I'm confident that the wrong cinematographer on a project can very much derail the mood and the feeling on set when you're trying to create a bubble of trust, effectively.

Of course having a baby derails the writing process for some time. And I will be the first to say that I have essentially no social life, because there's just nothing left after being a mom, professor, and writer. I used to be big into rock climbing. No more. A lot falls by the wayside.

Most people that derail as leaders in the corporate world, it's not because they couldn't do the math and calculate return on investment properly. The issues are communication and understanding. All of what typically would've been called the 'soft stuff.' You have to be authentic. You have to be dialed into the soft stuff.

Emotions are one of the main things that derail communication. Once people get upset at one another, rational thinking goes out of the window.

Never let negativity derail your journey as a writer. Use the energy for your own betterment.