Claim OwnershipThe Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
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© Meg LeFauve & Lorien McKenna
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Welcome to The Screenwriting Life, a podcast where Oscar-nominated writer Meg LeFauve and Emmy-nominated writer Lorien McKenna discuss not only the craft and business of Screenwriting, but also the emotional life: the ups and downs of being a creative, to remind you that you are not alone and to keep writing.
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As writers, we're aiming to create the most believably human characters we can, and one of the best ways to do this is to understand their psychology. Today, we're honored to welcome world-renowned psychiatrist Dr. Dan Siegel to share how human beings form belief systems based on traumatic experiences in their developmental years, and what it takes for them to transform (a.k.a., the three-act journey of a feature).
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Jenna Lamia's first producer/creator/showrunner credit wasn't just a success — it was a smash hit, becoming one of Netflix's top five most streamed TV seasons EVER. The show, which stars Nicole Kidman, is a sleek and funny murder mystery set around a bougie Nantucket wedding, and today, Jenna talks all about how she adapted Elin Hilderbrand's best-selling novel into one of the year's most successful shows.
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Another mailbag! We answer your brilliant questions, and talk a bit about Austin. Buckle up!
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On today's eerie episode, we welcome three creatives behind Hulu's new campy horror slasher film, "Carved" - director and co-writer Justin Harding, co-writer Cheryl Meyer, and star Peyton Elizabeth Lee - to talk about horror, and particularly, how to write it. Happy Halloween!
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We talk about ACTIVE protagonists all the time on the show, but we know that creating one is easier said than done. Luckily, Meg and Lorien have a laundry list of practical exercises you can explore today to bring your protagonist to life.
But first, we talk with longtime TSL listener and TSL workshops member Laurel Senick about a lovely, lava-filled email she sent us.
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How does a TV writer go from working on a classic sitcom (The Office), to a deeply-felt immigrant dramedy (Little America), to creating a hidden camera show (Jury Duty), and most recently, creating an Emmy-nominated female-driven workplace drama (Lessons in Chemistry)? Hard work. Despite his mega-career, Lee Eisenberg doesn't believe he is in the upper echelon of Hollywood's most talented writers, but he does believe he outworks almost anyone else in town. Tune in to find out how you can, too.
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Joey Tuccio may know more writers in Hollywood than just about anyone. In fact, he loves writers so much, that he created an entire program to nature, incubate, and propel writers to representation through his brainchild ROADMAP WRITERS. Today, in a re-broadcast of a hugely attended Facebook live from 2023, we ask the hard questions about what it really takes to get a manager.
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John Hoffman is the first to admit his surprise at just how comfortable he felt directing Meryl Streep on his set for Only Murders In The Building. She's not the only legend to have appeared on the show...Steve Martin, Martin Short, Tina Fey, Paul Rudd, Nathan Lane: it's a murderers' row. And yet, it's been decades of hard work, ups and downs, passes, "almost-greenlights" and visits from Moetta...John's imaginary muse, that have earned him the confidence to showrun one of TVs most beloved comedies. Learn about how he built that confidence in today's lovely conversation.
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When Patton Oswalt considers a part, he has a simple litmus test: "When the movie is finished it's either gotta be, 'I can't believe they pulled this off, or this movie should not have been made.'" Risk has always been an important part of Patton's life as an artist in every medium: writing, acting, performing, and stand-up. Enjoy this incredible conversation with one of our best working stand-ups.
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Though he's perhaps best known as Miguel on This Is Us, Jon Huertas has been a TV staple for decades, having worked on broadcast, cable, and streaming, both in front of and behind the camera. With such a deep well of experience, Jon has incredible advice for TV writers in today's conversation.
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Years ago, Alex Convery and Tate Hanyok were merely attending the Austin Film Festival as screenplay competition winners, and this year, they're attending as panelists! Find out how they used the festival to meet writers, rep, and most importantly, motivate their career in the right direction.
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Barbara Stepansky’s career is the culmination of years of incredibly hard work. In addition to winning the highly competitive Nicholl Fellowship, Barbara is a WGA-award winner for a TV movie, the head writer on a German-language Netflix show, and a writer/producer on Starz’s Outlander. Today’s conversation is all about how Barbara built her uniquely multi-faceted career.
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How does a Chicago-based Indie film team break into Sundance, sell their movie at the fest, debut with a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, and make a Box Office Splash? They make a really, really great movie. Writer/director Kelly O'Sullivan knows a thing or two about Indie Filmmaking; her debut "Saint Frances" won SXSW in 2019. Today she discusses how she writes, casts, and directs outside of the traditional indie ecosystem, and how you can, too.
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Whether it was writing for SNL in the '80s, writing RAT RACE in the 90s, or creating MONK in the 2000s, it's no secret that Andy Breckman has had an incredible career. What does he chalk it up to? Luck (and a whole lot of hard work).
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When Paul W. Downs, Jen Statsky, and Lucia Aniello were first pitching Hacks, they didn't have a precise tonal comp when the network asked. But the trio ultimately knew that they wanted a show that was allowed to be "hard funny," but still make lots of space for rich emotional moments. Today, Paul and Jen discuss HOW they walk that tightrope while writing, and how centering Ava and Deborah's professional and personal relationship serves as their creative North Star helps the process.
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Animation is a MEDIUM, not a genre. This, among many other important lessons on today's episode, is one of the first things Lorien tells people who are interested in writing animated TV for children. Today we discuss how to break into children's animated TV, how production considerations weigh into the writing process, and what it means to signal a "red alert" in your work (hint: this is a good thing).
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Let's be frank: sexism and ageism are no joke in Hollywood. That being said, women over forty posses superpowers that the peers may lack - experience and wisdom. For Nitza Wilon & Elizabeth Kaiden, this is part of the juice behind the Writers Lab, the only screenwriting lab solely focused on nurturing women and non-binary folk over 40.
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Today, we’re joined by Jaiver Barrios, Lauren, O’Connor, and Hilary Swett to discuss the INVALUABLE resources that the WGF library provides for writers…FOR FREE.
RESOURCES DISCUSSED:
WGF Blog (Spec Primer Example!): https://www.wgfoundation.org/blog/2023/1/18/formatting-your-spec-script-a-primer-part-22?rq=abbot
WGF Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/WritersGuildFoundation
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Get Chris' Book!: https://www.amazon.com/Writers-Journey-Mythic-Structure-3rd/dp/193290736X
Though Chris Vogler is generally credited with introducing the FRAMEWORK of The Hero's Journey into modern Hollywood discourse, it almost didn't happen. When someone else plagiarized his memo and trafficked it to Jeffrey Katzenberg trying to take credit for it, Chris faced a crossroads. Find out HOW he managed that, and became an essential creative pillar behind the development of THE LION KING.
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Awesome ep!
Hi Meg! loved your session on screencraft and so glad you told us about your podcast! will be listening (and I loved good dinosaur so much)