Show up, shut up, and shine.
Teens have a sensational narcissism and genuinely believe that their experiences are unique and can't be explained to adults. But we forgive them for their mistakes and naivete.
It was a huge confidence builder to stand in front of 34 21-year-olds and explain something to them every day.
For a writer, working in television is an incredibly rewarding medium. You're in charge of all aspects of production and get to see your vision come to life every week.
You can only tell so many bad-guy stories.
I love writing about young people.
I'll write teen stories as long as people will let me. I'll also be excited for the day when I'm told I can no longer write teen stories.
When I first found out what a show runner was, I thought it was the strangest job I had heard of in my life.
The thing that has led me to the place that I am is that every moment in my life, I've been following my dream: following my dream to go to the University of Toronto, following my dream to get my Ph.D., following my dream to work in Hollywood.
In my mind, I don't necessarily associate a summer show with lightness.
When someone's a writer, it's very creative and moody, and you think of someone walking around the office in pajamas thinking of ideas.
I love telling teen stories where the characters are experiencing things for the first time - the stakes feel really high.
One of the things I love about doing television is that I don't feel like I'm just purely a writer. I like all of the opportunities television affords to kind of build a brand that can work across platforms, so I'm not just solely at my computer in my pajamas all day.
As anyone who reads Marvel comics will tell you, it's actually more important that you understand the people that are inside the mask, as opposed to the mask and the cowl or anything else like that.
I can honestly say that, growing up, it never crossed my mind that I could ever make anything. I could write articles about things, which is why I wanted to be a professor. I loved watching movies and writing about them and teaching them, but it never crossed my mind that I could make something.
I think, anytime there is a strong intellectual connection and people have shared interest, where they enjoy bantering with each other, there is always potential for a romantic spark. That is inherent.
Sonic Youth is one of my favorite bands.
One of the great things about the space program is it's super well-documented.
We love stories about identity and acceptance because they're so universal.
Everybody feels like an outsider at some point in their lives.
