Dustin Lance Black is an Oscar-winning writer/director, known for writing the films like Milk and J. Edgar, in addition to creating the award-winning 2022 crime miniseries Under the Banner of Heaven, starring Andrew Garfield. Black is a fierce LGBTQ rights advocate, serving as a founding board member of the American Foundation for Equal Rights, and writing 8, a courtroom drama reenacting the overturn of Prop 8 in California. On today's show, we discuss the common pitfalls of writing biopics, how Lance uses his own life to inform his work, and the research and work it takes to avoid cliches in our writing.

123 | Dustin Lance Black (Milk, Under the Banner of Heaven) On Nuanced Screenwriting and Avoiding Cliches

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.

TV & Film

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Friend of the show Dustin Lance Black is back to talk about the central lynchpin of a great film: the protagonist. Lance is known for his complicated heroes (often real people) who draw us in and don't let go. Today, we discuss how to draw a protagonist that will hold an audience's attention, and perhaps more importantly, what to avoid so that same audience won't lose interest.

195 | Dustin Lance Black: Writing (And Adapting) Compelling Protagonists

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BILLY'S BOOKS: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B001JSFBR4
The romantic comedy is one of the most enduring genres in American Cinema and for good reason: it's all about love, joy, and transformation, aka, the heart of good storytelling. This is Billy Mernit's entire ethos, the foundation that has made Billy's rom-com philosophy one of the most celebrated in our business. Billy is a story consultant, novelist, and Romcom guru, who's booking WRITING THE ROMANTIC COMEDY is a fundamental screenwriting craft text for emerging writers and pros.

194 | Romantic Comedy Writing Masterclass w/ Billy Mernit

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We're back with part TWO of our ten common traps that will kill your script. Take notes, TSL Fam!

193 | Ten Common Traps That Will Kill Your Script (Pt. 2)

Whether you're a pro or a beginner, there are certain traps as screenwriters that will almost ALWAYS kill our writing. On today's show, we cover the first five...(stay tuned for the rest!)
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192 | Ten Common Traps That Will Kill Your Script (Pt. 1)

Linda Seger basically created the job of independent script consultant. After years of exploring, she discovered that her gifts lie in making a good script great, which is the name of her first book: "Making A Good Script Great." Since then, Linda has become one of Hollywood's most sought after and celebrated consultants, because her ability to distill down what is needed on the page.
For Linda's Books: https://lindaseger.com/screenwriting-books/
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123 | Dustin Lance Black (Milk, Under the Banner of Heaven) On Nuanced Screenwriting and Avoiding Cliches

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