Where are you from and what inspired you to become a television writer?
I grew up in Simsbury, Connecticut, and was an avid reader and writer from a young age. Writing was innate for me; I loved telling stories and getting lost in imaginary worlds. For similar reasons, I was always prone to infatuations with TV shows, where I could follow characters over not just hours but years. It was a long time before I put my two passions together—I declared myself an aspiring doctor as an ER fanatic and an aspiring politician during The West Wing—but once I did, writing for television was a perfect fit.

What spec did you write to get into the Workshop?
Girls

Who is your all time favorite television character and why?
I’ve always been drawn to whip-smart women who are also deeply flawed and human. I love Meredith Grey, Peggy Olson and Carrie Mathison… but I am completely, hopelessly obsessed with Alicia Florrick of The Good Wife. She’s incredibly complex, at once ruthlessly pragmatic and intensely emotional. I’m in awe of her careful way with words and her wry sense of humor, and endlessly fascinated by her struggle to remain a good person even as her ambition drags her toward corruption. I’d hire her as my lawyer in a heartbeat, but I’d prefer to sit down and pick her brain over her signature giant goblets of red wine. We’d discuss fashion-forward courtroom attire and how to take over the world.