Welcome to part two of "Equipped," a biweekly interview series picking the brains of your favorite showrunners, show creators, EPs, and all-around legends. In part one, we toured the mind of Dan O'Shannon, a longtime member of the Writers Guild of America, West and one of the writers behind Cheers, Frasier and other classics.

In part two, we're visiting the world of a writer, who, along with Shoshannah Stern, co-created, wrote, produced, and stars in This Close.

Read on for a glimpse into the perspective of:

JOSHUA FELDMAN
Years in the WGAW: 3
Writing highlights: This Close, currently writing on Marvel's Echo 
Projects sold/developed: 6

First of all, This Close is such an incredible series. What was the creative process like developing a show that focused on deaf protagonists but knowing that there would be pressure on making the world accessible to a hearing audience? 

I think there was more pressure about how it would be accessible to a deaf audience over a hearing audience because the characters were dealing with hearing people in terms of who their love interests and who their colleagues were. Kate and Michael had each other, and that was really the struggle they both faced — how to reconcile being deaf and surrounded by hearing people.

Speaking of being surrounded by hearing people, are there any elements of deaf culture that have been adopted into, adored by, or clashed with writers rooms or execs you’ve worked with? 

It’s been interesting to see hearing people realize how frustrating it can be to work in this industry as a deaf person. Scheduling a meeting, for example, can be complicated because of interpreters’ availabilities, and sometimes last-minute meetings just can’t happen because of that.

But in writers rooms I think it’s helped make hearing people realize the value of slowing down a little, and to realize everyone’s on different wavelengths — they are anyway, regardless of their ability to hear — but working with a deaf person forces everyone to take a moment to ask questions like, “Is everyone on the same page right now? Take a break? Did you get that?” 

Are there any new projects you’re working on that you can talk about? 

I’m currently in the writers room for Marvel’s Echo and do have a few other projects in various stages of development, but I’m not comfortable talking about them just yet! 

You’re working on Echo! I mean, writing on a Marvel project is a pretty awesome WGAW merit badge to check off your list. Is it a surreal room to be in? 

It’s been a wonderful ride. To work for Marvel is a dream come true, but the best part of the experience has really been getting to know the other writers in the room who all bring a very different experience to the table. Maya Lopez isn’t just deaf, she’s Indigenous as well. So it’s been great to sit at a (virtual) table with other writers who come from a different background and to learn as much as I can to help contribute to Maya’s deaf, Indigenous identity. 

A few quick and easy questions: 

Favorite fiction book? 

Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri, a story collection. Her writing is just so sumptuous, and I always love returning to her work to remind myself how important it is to render your characters’ lives richly, because the more you know about characters, the more you care about them. 

Favorite writing utensils? 

My laptop, the Notes app on my iPhone, a good ol’ fashioned notepad and pen.

Favorite writing location?

Tbh, my couch!

Favorite writing snack or ritual?

Weirdly enough, I have to have the television on and tuned to a show that I’m not really invested in watching. Snacks: pretzels, M&M'S and Red Bull or coffee. 

Who’s a writer that you’ve never met but admire? 

Damon Lindelof.

Do you have a life motto of any kind? Or if you had to put something on a T-shirt, what would it say? 

This too shall pass. 

Okay, let’s say you’re procrastinating on YouTube. What are you watching? Or how else do you procrastinate? 

I procrastinate by watching a TV show or a movie that aligns with the themes/mood of what I’m writing for “inspiration,” but it’s just procrastination. 

What are you reading and watching right now? 

Currently reading These Precious Days by Ann Patchett, another favorite writer of mine. This is an essay collection. She has such a singular, calming voice. Reading her feels like being wrapped up in a cozy blanket. 

Currently watching Sort Of on HBO Max, an incredible slice-of-life show about a gender-nonbinary Pakistani-Canadian figuring their twenties out. 

I love Sort Of! It hits me in a similar way that This Close did. There’s a huge element of joy in watching simply from getting to see new voices and representation onscreen that also happens to be heartfelt, hilarious, and incredibly well done. 

What’s a TV show or film that has stuck with you personally or as a teaching tool that blew your mind? 

Looking really blew my mind because it was the first time I had seen the lives of gay men rendered so organically, and it made me realize my own life could be the stuff of television; that it was worthy enough. 

More than worthy. This Close is such a masterpiece in making the familiar new and making the new familiar. Speaking of this, are there any writing revelations you had while working on This Close, especially in regards to writing for a character you’d be playing yourself but still isn’t exactly you? 

What I really took away from This Close is that I should never be afraid to be more specific in terms of what I put on the page. Often what I thought wouldn’t translate well in terms of lived experience as it pertained to being a gay, deaf man ended up crossing over anyway so that people could still relate because we’re all human at the end of the day, just in different guises. So our experiences may be different, but our emotions are the same. 

What are your thoughts on Twitter and social media in general for writers? 

Mixed feelings. I love getting a glimpse into the process or inner thoughts of writers I admire. I hate how much pressure I personally feel when it comes to my own social media. Is this tweet funny enough? Is it too personal? I’m my own worst critic. 

What are your thoughts on outlining? 

So important. It’s a must. I outline for every single thing I write, and when I get to the drafting stage it’s that much easier. Feels like floating if you have a great outline. 

Do you have a go-to process when you need to generate a new pilot or an episode of a show you’re working on? 

See above answer for procrastinating. I put on an episode of a TV show or a movie that matches up with the mood of the thing I’m working on. 

What got you hooked on writing? 

Star Trek got me hooked on storytelling as a medium. As a kid, it just opened my mind for my child-self to not only think about but believe in universes and lives beyond this earth. That really sparked my creativity. 

Any advice for up-and-coming writers? 

The more you work, the more you’re going to have to keep finding inspiration outside of work. In the beginning, the inspiration comes from the work but that won’t always be the case — especially when you begin to deal with the process of getting something made in this town; the insane amount of yeses, and all the little things that have to align can feel disheartening, so it’s important that you get inspiration from things other than your work. 

This cuts deep. I know it’s true but it seems like a truth that we need to acknowledge over and over again. Are there any methods or practices you have for seeking out inspiration in the world when you notice you’ve travelled too deep into the work cave? 

A good hike can really do wonders in clearing the mind; something about getting-up-high-and-seeing-the-world-below perspective! I’m also big on rereading a favorite book or rewatching a favorite movie to remember just how great art can be at making you feel things. 

What’s your go-to strategy when you get bad news? How do you get through it? 

I process it — really process it — instead of putting it off. I process it, and then I remind myself of the other things that went right, and what I still want to do. It’s just one thing that didn’t happen, or one piece of bad news. It helps to put things in perspective. 

Any other thoughts on the creative process you want to share? 

Write what you know and mix it up with a little about what you don't know. 

What’s your favorite thing you’ve ever written? 

A pilot about a closeted gay, relapsed Orthodox Jewish lawyer in 1980s' NYC whose father, a practicing Orthodox Jew, is in cahoots with a mob family. 

This sounds incredible. Any specific elements about it that made it your favorite? 

It was fun to get to play with some genre elements, such as the mob angle, and to try to put as much of myself as I could in it with the lead being gay and Jewish to see what kind of crime procedural felt like “me.” 

Any chance it will pop out as a show in development in the future so we can all see it? 

Never say never. 

Well, while we all cross our fingers and wait to see that one, for those reading, if you want to check out more of Josh’s work, you can stream This Close on AMC+ and Prime Video.

Thanks, Josh, for your time and your work!