Many have asked me over the years how I come up with ideas for my screenplays and other endeavors. The truth of the matter is that it isn’t easy. There isn’t some sort of switch to turn on and off. But what does happen is that suddenly an idea pops into your head and from there you begin to build off it.

With Justice Is Mind, the spark was a 60 Minutes episode on thought identification. For First Signal and the entire First World universe, it’s my passion for science fiction and the space program that gave me the idea of, “What if this happened during the Apollo missions instead?” For SOS United States it’s my love for political thrillers and government intrigue. But with all my stories and ideas, they are products of things I either wanted to read, see or do.

Take for example the magazine I founded, International Figure Skating. That idea came from my work at TIME magazine as a sales assistant and my then work in the sport as a coach and skater. For me, I wanted to read a newsmagazine that was a cross between TIME and People but covered a sport I loved.  

Just today I was at the gym when an idea came to me about either a new science fiction story or one that could fold into the First World universe. Whenever these ideas come to me, I must write them down immediately. Or in this case, I just quickly typed a note on my cell phone to process later. That reminds me of when I was at an impasse when I was writing In Mind We Trust, the sequel to Justice Is Mind. I was really struggling to come up with a solution to something between characters, when between sets it instantly dawned on me.

For us creatives, we all have a method or place to unlock our creative energies. For me, it’s either a good workout or a long hike. But there’s no magic to it. When the time is right, when the moment presents itself, we take it and don’t look back. But once those ideas come to me and coalesce, when I do write, I shut off my phone, close my browser, and make every attempt to remove myself from distractions. In our world of instant notifications, the only thing I need to be notified of when I’m writing is when I hit my target word count for the day.

Speaking of In Mind We Trust, that is the next screenplay I’ve decided to send through the festival circuit. In addition to reading the story again, the next step will be to create a poster to represent the project and give the festivals and juries a visualization of the world of In Mind We Trust.

A few days ago, the last film festival that was considering First Launch came back with an Official Selection. It’s immeasurably satisfying that so many festivals found First Launch a story worthy of numerous selections and awards. Writing a sequel is by no means an easy task. With First Launch my goal was to expand the story and characters that resonated so well in First Signal to a larger world.  For those who have seen First Signal, that’s where the story left off. It started confined to one room and then opened to the realization that we are not alone in the universe. Yes, that setup was deliberate to end First Signal and begin First Launch.

As I begin the new year, I feel that several of my projects are nearing the launch stage. Will it be SOS United States, First Launch or In Mind We Trust? If I’ve learned anything about this industry it’s to be ready for the unexpected.

Trust the process.