In the meantime, however, I'm feeding other dreams. I spent this weekend in LA, soaking up everything I could about being a screenwriter here. In addition to some great classes, lectures, and the grand finale of watching William Goldman and Aaron Sorkin interview each other, it was an outstanding road trip.

As a seasoned veteran of I-5 (Northwest Division), I believe that there are three ingredients crucial to a truly enjoyable road trip—good snacks, good music, and most of all good company. This trip had all three in spades (with the exception of a package of saladitos, or chile-salted plums, which my memory had apparently mistaken for a good flavor—sorry, Charissa). I have never sung louder, for longer, or had more fun on the road than on the way back—switching from Curtis Mayfield to the Dixie Chicks to Stevie Wonder to everything in between was one of the purest expressions of joy I've felt in a long time. Plus, I actually started writing. Just a snippet of a scene, a nugget that will hopefully turn into something good, but it marks the first time I've actually fired up Final Draft and used it to get my own words down. It felt good.