Before // After

Tonight I told a story to a room full friends and acquaintances in their late 20s about how the first time I ever got drunk it was on Zima, and now I am going to crumble into a pile of dust

:(

Sentences I’d probably never say if I had stayed on the east coast rather than moving to the Midwest: “Well, at least it’s going up to 20 degrees today, so that’s not so bad”

Episode 70 of my podcast "The Writer's Cut" is out today! Give it a listen as we discuss 1969's GOODBYE, COLUMBUS.

We’re at the Long Room tonight, Chicago screenwriters - come hang out!

I've been collaborating with a director on my newest horror feature (a first for me!) and I've been pretty unhappy with my last two drafts. So was he. We had a BIG brainstorming session the other day and now we're both feeling excited about the project again. (1/2)

Today is a rare and exciting day: I get to SEE LIVE THEATER from the audience instead of being backstage WORKING ON LIVE THEATER

God is real and wants me to be happy

Definitely overexerted myself at work today and can tell I’ll be hurting tomorrow :( But hey, those massive bins of shoes weren’t going to stack themselves I guess

New play idea: THIS IS A BLUE LINE TRAIN TO FOREST PARK In which we inhabit one train car for the length of the entire CTA Blue Line, beginning at O’Hare. What happens? Who are the characters? I don’t KNOW MAN I’ll figure it out!!

I’ve only been on levothyroxine for my thyroid for three weeks and I’m already like: wait, is this how I’m SUPPOSED to feel?! Like I don’t feel crazy energized but I don’t feel like crawling into a hole and dying after an eight hour work day What else have I been missing???

Episode 69 of my podcast “The Writer’s Cut” is out today! Listen in as we discuss BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID.

Was just being a little delusional fantasizing about the future of my writing career and my husband lightly scolded me to stop calling my dreams and goals delusions 💜💜💜

Okay so if someone from a highly regarded theater came to your staged reading but didn't stay afterward to chat, it's probably safe to assume that they have no interest at all in speaking with you further about it, right? That's not a crazy assumption? Or is it worth sending a "thank you" email?

In case you forgot— and, because I fear I don’t have the wits to come up with anything more clever— Fuck ICE.

I hope I never take for granted the feeling of hearing actors bringing my writing to life Like that’s a joy I hope I can hold on to forever

Hi, I'm Andrea! I started screenwriting when I was furloughed from my theater work during the earliest pandemic quarantine days, and I guess it stuck. I write women-centered features about finding the joy and levity inside heartbreak and tragic circumstances. Oh and I'm a breast cancer survivor.

Someone really cool is coming to the staged reading of my play this weekend, I don’t want to say too much but everyone do a happy and excited scream with me okay?? AAAAHHHHHHHH

Actual photo of me soaking in a too-hot bath in an attempt to clear out some of this phlegm

I'm working on a horror feature and every once in a while I'm frozen in fear that perhaps I'm *literally* demonizing mental illness with this script?? But then I keep telling myself that the fact that I'm even worried about that means I'm probably fine. Idk man!

The problem with having a weekly movie-watching podcast is that I only have time to watch movies for my podcast most of the time and I’m rarely able to keep up with what people are currently watching Anyway I’m extremely late to the party but omg SINNERS is fucking incredible

My cold has progressed to the “my sinuses are so blocked up I can’t breathe through either nostril even a little bit” stage, so I guess sleep is out of the question for now. Are any of my night owl screenwriter friends around? AMA!

We’re doing it again! A Chicago screenwriter meetup! Monday, January 19th, 2026 6:30-9:30pm @ The Long Room (In their back room) 1612 W Irving Park Rd Come and go as you please!

I love to find stories in things like Google search histories, for example mine from around midnight last night: “helicopter tracker Chicago” Shortly followed by “NyQuil auditory hallucinations”

I think my most random brush-with-fame-at-work anecdote right now is the time that Helen Hunt briefly hyper focused on me to try to get me to take care of an orchid she had been gifted It would have died a horrible death in my care, Helen

My new favorite thing (gluten free apple cheddar biscuit)

Happy Holiday

My coworker bought me a Celsius energy drink this morning and now I am tired but FAST

Did you know that apparently the most romantic thing you can do when your chronically ill wife gets yet another chronic illness diagnosis and just wants snacks is to get her gluten-free dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets? Because I’m genuinely feeling super loved right now ngl

My first ever short film is finally available to watch! EYE CANDY: when a popular camgirl holds a sexy virtual seance, she and her online fans get more than they bargained for when a spirit actually makes contact. Watch here: www.shortverse.com/films/eye-ca...

Starting my new thyroid medication today. Here’s hoping I start to feel better soon.

Something I do love about this annual production of A Christmas Carol at work is that even when we’re all dead on our feet exhausted at the end of a 9 show week, the cast and crew still chooses to stick around and have a drink and sing songs together at the end of the night.

The latest draft of BREAST IN SHOW scored an 8 on @theblcklst.bsky.social, meaning I got two free evaluations. One of those evals just came back with another 8, meaning two more free evals. How does this work from here? If I keep getting 8s or higher do I just get infinite evaluations??

There are billions of things I love about living in a big city and somewhere on the list is the very specific warm fuzzy feeling from seeing apartment buildings all lit up with Christmas trees and holiday decorations in every unit

I was tired at work so I had an energy drink on my dinner break and it made me feel Much Worse™️

Me: “I just got an 8 on the Black List!” My non-screenwriter husband: “Oh cool! So now you’ll be on The Black List?” Me: “lol no” Him: “???”

Just got some insane bad news / good news whiplash but damn the good news is GOOD NEWS

Episode 65 of my podcast “The Writer’s Cut” is out today! Take a listen as we discuss THE PRODUCERS.

I think what I’m most worried about with my shiny new Hashimoto’s diagnosis is that I’ll start the medication and won’t even feel better!!

My latest short has a poster 😭

I just waited 15 minutes for a train on an outdoor platform in 6 degree weather 🥶

Today I learned that I have done 200 performances of A CHRISTMAS CAROL at my money job (too many) Today I also learned that it’s really hard to take a photo of an extremely reflective object

Playwrights: what’s the etiquette for inviting literary folks from other theaters to a ticketed staged reading? It feels rude to ask them to pay but like. The tickets are only $8.

I haven’t gotten my blood test interpreted by my doctor yet, but based on what I’m seeing (and googling) of the results it looks like I have yet another autoimmune condition that I’m going to have to make a permanent lifestyle change for 🫠 Why can’t my body be NORMAL

Some very cool people really believe in my road trip comedy feature BIG SKY COUNTRY and it’s getting sent around to some other, equally cool people. I hate to be that vague lol but I’m too excited not to share anything about it at all!!

Had to get a blood test done today and it seemed like everyone else in the area decided to get their lab work done today too. It was so busy!! Thankfully my technician was excellent at her job (my veins are notoriously difficult) and I barely felt a pinch. Here's hoping I have normal blood 😬

I am going to meet my writing deadline ten days from now. I AM going to meet my writing deadline ten days from now. I am going to MEET my writing deadline TEN DAYS from now. I am going to meet MY WRITING DEADLINE ten days from now.

I may not have started as a screenwriter until I was 32 years old, but you might say I’ve been a storyteller all my life (Geometry class storytelling circa ‘02 or ‘03)

We’re discovering a possible problem with my thyroid, and as much as I hate the thought of *yet another forever medication*, the concept of taking a pill that might help me get my energy back and lose some weight is pretty appealing tbh