Ready to Write?
College & Grad School Essays
Live shows
Memoirs
Novels
Personal Release Writing
Podcasts
Poems
Screenplays
Stage Plays
Ted Talks
TV Pilots
And more!
It starts with Word One.
Steps
I once heard a super successful businessman murmur into his phone: “I need 10 minutes to think it through.” With that, he carved out for himself a block of quiet for the thinking his next step deserved. Whether you are working on a script, a manuscript, a college or grad school essay, or writing for your own clarification and catharsis (“Personal Release Writing"), creating the time to think deeply is essential. At Word One, we schedule zoom sessions – allotted time to think through your project’s phase or focus – to Brainstorm, Draft, Polish, and/or Strategize.
I also offer “Reaction Reads,” Analysis, and/or Notes, according to your needs and goals.
Step 1: Think It Through
Step 2: Journey to the Center of the Self
I’ve sat in countless delis and coffee shops over the decades, with my journal or a client’s pages, thinking it through, organizing thoughts, finding connections among ideas... Katz’s Deli, for example, is well known for being over 100 years old, but it’s also famous because Rob Reiner shot that indelible scene there in When Harry Met Sally… Katz’s is also known for its pastrami, incidentally, but Nora Ephron, who co-wrote When Harry Met Sally, had an amazing piece in the New Yorker raving about the pastrami at Langer’s in Los Angeles! Nora Ephron has a singular, significant voice. When I was a development executive at a production company at Universal, it was an honor to be in a notes session with the legendary Nora Ephron...
At Word One, we address all phases: Brainstorm, Draft, Polish, and/or Strategize. I also offer "Reaction Reads," Analysis, and/or Notes. The goal is to maximize your singular voice––to journey to the center of the self.
My husband & I at Katz’s Deli in New York City.
About Me
Inspirations ~ In Memoriam
Gregory Allen Howard
I first read screenwriter Gregory Allen Howard (Harriet, Ali, Remember the Titans) in 1993 when I worked at CAA. I was sent Greg’s play, Tinseltown Trilogy, and thus began our toil (Sparring!) and friendship. Over the decades, Greg had me read countless projects before he delivered to producers, studios, editors. In the mid-1990s, Greg wrote A Star Is Born for Denzel & Whitney. The project did not get made – our collective loss – but Greg named a pushy journalist character “Fern Podolsky” and from then on he called me Fern. Greg sent me many clients over the years, both screenwriters and students. He was a formidable intellect, a tireless trailblazer, and a deeply caring mentor to dozens of young people.
Kurt Luedtke
As a teenager in suburban Detroit, I was lucky to meet Kurt Luedtke, the local Academy Award-winning screenwriter of Out of Africa starring Meryl Streep & Robert Redford. In addition to his Oscar, Kurt had a Pulitzer Prize from a previous career as a newspaper editor. When I was 15, Kurt read a script I wrote—a sequel to The Way We Were. He pulled no punches. For decades on, including as I came to work at the agency in Hollywood that represented him, Kurt and I met in restaurants and talked for HOURS. When my kids were young (age 11 and 13, pictured), Kurt challenged them to make up acceptance speeches while holding the Oscar!
Both of these writers continue to inspire me.
Bio
Jody develops material with writers of all kinds––scripts, manuscripts, essays. After earning a masters in education, Jody expanded her clientele from professional and emerging writers to students, too.
Jody briefly ran the prospective movie side of a certain Reality-TV hitmaker at Warner Bros.; wrote, directed, and co-produced All of It, a feature film starring Academy Award-nominated Lesley Ann Warren (Victor/Victoria) and Alana Ubach (Euphoria, Meet the Fockers, Legally Blonde) that went to Montreal and Palm Springs film festivals and sold to international broadcast outlets; and was Vice President at Alphaville, a production company at Universal, developing projects from the Coen Bros., Kevin Smith, Nora Ephron, and others. She was also Associate Producer on a feature film that went to Sundance; and she connected the play, Quills, by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, Douglas Wright, to its Hollywood producer (for which she received a thank-you credit). Her career started as an assistant on the Oscars (to which she memorably took her dad as her date) and then on a desk at CAA. She graduated from USC Film School and has a masters in education.
Along the way, Jody founded Jodysdinners, dinner parties for singles & a matchmaking service––a natural side-gig among years of creative advisory and writing consultancy.
Jody Podolsky
Testimonials
“Jody helped me find my voice as a young writer and was an incredible inspiration and advocate for me and my pursuit of writing as a career.”
- Greg Berlanti, Writer/Director
“Word One has completely changed the way I write, think about, and approach my projects. Jody helped me progress in finding my own identity in my writing. She helps you crawl into the crevices of your brain (which you previously had no idea existed) in order to become the most creative version of yourself. If I ever win an Oscar, I’ll be thanking her in my speech.”
-Patrick, Screenwriter
Wise, savvy, and soulfully supportive, her scrupulous, delicious attention to detail, indefatigable work ethic, and core value to honor my voice and sensibilities was key to our process. Warm, kind and witty, her informed, intelligent feedback throughout the process inspired me to go deeper, work harder and leave it on the page. When you run out of superlatives, there's one word–Jody.
- Lolita Parker, Jr., Memoirist & Photographer
Jody was wonderful in helping our daughter find and refine her voice. Jody helped relieve the stress of writing college essays and ultimately made the process easy, fun, and clear.
- Anne, Parent
“Jody’s the best! When I didn’t know how to get the words out, she helped me perfectly express what I was thinking!”
- Jack, Student, Duke University
“Jody’s passion is to help you find your passion. Through the strength and clarity and experience of her ‘voice,’ she guides you to your own.”
- Stephen Chbosky, Writer/Director
"Jody is not only an essay advisor, but a true writing coach. She encouraged me to have conversations with myself that pushed my writing to new levels. We looked at both big picture and minute word choice. She is there to see you and your writing grow..."
- Adam, Student, Stanford
“I’ve realized my character has to do Act 2 differently, to stay true to who he really is and not be the cutout I was making him into…Thank you.”
- Ed, Playwright
“Jody is brilliant - she helps you locate and extract what it is you’re really trying to say, and then express it in the most effective way. She’s a great writer herself, so that’s consistently inspiring! And she has a natural sense of compelling storytelling—how to keep the narrative hurtling along, how to create empathy and tension, when to insert surprise––all that magical ‘stuff’ that moves us at the movies.”
- Larry Guterman, Writer/Director
“Jody helped me turn a fine draft into an excellent essay that got me accepted to my dream law schools. She pushed me to make difficult decisions in order to maximize the impact of my essay…She helped me give myself a solid singular voice…”
- Ella, Student, Columbia Law School, NYU Law School
“Jody was instrumental in my son's ability to get into his first choice college. She didn't just help him edit his essays, but pushed him as an individual to get in touch with who he is as a person..."
- Viti, Parent
“Jody’s passion for language and learning encouraged me to go deeper, find the underbelly of the work, and realize the underbelly is just the beginning….”
- Dionne Lea, Performer/Producer
"Not only did Jody give me the tools to improve as a writer, she also allowed me to see the significance of my being."
- Marianna, Student, UCLA
“Word by word, line by line - Jody was meticulous in helping me craft the best work possible. She has a profound understanding of what makes narrative work - how to create empathy for characters, how to generate a driving, propulsive plot, how to tease themes lurking beneath the material, an uncanny ability to motivate you to find original ways to describe things, to discover new metaphors, to communicate abstract ideas. She sits with you, patient and attentive, helping bring out what you are trying to express in an ever more clear and artful way. Always pushing for excellence, Jody sees the magic and meaning in your work, and makes sure when you’re done that the world will see it, too.”
- GG, Novelist
“My daughter reached a pivotal stage in her writing journey, seeking a writing mentor who could elevate her craft. Jody proved to be that guiding force, combining encouragement, insight, and attentive mentorship. Her ‘Session Recap’ emails offered valuable insights into their collaborative process, allowing me, as a parent, a window into the transformative world of writing. Each session left my daughter inspired and equipped with the tools to refine and enhance her work. More than a skilled writing coach, Jody's warmth, thoughtfulness, and genuine care deeply enriched our experience.”
- Michelle, Parent
Step 3: About You
I am very interested to learn what you are thinking about, working on, preparing to send out into the world (or not). Whatever the project or stage of the process – be it a screenplay, stage play, novel, memoir, podcast, college or grad school essay, personal release writing, or otherwise – Word One is here to be your sounding board, editor, development executive, motivator, guide.
Get in touch for a Free Consultation to discuss your (confidential) needs and goals.