Writer, director, producer Marshall Herskovitz is one of the most prominent figures in film and television. With partner Ed Zwick, whom he met while attending the American Film Institute, Herskovitz has created and executive produced the highly-acclaimed television shows thirtysomething and Once and Again, and written the film The Last Samurai, starring Tom Cruise. He served as producer on the films Traffic, I Am Sam and Dangerous Beauty, which he also directed. Here, Herskovitz delves into the mediocrity of the industry, the voices that writers hear in their heads and why it's best to write first and ask questions later.