I was born and raised in Canada and moved to Los Angeles to become a filmmaker - just like countless cliches before and after me.
I attended the University of Southern California’s masters program in producing convinced that filmmaking was what I wanted to do with my life. It didn’t take long for me to discover something important: I loved movies, but I didn’t actually love making them.
After graduating, I worked across the entertainment industry, including roles at EPIX and Hasbro Studios, before eventually finding my way into talent representation and becoming a literary manager.
And that’s when everything clicked.
I discovered very quickly that what I loved most wasn’t making content myself. It was working with directly with writers - breaking story, challenging ideas, developing characters, solving problems, and helping them turn their remarkable stories in their head into the strongest possible version of itself.
Today, i get to do this for a living.
As a literary manager, I work directly with professional screenwriters while also speaking regularly with producers, executives, studios, networks, and other decision-makers throughout the industry. That puts me in a unique position: I get to see both sides of the equation.
I know what writers are trying to accomplish—and I hear firsthand what the industry is responding to.
What I See Every Day
I read a lot of scripts.
I develop material with writers, submit projects to producers and executives, discuss potential clients, track what buyers are looking for, and hear the reasons why executives respond to certain material - and why they pass on most other material.
Over time, I began noticing something.
Most writers don’t fail because they lack talent or interesting stories to tell.
They fail because their scripts aren’t viable.
Viable doesn't mean commercial in the narrow sense of chasing trends and predicting what Hollywood wants next..
It’s about executing the fundamental elements of a script that make someone want to keep reading, talk about it afterward, and ultimately advocate for the writer.
And while taste will always be subjective, the reasons scripts fall short are often much more objective than writers realize. The same issues come up again and again. That means they can be identified. They can be understood. And, most importantly, they can be mastered.
That realization became the foundation for Breakout Story.
Why I Created Breakout Story
Actionable, up-to-date, accessible knowledge writers can apply to their craft.
I don’t just read scripts and give notes. While notes may make a specific script better, it doesn’t help the individual improve overall as a screenwriter. My goal with Breakout Story is to help writers understand why something isn't working and give them a process they can carry from one screenplay to the next.
The knowledge I've gained from working with writers and engaging with the industry every day shouldn't have to remain behind the closed doors of representation. I created Breakout Story to make that insight more tangible and accessible to writers who are serious about improving their craft.
Because the goal isn't simply to write a better draft. It's to become a better screenwriter.
CONCEPT
CHARACTER
WORLD
STORY
POINT OF VIEW
These aren’t abstract ideas.
They’re the same elements executives respond to when deciding whether a script feels compelling, clear, and viable.
My Philosophy
There are two ideas at the heart of how I approach screenwriting:
Practice doesn't make perfect. Practice makes permanent.
Simply writing more scripts doesn't automatically make you a better writer. Think about an athlete training in the gym. Repetition matters, but only when you're practicing the right techniques. Repeating the same mistakes simply reinforces them.
Screenwriting is no different. Writers need to understand what they're trying to accomplish, develop the right tools, and then practice those tools deliberately.
The second idea is even simpler:
Writing is pre-writing.
The most important decisions you will make about your screenplay happen before you ever open Final Draft. Before FADE IN, you should understand the foundation of what you're building: your Concept, Character, World, Story, and Point of View.
These are what I call the Five Pillars of a Breakout Script.
When those pillars are thoughtfully developed, the writing process becomes more focused. You have a clearer understanding of what makes your script distinctive, what your protagonist needs, what drives your story, and why this particular screenplay deserves to exist.
That's why much of my work with writers focuses on mastering the development and pre-writing process—not simply fixing problems after they're already on the page.
Who Breakout Story For?
Breakout Story is for writers who:
◎ Have an extraordinary story to tell
◎ Are open to exploring a new approach toward screenwriting
◎ Want insight from an industry professional
◎ Have written scripts but aren't getting the attention they want
◎ Are just starting out and are unsure of where to start
