When Sarah Goldfinger saw her first play produced, she knew she wanted to become a screenwriter. She decided to move to Los Angeles (because it’s better to be poor in warm weather), where she worked as a nanny until earning her first job on a new show called CSI.

Goldfinger wanted to write character-driven stories, which led her to a spec script and then on other shows like Brothers & Sisters, Hawaii Five-O, Grimm, Parenthood, then Jane the Virgin, Charmed and now, Trinkets.

In the latest series, Trinkets, the story follows three teenage girls in Portland, Oregon, who meet at a Shoplifters Anonymous meeting.

In this interview, Goldfinger discusses how to create a cozy writer’s room, why writers should lean into their skillset, the difference between writing as a group and as an individual, the benefits of group-think, and how YA genre stories can best approach their audience.

If you enjoyed this interview, look for the print version on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5