The Next Chapter Might Get Weird...
And that's a good thing.
Last week, I wrote a long post listing 30+ AI tools that are available right now to help writers, producers, development execs, and senior execs do their jobs better.
I got some wonderful responses.
While I was chatting with a few of you, something clicked:
The future is here.
Not five years from now. Not “When Open AI announces this” or “When our company starts using AI tools...”
Now.
And while those tools are incredibly valuable for people working inside the system, what really hit me was this:
Those tools can help us build our own system.
One where we’re in control of our creative fate.
One where we own the work.
One where we build communities around our voice, our stories, our vision.
One where we can make a living as writers—on our own terms.
Does this resonate with you, even a little?
We need to start building a new system, taking the best of what we know from the old system (especially indie film!) and the new technology.
Yeah, it feels weird. It feels new. It feels nothing like the industry I came up in.
And I’m all in.
If you’re new here, welcome. If this post resonates with you, share it with one writer, producer, or creative friend who might need to hear it.
Why I Started This
I’m going to be completely transparent about why I started this Substack and where I hope to take it—because I am you. I’m a writer who wants to make a living writing.
I launched The AI Writers’ Room in January, and over 500 of you have joined me. (Thank you!)
I work at a major corporation, helping large businesses understand how AI will transform their operations.
And I write. Every day. A long piece of fiction that’s turning into a novel. At this stage in my life and career, that makes me a first-time novelist.
I’m also on the sidelines. Partly because I chose tech at a pivotal point in my career. Partly because of age. But AI can change that.
The Truth About This Industry
The entertainment industry is like professional sports.
You need young bodies on the field. They write the jokes, shoot the scenes, deliver the lines.
They perform—until the knees go, or the fastball slows down.
If you’re lucky, maybe you get to coach. Maybe they invite you into the front office.
But most people fade away.
Some of us, though?
We find new platforms.
We keep creating.
We keep going.
My Story (So Far)
I had a long, fortunate run as a comedy writer.
Then I moved into executive roles at Disney and MTV Networks.
I found a third life on Twitter and started consulting in social strategy back when that was still a question mark.
Then AI came along.
I trained myself in conversation design—teaching humans and machines how to talk to each other.
Now, I help companies figure out how AI can work for them.
But something else happened:
I realized that AI could open up an entirely new creative path—for me, and for other writers who feel stuck, sidelined, or just plain done.
Spoiler: we’re not done. There’s another act ahead — for all of us.
This Is a Fourth Act. And It’s Not Just Mine.
This Substack is for anyone trying to figure out what comes next.
Whether you’re starting out, starting over, or starting to believe that maybe—just maybe—you’ve still got something to say.
So here’s what I want to know:
Comment below:
Where are you in your writing journey?
What are you working on—or dreaming about?
What would help you take the next step?
Here’s What I’m Going to Do
Over the next four weeks, I’m going to:
• Break down the tools I’m using to write, think, and build new creative projects
• Share a system I’m building to make a living as a writer in 2025—not 2010
• Map out a few roles I plan to play: novelist, teacher, consultant, community builder
• Show you, step by step, how AI fits into all of it
I’m not trying to replace the industry.
I’m trying to show us how we can create something new alongside it.
I’m doing this in public so you can see what works, what fails, and what actually matters.
At the end of that four weeks, I’m going to start sharing the work I’ve been doing with AI, in episodic form. I’ll also share video and pitch decks I’ve created with AI.
Coming up next:
What if there was a tool that could support every role in the creative process?
Turns out… it CAN be built.
And I’ve got the map.
P.S. I read every comment. I try to respond to most of them. Let’s talk.
And if you know someone who would like to be part of this, please share.
Sharing wisdom is how humanity progresses, thanks for sharing your impactful insights!
I've been reading your posts for a couple of months now but have only just decided to comment today, realizing that I'm sitting on a community of forward-thinking, innovative writers here that I've stupidly not tapped into! All of this is to say-- thank you for sharing your learnings with us. Because of your work, I've started dipping back into a novel of mine that has been longing for some love (and not getting it). Momentum can be one of the biggest challenges we writers face, and as you've mentioned in your posts, AI can help us get off the forsaken Writers Plateau and back into a rhythm by sparring with us any place, any time-- and in a manner that's specifically tailored to our own unique way of thinking and creating 🙏🏼