There is a phrase writers use—one that we probably have to retire—called "use every part of the buffalo."* Which means that, for us, squeeze as much out of an idea as you possibly can. To wit...

The first thing I ever wrote by myself was a feature about a freelance crisis interventionist who gets hired to find out who stole the sun. Big, daffy science fiction. I don't know if it's any good, but I had fun writing it and it got me my first manager 15 years ago.

It never sold because 15 years ago, no one wanted big, daffy science fiction. And that's fine.

But there were a lot of things I loved about that idea. So much so that the first TV pilot I wrote was centered around that freelance crisis interventionist. Which is similarly big and daffy, but more grounded. It, too, might not be good, but it got me staffed on Alphas.

(One thing to know about staffing is that when showrunners are reading for the lowest levels, they are less looking for you to be a polished gem and more "a flavor they want to add to the stew." I was "comic book explodo" seasoning for the Alphas kitchen.)

That pilot never sold either. I do had designs for something else to do with it, at some point, but that's neither here nor there. Those early successes were enough to keep me going.

About six years ago, I was sitting down to write a new pilot. I went back to the carcass of that first feature and carved out the last bit of fat: What if the Sun disappeared?

Less silly. Less fun. But a bigger show. Looking at the three pieces together, they show an evolution, I think. No one else can see it but me, of course, because no one's been with me long enough to have read all three. But I see it.

That last pilot kickstarted everything. Got me into the Writers Guild's Writers Access Program, which exposed me to the people who'd be the managers who helped me land Castle Rock. (They're no longer in the picture because faith is hard to sustain if you don't believe.)

All of it because I wouldn't let some daffy-ass idea go. Sometimes you should. Sometimes you have to. Such is life. But always take everything you can that's useful. And once that carcass is clean, start walking and never look back.

*instead of the buffalo analogy, which feels extremely appropriative of our indigenous brother and sisters, maybe "eat every bit of the cake"? Help me out, writers. How can we be better with our pithy slang?