The genesis for the book came in January 1994, as Johnson stood in the shower. Something had been bugging her about the screenwriting books she was reading, the way they all emphasized rounding up the usual suspects conflict, crisis, and resolution. Ten years of teaching conflict had prepared Johnson for a breakthrough. I didn't know that things would turn on connection. The models that we had to illustrate life simply did not comprehend the human experiences that I'd had.
Conflict is essential.
But I realized that conflict is truly only half the story. The other is this underlying pattern of connecting and disconnecting. The book is a perfect way for the teacher to connect that word again with her students. I'm such a social person that teaching is a good venue for me. Too, teaching at Florida State's film school provides the balance that any writer needs to avoid burn-out.