I try to live my life by doing the things that scare me.
Over the past few months, it’s become clear that HOUSE OF SNOW is the most ambitious creative project I’ve attempted, and I’m terrified. But I’m also committed.
This story feels like a deep synthesis of my voice, vision, and travels, and I’m realizing that prose is the medium it demands.
Which is to say: I think I’ve accidentally started writing a novel.
From the beginning, I’ve imagined HOUSE OF SNOW as a sort of serialized co-creation with you. That now extends even further than I expected. I want your thoughts not just on the story, but on the writing itself.
What do you think of the experience? The pacing, the plot, the line-level craft?
What’s working for you, and what’s not?
This is your invitation into the creative process, as I strive to do justice to Edmund’s and Samantha’s story. It’s shaping up to be a lyrical, spiritually charged, time-hopping epic of memory, myth, and recurrence, where the uncanny hums beneath the mundane. The chapters I’ll share are, by definition, works-in-progress, so I ask for patience, kindness, and sensitivity in your feedback.
Moving forward, I’ll be holding what I call “the stupid stick”. It’s a concept I’ve introduced to collaborators and development teams over the years.
The stupid stick can be a pen, or a whiteboard marker, or really anything that’s readily available in the room. Whoever holds the stupid stick is granted immunity from mean-spirited criticism or doubts about their abilities. It’s a reminder that not every idea is a good idea, and that great ideas are more likely to emerge in an atmosphere of grace.
Our 2025 roadmap was a bit ambitious in its timing, but the next chapter is coming - this October. I’m putting the finishing touches on it as we speak.
Stay tuned, and thanks to you all for putting up with the wait! I’m pretty much the world’s worst multitasker - especially when possessed by a story that insists on being told! - which is why things have been relatively quiet around here, until now.
PS, for the filmmakers and screenwriters among us: I’ve opened fall bookings for 1:1 storytelling consults. They’re for you if you’re feeling stuck or ready to deepen your project, and they include access to the full Lights Film School curriculum archive.
PPS: Just learned that a script I cowrote has been selected as a semifinalist at the Austin Film Festival across three categories, including Best Drama Feature! Which means out of 11,500+ scripts, it’s in the top 2%. As my creative partner pointed out, this is THE preeminent festival for writing - so we are, ironically, at a loss for words.
