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I had a briefcase at one point, but it was a kind of 1980s New Wave briefcase. It was made of some kind of cardboard and it had metal hinges. It was kind of faux industrial looking, and I used to carry my books in it rather than a backpack. I didn't want to have normal student accoutrements.

Unless you are a lawyer or Fortune 500 CEO, carrying a briefcase is, well, nerdy.

I carry a notebook with me everywhere. But that's only the first step.

I have notebooks and sketchbooks for ideas. I also have drawers full of envelopes covered in quick outlines, scenes or scraps of dialogue that I don't want to forget. I tend to grab whatever's to hand and just get the thing down before it's lost. It's not what you would call a streamlined system.

Just the idea to have everything you need essentially stored in one piece of portable technology is very exciting.

Me carrying a briefcase is like a hotdog wearing earrings.

My wife made me get a cellphone, which I keep in my briefcase. I've never used it.

Too often I find that the volume of paper expands to fill the available briefcases.

I go to each job and open my little briefcase up, and I take out the things that I have or I know. It might be a Swiss army knife, a quart of milk and a ruler. That might be all I can bring to it, but that's what I have.

A part of my kind of design and inspiration ethos is that I carry around a leather notebook and I sketch in it, doodle in it, write notes in it, and I put pictures in it.