James L. Brooks, director and writer of such films as "Broadcast News" and "Terms of Endearment" and co-creator of such TV shows as "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "The Simpsons," says that being in the right frame of mind is essential for writing. "If you awaken each morning and know the questions you're asking yourself and know exactly the problem you're attacking, then the writing process – even if it's really slow, even if nothing gets on paper – becomes a genuine process," Brooks said. "And if you're in a genuine process, there are no mistakes. If nothing gets down that day, it's supposed to be that way. As long as your unconscious is preoccupied with the work, you can get into a kind of zone where what seems to be inactivity is progress."
20th Century Fox/PR Newswire
