1.) Who is your favorite character to write for and why?
Question by SocKs

I enjoy all the characters, but I have to say that Angel is probably my favorite character to write. In particular, whenever I get to explore his past in some way, and can find elements that haven't been explored. With a history of over 240 years, running the range of charming-but-layabout mortal, to Pure Evil to the tortured soul Angel we know and love, there's lots of fun to be had. He is, in some ways, the hardest character to write as well. Cordy and Wes are pure fun to write, especially Cordy.

2.) What do you find the most intriguing aspects of Angel's, Wesley's, and Cordelia's characters? I guess I'm asking -- what do you find most interesting to write for each?
Question by Yahzee

As above, I love that Angel has such a long and varied history. I find his "apartness" from humanity and his aching desire to *be* a part of it most intriguing. I think we can all relate to it in some sense. Wesley is intriguing for me because he has become this nobel screw up -- not a screw up in the bumbling incompetent sense. In fact, if anything his competence is what makes him interesting now. But he's a genuinely nice guy who craves to do the right thing and be a part of something. And what can one say about Cordy? I've heard her called shallow, a ditz and an airhead. She is none of those things. Okay, well, maybe she *is* a little shallow... deep down? I love that she's lacking the tact gene -- that she has no censor. It makes her *seem* ditzy sometimes, but she's usually just cutting right to the heart of things. Love, love, love Cordelia.

3.) I have been long puzzled by the last scene between Buffy and Angel in "Sanctuary." How do you interpret that scene, particularly Angel's statement, "I see you again, it cuts me up inside, and the person I share that with is me. You don't know me anymore...." Why does Buffy say that "Faith wins again"?
Question by Dottie

Not sure what's puzzling about it. What Angel says is something many of us have said to a lover after a breakup. We feel like we were one thing with them... maybe complete, maybe just a different version of ourselves. But once cut loose, we've lost a part of ourselves and we, by necessity, become a new creature. I think that's what Angel means. As to Buffy's statement "Faith wins again," I think she means "look, whenever Faith turns up she causes trouble. And now because of her we're parting angry." She's blaming Faith. An, I think, understandable feeling on her part. And not untrue, either --even if Faith didn't *mean* to cause problems between Angel and Buffy, she did.

4.) Did you and Joss have a difficult and/or easy time conveying the many emotions that Faith displayed on that episode, like the extreme guilt and hopelessness she displayed during confrontational moments between Buffy and Angel?

I found it VERY difficult. It was my first crack at writing Faith and by the time I got to her, she was a different Faith. It's a bit easier to write tough-chick-does-cool-evil-things than it is to write beaten-chick-doesn't-say-much-at-first-then-has-to-have-realistic-remorse. By using the flashes of what might be in her head at first, I think that helped. And then when I wrote the microwave scene, I pretty much just wrote a "recovery" scene. By adding in Angel's misunderstanding about the microwave oven, I hope that I got to say all the stuff I wanted to say but then to throw a little water on the moment to take the odor off of it.

5.) Is it possible to get to the heart and soul of a character's "voice", without putting a piece of your own personality into the basic essence of it?
Question by SealedNFate

Nope, I don't think so.

6.) What part of the writing process do you find the most agonizing or the hardest to get through?
Question by XFiend2000

Starting. Whether it's starting a script from "fade in" or starting each and every scene. Where to begin? Who's in the room? What's the first image? Where are they standing? How long have they been talking before we see them? It's hair pulling for me each time.

7.) The episodes you've written have been great and seem very well thought out. How much time and planning does it take to write one episode? Was there ever a particular episode that was difficult to write?
Question by Ellen

It varied. I had lots of time for Somnambulist. Couple of weeks to write the script, then another week to do my rewrite. Plus I polished it during prep. I had about two days of story breaking with Joss and three days to crank out a first draft of Sanctuary. About the same for Prodigal. They didn't get a draft until the last day of prep on that one. I had just done a rewrite of the ep before Prodigal, then had to jump right into it.

8.) Do you plan any episodes this season that would reveal more about Angel's family? I so enjoyed "Prodigal", but throughout the episode I kept observing Angel's mother and wondering what HER story was. Will we ever learn more?
Question by Monica

Not at the moment, though it's possible. More of Angel's past, though. I just finished writing ep 2 and it's big on that. But maybe not what you might expect...

9.) What was your first big break in writing?
Question by Marti

Probably doing some freelance scripts for The Family Channel's "New Adventures Of Zorro."

10.) Which was your favorite episode in the first season of Angel? Where do you see the show moving in the next season?
Question by Jaxom

I have a couple that I love. 5x5 may be my favorite. Of the ones I wrote, probably Somnambulist is my favorite script. Though my new one, "Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been" is now my favorite Angel script that I've written. We'll see how that one turns out.





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