What are you writing about next?

Well, as of this writing (5/2008), I'm still co-executive producer at Scrubs which means I'll be writing sitcom dialogue, sitcom act breaks, sitcom outlines, and sitcom jokes that make the world laugh and smile in unison.

I'm also working on other film and television projects.

Oh, and in between all that, I'm also working on another book. Perhaps a novel. My mom says y'all know enough about my life now.

Is Mixed going to be on TV? I heard you're working with Halle Berry.

Wow, how’d you hear that? I just said it was a super-secret television project. Hmmm, okay...Halle Berry and her manager, Vincent Cirrincione have optioned both of my books. We are combining our powers and executiving producing a show. Will it ever actually make it onto television? We’ll see. Television is a weird and fickle chick. But, of course, if it doesn’t make it on the air, I’ll erase this paragraph and act like it never happened.

Is it hard writing about your family? What does your mother think?

I care more about what my mother thinks of my books than what reviewers think. With Mixed, I didn’t let my mother read any of it before it was published because she influences me so much. That’s great when it comes to men, laundry detergent, and other life issues, it’s not so good when you’re trying to write a truthful memoir. If my mother had read parts of Mixed and hated that I was airing “dirty laundry,” I may have been tempted to burn the book, run my computer through a magnet and give Villard back their advance money. As of this writing, my mother just received a copy of the book three days ago. My life is on pause until she gets to the strip club chapter. My heart jumps every time the phone rings.  Hmm, maybe I should change my number or at least give her a special ring tone…

That said, I’ve learned the following steps work best when dealing with angry, embarrassed relatives:

1) thank them – this stuns them. 

2) give them a compliment that shows how they influenced you to do the embarrassing thing they are angry about then;

3) cite a famous person who has embarrassed his / her family in worse ways than you. 

For example: Perhaps a member of my family calls in tears when she reads the “mental health inpatient” chapter. Family member: “Angela, how could you tell the world you were in a psych ward for depression?” My reply: “Family Member, thank you for that. And can I just say that I am so happy that you gave me the inspiration to not be embarrassed about who I am. Praise God I’m not Jeffrey Dahmer who didn’t get any type of treatment and kept human heads in his refrigerator next to the swiss cheese. Imagine how embarrassed his family was…”

Have a different question? Maybe it is on page two.
Page two covers getting you help with your writing, and the self-esteem of your mixed child and rats. Fun!.