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Amy Suto
Hello! 👋 I’m Amy Suto, a published author and freelance memoir ghostwriter. Subscribe to my newsletter & writing job board here!
The 4 Best Los Angeles Coffeeshops to Write Your Screenplay In
So the best new years' resolution I've ever achieved is 'become a regular in independently-owned coffeeshops I love.' And as a screenwriter living in Los Angeles, this basically makes me a god. Or just someone who drinks way too much coffee.
The Americans: Day 4 of 31 Days of Spy Films & Television
Because I work on a spy show, I knew I had to see the full series. I, like so many people I know, gave up around season 1 because I found it a bit dull. On the spectrum, I prefer a bit more elevated spy thrillers because I find that if you get too grounded you run the risk of something too muddled and pedantic rather than a slick and gut-wrenching show that hits in an emotional place while keeping the tension high.
A Writers' Life in 2018: Novel Writing, Freelancing, First Episode of Television
It's December! You know what that means: a lengthy reflection on the year that's passed, with all the ups and downs and status on my impending carpal tunnel!
The Bourne Trilogy (Spy Month, Day 3)
In this weird shadow universe where tyrannical television hosts now run nations, I refuse to let one more injustice tip the scales. So, we're not going to acknowledge any of the Bourne films beyond Ultimatum.
La Femme Nikita (1990) and the Nikita TV Series: Spy Month, Day 2
For those of you playing along at home, the answer is yes, I am posting three blog posts for this series today because I didn't post any yesterday and I'm already behind for spy month. Feel free to judge me, I also blog professionally so really I have no excuse other than "I'm busy playing pretend for a living and this blog truly exists just so I can craft my piecemeal dissertation about why I'm never going to watch The Wire."
The Third Man (1949): Spy Month, Day 1
Today's film is none other than the classic 1949 film, THE THIRD MAN. It's not squarely in the spy genre as it's set in post-war Vienna and pre-Cold War, but the noir style and general sense of intrigue place it in my definition of the "spy" genre.
31 Days of Spy Films and Television
In honor of starting in a new writers' room for a spy show, I'm writing 31 blog posts about some of my favorite movies and TV shows within the genre. That's 31 days filled with intrigue and conspiracy and white men angrily hanging up the phone as Jason Bourne gets away yet again.
Method Writing: Exercises to Experience the Stories You're Writing
I love collecting weird hobbies and experiences, and often joke that I'm a "method writer." It's only partially a joke: I've been known to seek out adventures in the same flavor of what I'm writing. (See: this deep cut from my archives where I shot guns and learned about them six years ago for a novel I was writing. Baby Amy was -- and still is -- a die hard method writer.)
How I Made My First $10k as a Freelance Writer on Upwork
I just passed my $10,000 milestone on Upwork, time to pop the champagne and share some tips for those of you also looking to jump into the freelance writing world! As I mentioned in my previous post (Day in the Life of a Freelance Writer) I do freelance writing full-time when I'm in-between writers' rooms.
Day in the Life of a Freelance Writer
Hello friends! I'm back from doing some travel (San Fran for work, Tahoe for play) and also just moved into a new apartment with my best friend who also happens to cook the best Italian food you've ever tasted.
Writers' Life: How Your Examined Life Informs The Stories You Tell
Just like you are what you eat, you write what you live. While I believe that write what you know is a narrow way to approach the vast expanse of stories you could be telling, I do believe that our own experiences create a prism through which we see the world and write about it.
What Nobody in Film School Tells You About Getting a Job After You Graduate
There are a lot of Things They Don't Tell You in film school about getting a job after you graduate -- and mostly that's because your professors and advisors don't know what the current conditions of the film and television job market are, and what jobs aspiring writers, directors, etc. should actually pursue.
The 3 Rules of Making it As a Writer in Los Angeles
Every artist should have a code, a set of rules, to keep them sane in a city with more traffic than trees and way overpriced lattes. I have three rules that I set for myself ever since I came out to LA, and they've governed every decision I've made out here.
Writing in Hollywood: Should Men Tell Women's Stories?
Back in the day, I wrote a guide for men on how to write female characters.In a nutshell: like human beings. Complex, flawed, whole. Strong -- but also weak. A spectrum, just like male characters have been written about for decades in film and television.
How to Write a Series Bible for Your TV Show
It's the top of the New Year and I hope you're as ready for this year as I am! Every year after Christmas I let my OCD tendencies take over and deep clean my apartment and get my projects in order by making a project calendar. I also get started on new scripts, so I thought I'd write this post about how to write a killer series bible for your TV show. Let's write stacks on stacks of final drafts this year guys, OK?
5 Best Writing Articles of 2017 from AmySuto.com
In 2017 I worked on two different TV shows, wrote lots of pages, and took far too many artsy photos of my cat. I also wrote some blog posts. If you missed them, here are some of my best articles about writing from 2017:
Stress Relief for Writers: Staying Creative with Busy Schedules
In the past, I've written about how to balance writing while being a showrunners' assistant or writers' assistant, but today I'd like to tackle general strategies for stress relief so that you can maintain your creativity in any period of your life -- during the holidays, in times of financial stress, or while anxiously waiting the return of FX's LEGION.
How to Work with a Writing Partner (and not murder each other!)
So if you're starting in a television writers' room or are about to embark on writing a script with a writing partner, here are some things you should keep in mind so that you get along with other creatives and homicide stays on the page:
Good Books: Being Gritty, Successful, and Working Smart for Screenwriters
As writers, the only part of our career we can truly control is our output. How productive can we be? How can we write more pages in a day? How can we optimize our creativity and enrich our storytelling?That's why as part of my Good Books series, I'm exploring how we can work smarter -- without adding six more cups of coffee to our day.
3 Tips for Getting Organized and Motivated after a Setback (Writing in Hollywood)
We can't control a lot of aspects of writing in television, but what we can control is our own mindset and how we approach our work. By investing in a sense of humor, a positive perspective, and some organizational habits, we can re-route ourselves and get back on track no matter the setback. So, here are six ways I reset myself and my goals after a setback:
Writers' Assistant, Showrunner's Assistant, and Writers' PA (What These Jobs Are and How to Get Them)
Learn the difference between writers' assistant, showrunner's assistant, and writers' PA -- as well as how to get these jobs in a television writers' room.
Writing the Half-Hour TV Drama
I hate the phrase "dramedy."Every half-hour TV show that isn't quite a comedy has been given that title. NURSE JACKIE? WEEDS? TRANSPARENT? GIRLS? Dramedies, despite the fact that the spine of these shows are unequivocally dramatic.
Writing Through Fear
It's been a year since I graduated from the USC screenwriting program, and in that year I've learned a number of lessons: there are a number of dinner recipes out there that don't include pasta, perfection is not attainable, decaf coffee is a cruel joke. The most important lesson of all, however, is how to write through fear.
How To Get Your Life Together as a Graduating Writer (A 5-Step Guide With Photos)
The other day I was lucky enough to return to USC and speak on a panel at the film school about how to survive senior exit programs like First Pitch and the realities of the post-grad world.As someone who is just a year out of school and have found employment in the industry as still making time to write while at my agency job, I'm qualified to Pretend to Know What I'm Doing (TM).
Hello! 👋 I’m Amy Suto. I’m a bestselling author, creator of the bestselling Substack Make Writing Your Job, and a 7-figure freelance memoir ghostwriter. Subscribe to my newsletter and writing job board to learn how to make writing your job!
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MY NEW BOOK: WRITE FOR MONEY & POWER
The anti-starving-artist's guide to becoming a seven-figure writer.
NEW SERIAL: LET ME BE YOUR GHOST
My serialized billionaire romance — a ghostwriter with secrets, a CEO with more. Read chapter one free →
MY ROMANTASY NOVEL: THE ASH TRIALS
The deadliest game is remembering who you are.
MY DETECTIVE NOVEL: THE NOMAD DETECTIVE
Crime crosses borders, but so does this detective.
MY HOW-TO BOOK: SIX-FIGURE FREELANCE WRITER
Work smarter, not harder — without the burnout.
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