These interviews are great and I love hearing the stories from successful writers. Without even reading the log line, I was immediately drawn to the title "The Eel" and after a quick Google search, I saw a graphic design artist had posted some awesome concept art for it. I was wondering what those screenplay look books are actually used for? And with a story like this, how did you balance the comedy with the more serious moments? Were there some humorous moments that took away from the believability of the story in initial drafts?

Hi Alan- The visuals were part of my pitch to direct the script. Some writers do include graphic content in their scripts. It's rare, though. Regarding comedy vs. drama: I had written a character into the first few drafts who was there purely as comic relief. He never made it past Draft 3. He had a few good scenes, and a fun monologue about why Lucky Strike cigarettes are called Lucky Strike. But it just didn't work. It felt unfocused and... self-indulgent. As far as balancing comedy vs. drama, I don't really think that there's a right way or a wrong way. Look at Todd Solondz's HAPPINESS as an extreme example. That movie turns on a dime with one line of dialogue, or one look, from quirky comedy to flat-out "this is the darkest shit I've ever seen" drama. I think going back to character is helpful. If you stay true to your characters, they will behave whichever way they behave. And I am sure some of them will do some pretty funny shit. Every great drama has moments of comedy weaved in. And that's what makes the drama so poignant- we're taken for an emotional journey.