Episodit
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This week, we’re spotlighting two incredible TV writers whose journeys were meaningfully shaped by the Austin Film Festival.
Sylvia Batey Alcalá (A MAN ON THE INSIDE, PRIMO) and Mac Smullen (SOUVENIR, ALASKA) share how AFF helped get their names out there —building momentum, sparking connections, and opening doors that had long felt closed.
But a festival isn’t the finish line — it’s the starting gate. Sylvia and Mac walk us through the real (and rewarding) work it takes after recognition: rewriting, building reps, pitching, and staying ready for the moment when things start to move.
It’s a candid, thoughtful, and energizing conversation about what breaking in looks like today — and how festivals like AFF can help writers get in the game.
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In this episode, Meg gets real about where she’s at in her writing process — the doubts, the stalls, and the honest truth of feeling stuck. We answer listener questions about momentum, mindset, and the tough question of when it’s time to move on from a project that just isn’t working. Whether you're in a rut or wrestling with a story that won’t cooperate, this one’s for you.
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Fresh off the massive critical and commercial success of FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES, friend of the show Sheila Hanahan Taylor is back to share the ins and outs of producing a studio movie. What can writers do to develop a good relationship with a producer? How does a producer serve both the studio's voice and the writer's voice? On today's episode, Sheila unpacks it all!
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This week, we’re joined by Kim Rosenstock (DYING FOR SEX) to explore how a complicated protagonist with a simple goal drives interesting, rich, and emotionally resonant storytelling.
Through the lens of her deeply personal and genre-blending show, which she co-created with Liz Meriwether, Kim shares how clarity of objective gave DYING FOR SEX its emotional depth, tonal range, and narrative momentum — and why writers shouldn’t be afraid to keep their characters’ goals simple, even when the journey is anything but.
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What’s it like to collaborate creatively with your spouse — and still want to have dinner together after? This week, we’re joined by Joe Forte, screenwriter (Firewall) and longtime writing partner (and husband!) of Meg LeFauve.
We talk candidly about the unique dynamics of working with your life partner — the communication hurdles, the unexpected benefits, and how to protect both the relationship and the work. Plus, Joe shares the power of writing retreats, how he thinks about mentorship, and what it really means to support another writer’s voice while honoring your own.
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When you’re pitching — whether it’s on studio IP or your own original idea — what sets you apart is your take. But what does that actually mean?
This week, Jac Schaeffer (WandaVision, Agatha All Along) breaks it down. For Jac, a great take starts with the emotional core — “what is the deep down” that connects you to the material. From there, it’s about delivering a pitch only you could give: not necessarily linear or formulaic, but full of energy, essence, and personal vision.
We talk about how far is too far from the IP, how to navigate studio mandates, and how to protect your voice in rooms full of competing takes.
🎬 Jac’s first feature, TiMER, is now available to stream for free on Tubi!
https://tubitv.com/movies/100029089/timer
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In this special roundtable, we’re joined by three working screenwriters — Nic Curcio, Kristen Tepper, and Julia Yorks — who have each built successful writing careers while also growing authentic, engaged followings online.
We talk candidly about the growing pressure for writers to maintain a social media presence. From expanding your network to attracting opportunities, social media can help. But it can also complicate your creative process, affect your mental health, and make the work feel secondary.
This conversation is an honest look at that tension — and how, with the right mindset, social media can become less of a burden and more of a creative outlet that reflects your voice, supports your goals, and connects you to a writing community in an often isolating industry.
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Check out Nic, Kristen, and Julia's social accounts below...
Nic Curcio
Instagram: @nicolascurcio | TikTok: @nicolascurciowriter
Kristen Tepper
Instagram: @kristentepper | TikTok: @teppertoks
Julia Yorks
Instagram: @juliayorks | TikTok: @juliayorks
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Trey Edward Shults is an inspiration to directors everywhere — including Jeff. His debut feature, KRISHA, was a no-name psychological drama shot in his own home on a shoestring budget under $30K. Against all odds, it won SXSW, screened at Cannes, and eventually sold to A24. KRISHA stands as a beacon for anyone looking to make a personal, ambitious feature with limited resources.
Now Trey is collaborating with The Weeknd, and even though their new film HURRY UP TOMORROW feels bigger in scale, Trey's storytelling ethos remains unchanged: center the character, prioritize emotion, and use the camera as a tool to highlight the story — not to distract from it.
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In this special edition of our mailbag series, we’re flipping the script. Instead of questions from newcomers, today we hear from working, professional screenwriters—people already inside the industry, navigating the real-world challenges of a creative career. From handling difficult notes to sustaining momentum between jobs, Meg and Lorien dig into what it means to grow and survive as a writer at the professional level.
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BUY ROB'S BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/FILM-DIRECTORS-FIELD-MANUAL-Filmmaking/dp/1662850549
Whether you're on set or on the page, great storytelling relies on clarity, efficiency, and emotional truth. This week, veteran director Rob Spera joins us to discuss his new handbook on the fundamentals of directing—and how those same principles can elevate your screenwriting. From working with actors to mastering visual storytelling, Rob shares actionable insights that will sharpen your craft and help you write with a director’s eye.
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Emily Brundige was tired of waiting around for gatekeepers to say yes. So, she stopped asking.
In this candid conversation with Lorien, Emily shares how her frustration with the traditional hurry-up-and-wait pitch process pushed her to self-produce an animated short. That project — born from passion, resourcefulness, and a refusal to wait — eventually became GOLDIE, a series now on Apple TV+.
They dive into what it actually takes to make your own work, how festivals and buzz helped build momentum, and why animation is such a powerful space for self-starters. If you've ever felt stuck in development limbo, this episode might just give you the spark (and strategy) to make your move.
CHECK OUT EMILY'S BOOK HERE: https://www.emilybrundige.com/
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Carla Banks-Waddles (BEL-AIR) has lived many lives as a writer. From being a valued member of multi-cam half hour rooms, to pivoting towards single cam serialized family dramas, Carla has had a wonderfully diverse career. How? She wrote her way there. Enjoy Carla's insightful, optimistic, and sometimes obsessive approach to how we can craft our dream career as writers. Whip out your swobes, and get ready to slork!
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TAKE BRENT'S CLASS: https://www.brentforrester.com/webinar
Brent Forrester wasn't naturally funny, and he's the first person to admit it. And yet, when Brent was in his early 20s, he studied comedy like a science, and it has fostered one of the most successful comedy writing careers of anyone working today. Listen to some of Brent's inside tips when it comes to cracking the code on comedy. And focus on plosives. Always plosives.
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WATCH LOS FRIKIS: https://www.primevideo.com/detail/Los-Frikis/0H49M436MMS223JUKJ26Q95EKJ
READ ALONG: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1a3QojbCeXG11xowk5u6y-RONQhCSguwG/view?usp=drive_link
Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz are the first to admit "they're not the cool kids." Their widely celebrated debut THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON was bootstrapped by grit, hard work, and a ferocious commitment to making something authentic, and that same spirit fills every frame of their follow-up film, LOS FRIKIS. Like the filmmakers themselves, the movie follows a group of lovable outsiders finding their own way to make beautiful art in a system that opposes it. In today's conversation with Jeffrey Crane Graham, they discuss how filmmaking is like building a house: pre-production is a blueprint, production is about "collecting lumber," and post-production is an act of construction.
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Whether you're on your billionth draft, or stuck in post on a docuseries, finding a connective THEME to tell your story is one of the most valuable ways to create a cohesive and satisfying story. Today's guest, John Henion, understands that better than anyone. His impressive career as an episodic documentary filmmaker includes shows like CHEF'S TABLE and WELCOME TO WREXHAM, but whatever the project may be, John tells us how it always comes down to finding the emotional center of your story.
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The Molyneux Sisters (BOB’S BURGERS, THE GREAT NORTH) believe that character is at the center of all great comedy. For Wendy and Lizzie, specificity, character quirks, and close observations about the friends (and strangers) around them will always provide the cocktail for a great character. Hear about how these two found their voice, honed their craft, and became important voices in the world of adult animation.
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George Saunders is a writer of novels, short stories, and non-fiction, whose work has amassed a collection of awards, including The Booker Prize for his debut novel, Lincoln in the Bardo. His essay collection A Swim in a Pond in the Rain, which focuses on the storytelling prowess of four Russian masters, was not only a bestseller, but invited passionate responses from his readers, who are as obsessed with story math as we are. George is the ultimate story junkie, as evidenced by his wildly popular Substack, Story Club, which features his musings about the mechanics, mystery, and magic of great storytelling.
CHECK OUT GEORGE'S SUBSTACK: https://georgesaunders.substack.com/
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Dana Fox offers an incredibly generous admission in today's conversation: "I find writing REALLY torturous." And yet, she's one of Hollywood's most successful writers, having written on major franchises like CRUELLA and recently WICKED, which has earned her countless industry award nominations. What's her secret? Tune in as she discusses why writing can feel so hard and how she pushes through those blocks - or perhaps more fittingly, defies gravity.
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