In the last few years since I made the switch from strictly being a screenwriter to becoming writer/director, I've noticed that the way I write my screenplays has altered. I'm curious, what you gentlemen think is the difference between writing as a screenwriter and writing as a filmmaker/director intending on directing his own film? That said, what do you think are the traps that a writer/director can fall into writing his own work?

How do you know when you're done?

How has today's process of "breaking in" changed from five, ten or twenty years ago?

Do you keep a "character bible" of sorts where you keep track of character histories --their biggest fears, greatest secret longings, life-changing moments etc?

As a screenwriter, do you ever find yourself being too descriptive or specific with characters? When I write, I want to put exactly how I imagine a character saying a line or giving a look. Do you ever struggle to balance being descriptive while leaving room for actor/director interpretation?

Where do you see the state of the industry in ten to twenty years, and how should screenwriters, both beginning and veteran, adapt and negotiate the heady waters?

To Craig Mazin, and John August: What's the best way you've found to guard your craft, and heart against umbrage?

I recently got script-notes feedback on one of my scripts that I felt very attached to. I got a lot of negative but extremely helpful feedback, (which I appreciated because I really want to refine my script to make it better.) Have you ever had to tear apart a script you loved, and how did you go about breaking it apart when you felt emotionally tied to it?

How important is writing in a certain genre in order to establish your "brand" as a professional writer? How hard is it to get out of that box once you've put yourself in it?

What was the most difficult scene you've written?

With advancements like the Black List 3.0 site and various contests, is there less of a filter for breaking in? If so, is that a good thing?

WooHoo! Thanks! :)

What's the one thing you would change in your career? When you were starting? And now?

A newbie, non-WGA screenwriter, through fortunate circumstance and tremendous luck, sells an original feature screenplay to a WGA designatory company. Would the writer be afforded the protections of a WGA member, i.e. WGA membership, minimum payment (assuming the lack of a writer's quote), etc.? Or, do those benefits apply only to future work once said writer has been accepted to the WGA thanks to their first sale?

It seems like studios/producers want screenplays geared more towards international audiences. Do you think about this when you write? And if so, how does it change your approach to writing?

What is the most valuable mistake you've made in your career thus far?

If comedy is routinely acknowledged as the hardest to write, then why doesn't it receive Academy respect?

I have a good friend who’s very close with a big name Hollywood Actor. Someone who’s been in big films with the biggest name Directors, Producers, and Actors in the business. I’’ve met the Actor in a social setting... its legit. He was huge in the 1990’s - early 2000's, fell off everybody’s radar, went through rehab, etc., and is now coming back. My good friend has suggested I abandon whatever it is I’m working on in the moment ('writing what I know') and begin writing a dark, twisted, sinister, thriller script idea with his Hollywood Actor friend in mind as the lead. I’m a complete newbie and no one knows or has read any of my work, so the question is- should I ‘bite’ and spend the next three months writing something not up my alley on the chance that 'Hollywood Actor’ likes it... or stay the course with 'writing what I know’ as the first thing I’m actually wanting to circulate in the community?

Are you now, as paid screenwriters, solely writing in and for the interest of future works? i.e. "what's selling?" Or are you also working, or hoping for, your pet projects to be lifted off from the ground, despite their marketability? What storytelling aim takes precedence for a paid writer? The answer seems obvious, but you never know when your script will be the herald of the next big thing.

You attend a panel of the screenwriters you most admire. What question would you ask and who would be on the panel?

Did you have a mentor early on in your career that really helped you, and if so, what was the one piece of advice that got you to turn the corner, or still guides you today?

I recently read an article "It’s Money (Not Sexism) Keeping Women Down in Hollywood" - See more at: http://www.filmschoolrejects.com/opinions/women-underrepresented-in-hollywood-not-due-to-sexism.php#sthash.xyupYuCp.dpuf where it more specifically quoted the following "Put simply: the male-to-female ratio among studio filmmakers is 15.24:1. The stats are about as bleak for female screenwriters, so there’s your first problem — there aren’t enough women given opportunities to create complex roles for women..." This is my greatest concern as a female filmmaker myself hoping to get a chance in the "big boy's club" (referenced in the article) The article is long and delves into the subject on a many fronts, but I'd like to know what are some of your experiences and thoughts on this issue. Do you think that female screenwriters are treated unfairly in Hollywood? On another note, congratulations on your continued success in the biz! Thanks!

As the entry level for digital film and TV continues to get cheaper and avenues for distribution multiply, how do you see the writer's role changing in this new digital frontier? How should writers embrace the new opportunities arising from this change, and what skills do you see writers needing in order to be successful, both artistically and financially?