Jody Wheeler is an award winning creative, speaker, and instructor. Among his credits are the mystery thriller The Dark Place, the modern fantasy Judas Kiss, the scifi tale Heat Wave, and the prize winning shorts Hippopotamus and In The Closet. His company, Cthulhu Crush Productions, is developing several projects. He currently teaches at the University of Southern California and Pacific Oaks College.
Jody graduated from James Madison University with a Bachelors in Political Science, went on to earn a Masters in Counseling Psychology from George Mason University, and added another Masters in Screenwriting and Film from UCLA. The through-line between all three degrees? Story. Narrative. The particular way people order instances and presentation to convey emotions, ideas and, most importantly, meaning. This applies whether they are describing themselves (Counseling Psychology), their meta-goals (Political Science), or just being creative (Writing and Film).
In addition to his professional writing work, Jody has taught and tutored across his career. Be it in a story, an essay, or a technical document, he loves to help clients figure out what it is they want to say and then say it. Sometimes that involves nudging and guiding in the right direction, sorting through possibilities and reflecting on outcomes. Other times, it involves working with the nuts and bolts of language — grammar, punctuation, style — to improve the tools people have with which to work. It all syncs up. It all builds. It all allows people to better express themselves.
“Everyone has something to say,” he frequently remarks. “The challenge is to first figure out what you want to say, explore the best way to say it, then to revise and polish your message to the point it shines as bright and clear as it can.”