Rising through the ranks of the Buffy production team. How did it happen?

I think it was the right time and right place. I came on the show when there was some fluctuation going on with other writers.

Now we have a group of seven or eight people who can all write a Buffy script, no problem. We had a much smaller group then, and I was just given a lot of responsibility because we needed people to write the episodes.

In my first year I think I wrote seven episodes - maybe not [all] credited - but I did work on other things. I think it�s just the good fortune of meeting Joss and us having a certain kind of understanding of each other and the fact that he�s not afraid to promote women. He actually really believes in strong women, he doesn�t just believe in them on TV, so that�s excellent.

He�s the kind of person who�s not intimidated by letting other people do their jobs, and that�s one of the most amazing things about him. A lot of people with his talent still can�t allow other people to be good at what they do or aspire to be good at what they do and he�s great. He just encourages all of us to get better and helps us to get better.

In my case, he just encouraged me to keep trying new things. Last year, he was the one who said "You really should direct." I was terrified. I wanted to, but I was scared and he was like, "No, this is how you will learn how the show really runs and works."

I had been writing for a really long time before I actually got my first job, so in some ways I was just ready. I was not 22, right out of college, and I didn�t do a chicken run, I didn�t just go "La la." I was ready.

I think some of that I brought a little maturity to it, and that you need because of the stress and the pressure and the pace.