A Formula for Success?

I just read Amy Wallace’s article on “Big Momma’s House” co-writer Darryl Quarles (“Meet Darryl Quarles, Hollywood’s New Red-Hot Idea Man,” June 14). As a TV writer currently trying to sell features, I guess the lessons to be learned are:

* Rip off every movie you’ve ever seen (dumbing down the plots because you have no respect for your audience), then claim credit for the ideas.

* As soon as you get a movie produced, call and harass the media until they print something about you.

* Lie through your teeth about your entire background, even the stuff that can be disputed by one phone call (reporters love that).

* Name-drop lots of celebrities, who will be forced to respond diplomatically (and reevaluate their supposed association with you).

* Insult and malign the very producers who actually made your first film because, God knows, they couldn’t possibly know anything (and certainly not as much as someone who “won” an imaginary Writers Guild contest).

Ah, now I understand what I’ve been doing wrong all this time. Maybe if I try this new strategy I can become “Hollywood’s New Red-Hot Idea Woman.” After all, I have it coming to me, ‘cause I’m the hottest writer around and nobody knows anything about me.

People like Quarles give writers a bad name.

MJ WALSH

Venice

Why did you have to “out” this man as to his age when you have to know that Hollywood reeks of age discrimination? OK, so he exaggerates some things and he is into self-promotion. That is a definition of anyone in Hollywood, isn’t it? You could have made that point without also outing him.

NAT COLLEY

Los Angeles