Welcome to Mars

Who I Am, What This Is, and Why It Might Be Useful

Bandaid off: we’re still on planet Earth.

No atmosphere of undiscovered mystery. No space helmets. No little red rocks to kick around. Just me, writing about TV. And sometimes movies. Well — writing about writing TV and movies… Off to a good start — OKAY:

I’ve spent the last two decades-ish working in and around the entertainment industry — writing pilots, cracking stories, and building pitch decks that don’t feel like homework. I started in post (where they say the story gets its final rewrite), detoured through visual effects and marketing, and somehow kept orbiting back to the page. Now, I’m a script coordinator, and a screenwriter — I picked up some steam when a pilot of mine won the Austin Film Festival in 2023!

TV On Mars is where I unpack the process — the “why isn’t this scene landing?” stuff that lives behind the finished product. Some posts will be useful — script notes, deck design tips, hard lessons from the pitch-black void of development. Some will be messier — rants, confessions, pattern recognition. And some will probably just be about weird little choices I love in great TV (or hate in bad TV… you might get more of the latter, let’s be real).

So why now?

Because after years of helping other people get their stories unstuck, I’ve realized — I really love that part. Strategic cuts and structure fixes that feel like a mess, until they don’t. Dialogue tweaks that make a flat scene come alive — it’s creative diagnostics, and I love it. I still write my own stuff (I have a pillow I scream into), but stepping out of the tangle of my own creative process to help somebody else find the way through theirs is both cathartic and clarifying. If you want to really understand something, try to explain it.

Also: I’ve worked across a lot of corners of the industry — post-production, visual effects, marketing, development, design — and every time I talk shop with someone, I leave thinking, “Man, I wish they taught this stuff in Film School.” This is my attempt to bottle that.

TV On Mars isn’t about pretending I have all the answers. It’s about sharing the tools, instincts, and “please don’t do this” lessons I’ve picked up along the way. For writers who are stuck, curious, overwhelmed, or just trying to finish something without hating it.

Photo by Etienne Girardet on Unsplash

What kind of space is this?

It’s a space for people who care about story — and how it’s broken. (“Breaking” is what they call figuring out the plot in a professional writers’ room. Pro tips, people!)

This is for anyone curious about the craft behind TV and film: brand-new writers, working writers looking for a fresh perspective, and seasoned pros who just want a good laugh. Storytellers, world-builders, process nerds, Galaxy Quest fans, and fellow overthinkers: you’re welcome here.

I’ll share strategies, tools, takeaways, and the occasional downloadable thing to mess around with. I’m interested in what’s useful, what’s clear, what lands — and always open to hearing what doesn’t. This is a space for honest observations, small breakthroughs, puzzle-solving, and reminders that writing isn’t magic — it’s process. Sometimes a mess. Sometimes transcendent. Occasionally both.

This isn’t a masterclass. It’s more like: here’s what I’ve figured out so far — what do you think?

TV On Mars is for people who believe storytelling should start with character, honor the audience’s attention, and never take itself too seriously. It’s not here to impress anyone. Just to share what’s helped — and maybe spark something that helps you, too.

What to expect here (and When)

I’m aiming for a few substantive posts a month — sometimes more if the mood (or madness) strikes. Think essays, process breakdowns, script notes, pitch tips, and other story-shaped things. I might try out “TV Tuesdays” as a regular drop, but no promises yet. I’m still finding the rhythm.

I’m open to exploring what’s useful to subscribers (“Martians?” too soon? … It’s too soon…) But I have plans for everything including:

• Deeper-dive posts and breakdowns

• Templates, tools, and downloadable resources

• Priority feedback / Q&A sessions

• Behind-the-scenes looks at how I develop projects

• Story consultation and writers room services

If any of that sounds useful, stick around. I’d love for TV On Mars to grow into a community — where people share questions, ideas, puzzle pieces — and figure out this weird, wonderful, frustrating, exciting, torturous and tantalizing thing we call storytelling… together.

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