character in the same way that Carrie Bradshaw does - adding unique events, obstacles, and bringing an unmistakable aesthetic. New York City keeps those women on their toes as much (if not more) than any of their love interests. A more subtle example of this is Breaking Bad, where the desert is often as menacing and nefarious as Walter - constantly causing chaos and uprooting their best laid plans.

Both shows would look and feel completely different if they were set in different cities, climates, or time periods - the shows would be unrecognizable. Knowing this, your setting needs to be thoroughly flushed out in your mind, on the page, and in any other mediums you can possibly utilize.

4. Target Audience Insight: By showcasing themes, colors, and styles, you can demonstrate who the show is for and how it aligns with current trends. Who is your ideal audience member? Does your show appeal to lovers or dark academia? 1970s NYC? Modern day Palm Springs? Not only that, but down the line as you think about release plans and marketing material, it helps to ensure that all aspects of the show—from writing to visuals and marketing—are cohesive.

When to use a mood board:

I make boards for each of the following circumstances - that may not be what works best for you and that’s ok! But here’s a peak into my process:

1. General Mood Board: this should include a little bit of everything - setting, textures, clothing, characters, colors, words/quotes, anything and everything that can contribute to the vibe is welcome. Start broad and hone in as you gather more source material.

2. Setting Specific Mood Board: you guessed it, this is entirely dedicated to the setting of your project. Where is it located, what is the lighting like, the colors, city or country, time period? This can have a mix of broad (the city/season/temperature) and granular (a can from a specific time period, the look of the main character’s office, etc…)

3. Character Boards: I create a small mood board for all of my main characters. These are very specific in terms of vibe, color, etc… and they typically consist of less than 15 images. I’m going to do a whole post about these boards and how you can use them to develop your characters so if you’re interested, make sure you’re subscribed!

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   BONUS: “Travel Episode” Board: These boards are on a case by case basis but essentially, if I’m planning an episode that takes my characters out of their typical setting, then I like to create a board for that specific episode. Think ‘Emily in Paris’ when they go to Rome/San Tropez, the Los Angeles episodes from ‘Mad Men’ or the Catskills Episodes in ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’.

Mood Board Tools:

Below are some of my favorite tools for finding mood board inspiration! I’ve included screenshots from each site with examples of what you’d find when searching “french countryside” so you can see which might work best for you depending on your goals (exploratory, specific, mood based, color grading, etc…)

Pinterest: This one is pretty obvious but it is a great discovery tool, especially at the beginning of your process when you want a broad look at your potential settings.

Cosmos.so: Cosmos is specifically billed as a discovery engine for creatives. It works similarly to interest - anyone can save images from the web, curate into clusters, and share them with the world. However, because this is geared towards designers and creatives, the search results on Cosmos are more curated in my opinion. I’ve found that the images to be more consistent in coloring and the suggested photos get more granular as you refine your search. Plus you’re not filtering through ads and blog posts as you look for your inspo which is a plus.

Same Energy: Same energy is another a visual search engine but the most refined in terms of searching for one specific artistic style or overall mood of an image, rather than just the objects in it. You can use it to find beautiful art, photography, decoration ideas, pretty much anything. This is a great tool for anyone looking to really hone in on one particular vibe or aesthetic who knows what they’re looking for a really wants to double down.

I hope this was helpful! I’ll be getting into some tools for building boards in another post (coming soon) but for now - let me know if you have any questions about building mood boards and what visuals and feelings you’re looking to communicate with yours!

If you’ve found this little corner of the internet, I’m going to assume you’re a lover of the entertainment industry, movies, TV shows, and creativity in general! You’ve grown up loving movie magic, you daydream about spending time in a writer’s room or studio lot and you’re ideal business card says “writer, producer, director, actor, etc…”. Maybe you’re on a journey to making it your full-time job like I’m trying to do or maybe you simply want to feel more empowered to create without holding yourself back (been there).

Creating can be a loaded feat, especially when you haven’t been “classically trained” in your chosen field. I should know - I’ve been devouring every script, screenwriting book, and writing website I could get my hands on for years now trying to muster up the courage to get the worlds I’ve built in my mind out of my head and onto the page. Maybe even muster up the courage to call myself a screenwriter.

In that process, I’ve learned that there’s no one way to hone your skills as a writer, just like there’s no one way to make it in this industry. Before starting my screenwriting journey, I was a singer working at a Los Angeles record label. I spent every single day pouring over new mixes for our artists, submitting album art, coordinating press interviews, ideating social media posts, and attending tours. Like me, some of our artists and bands have tons of schooling or a degree in music, while others picked up a guitar on a whim one day and fell in love. While this may have slightly changed their approach to making music, it absolutely did not make or break their success in the industry - that often came down to passion, drive, and their ability to be honest about their shortcomings.

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Multi-Hyphenates is a place for me to be honest about my shortcomings and use my passion and drive to overcome them so I can achieve my dreams. If you’re tired of wishing that you were living your entertainment industry dreams (manifesting it, creating mood boards, and hoping the right opportunity will fall into your lap) and you’re ready to deep dive with me - here’s a few things you can look forward to on this substack:

1. The Writer’s Room - Everything I'm doing to learn about screenwriting and the industry as someone who didn't go to film school and the ups and downs that come with it - the imposter syndrome, the writer's block moments, the rejections, and (if I'm lucky) the triumphs!

2. My Weekly Script Reads/Script Analysis - I’ve learned that the best way for a baby screenwriter to get comfortable with the format is to read as many scripts as possible, so every week I try to read at least 3 scripts. I’ll post an analysis or recap of any scripts that I think are particularly interesting for all of you ☺️

3. Other Resources - I want to share anything and everything that might be helpful. The best screenwriting books I’ve read (and the worst), new films, shows, short stories, articles, etc… If it helped me, it might just help you too!

4. Pitching - From building pitch decks to prepping for pitch meetings, I’ll let you follow along on my progress and give advice for building your own.

5. Competitions/Festivals - Which competitions are worth your time (and submission fee) and everything I’m learning about the festival circuit.

6. Organization & Process - How I stay organized and hone my writing process (and how you can do the same). Plus, the best ways to find motivation and finish your script!

7. The Enthusiast’s Corner - this is for the film/TV lovers to come and geek out with me. We’ll analyze characters, hypothesize alternate endings, and all around 'nerd out' on movies and television. Afterall... the best way to learn is through immersion.

If there’s anything specific you want to see - please let me know! See you in the writing room, Multi-Hyphenates!