Hey Guys! Happy Labor Day!

A super quick episode for a holiday special: I go behind-the-scenes of my podcast and talk about awesome things, and I also touch on what needs to be improved. Listen in to get a sneak peek of some of the guests that will be featured in the upcoming weeks!

This episode is proudly sponsored by SCRIVENER. Click on the link for your special 20% off discount code that's available specially for our storyteller tribe!

Joe Lazarov is well known as the producing director of the popular GOSSIP GIRL TV series in New York and more recently a producer of POWER on the Starz Network. He was fortunate to begin his career in television working on Emmy award winning series A YEAR IN THE LIFE, CHINA BEACH andNORTHERN EXPOSURE. Joe continues to be a sought after producer having recently finished the spinoff ONCE UPON A TIME IN WONDERLAND for ABC, 5 seasons of GOSSIP GIRL, TOUCHING EVIL, PSYCH, INVASION, NCIS, and LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT. In 2008, Joe began a new phase of his career with his directorial debut of Gossip Girl with the emotional episode where Chuck Bass buries his father and subsequently directed 8 more episodes. Upon Joe’s return to Los Angeles from the Gossip Girl set, he directed several episodes of the stunt filled series NINE LIVES OF CHLOE KING. Joe followed up that effort with a fun romp in HART OF DIXIE and thriller episodes of THE LYING GAME and TWISTED. Joe currently commutes between Brooklyn and Los Angeles where he lives with his wife of 20 years, 13 year old daughter, and two standard poodles.

This episode is sponsored by Scrivener.

Joe Lazarov is well known as the producing director of the popular GOSSIP GIRL TV series in New York and more recently a producer of POWER on the Starz Network. He was fortunate to begin his career in television working on Emmy award winning series A YEAR IN THE LIFE, CHINA BEACH and NORTHERN  EXPOSURE. Joe continues to be a sought after producer having recently finished the spinoff ONCE UPON A TIME IN WONDERLAND for ABC, 5 seasons of GOSSIP GIRL, TOUCHING EVIL, PSYCH, INVASION, NCIS, and LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT. In 2008, Joe began a new phase of his career with his directorial debut of Gossip Girl with the emotional episode where Chuck Bass buries his father and subsequently directed 8 more episodes. Upon Joe’s return to Los Angeles from the Gossip Girl set, he directed several episodes of the stunt filled series NINE LIVES OF CHLOE KING. Joe followed up that effort with a fun romp in HART OF DIXIE and thriller episodes of THE LYING GAME and TWISTED. Joe currently commutes between Brooklyn and Los Angeles where he lives with his wife of 20 years, 13 year old daughter, and two standard poodles.

Be sure to visit his shownotes page at http://88cupsoftea.com/podcast/joelazarov/

This episode is proudly sponsored by SCRIVENER. Click on the link for your special 20% off discount code that's available specially for our storyteller tribe!

• How creating a short film can help your feature film tremendously while your feature is in development (Hint: Financing, calling card for your directing career, and more)
• How Leah prepared and directed the underage lead actress for a graphic sex scene in a respectful and sensitive manner
• The very best thing a director can do to receive the performances they want from an actor
• Why Leah chose stop motion puppet animation to portray the most intimate fantasy parts of her film and how she animated it
• Exactly how Leah financed her feature film
• How Leah found her first feature film investor through the film festival circuit for her short film
• Using Kickstarter as a specific technique to maximize the exposure of your project
• How intentionally casting very specific people hugely impacted theauthenticity of Leah’s feature film
• Why writing grants are really helpful even if you don’t receive the grant
• How limited resources can be incredibly beneficial in expanding your creative boundaries
• How Leah found her crew for her award-winning feature I BELIEVE IN UNICORNS that world premiered at SXSW

Be sure to head over to Leah's shownotes page for more info and the links to the book and resources she mentions at 88cupsoftea.com/podcast/leahmeyerhoff

Leah Meyerhoff is an award winning filmmaker whose debut narrative feature I BELIEVE IN UNICORNS was released theatrically in 2015 after premiering at SXSW, winning the Grand Jury Prize at the Atlanta Film Festival and additional awards from Woodstock Film Festival, Nashville Film Festival, First Time Fest, Tribeca Film Institute, IFP, NYU and the Adrienne Shelly Foundation. Meyerhoff’s previous work has screened in over 200 film festivals and aired on IFC, PBS, LOGO and MTV. She is a fellow of the IFP Emerging Narrative Labs, IFP Narrative Finishing Labs, Tribeca All Access Labs, and the Emerging Visions program at the New York Film Festival. Meyerhoff is also the founder of Film Fatales, a female filmmaker collective based in New York with over a dozen local chapters around the world. She holds a BA in Art-Semiotics from Brown University and an MFA in Directing from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.

 This episode is proudly sponsored by SCRIVENER. Click on the link for your special 20% off discount code that's available specially for our storyteller tribe!

I absolutely love this chat with award-winning author Juliette Fay, she is so much fun and a blast to talk shop with.  This episode is a must for authors and novelists, and especially for those who are balancing a writing career with a family. Juliette discusses (more like dishes) all her writing tips and career advice for novelists and authors with humor and expertise– I hope you’ll really enjoy this chat and find it as valuable as I did!

“The most successful writing really comes from what you love.” -Juliette Fay

“Luck comes for those who put themselves in luck’s way.” -Juliette Fay

Learn more about Juliette and the books & resources she recommends over at her shownote's page by clicking here: 88cupsoftea.com/podcast/juliettefay

• One key takeaway for improving your writing (really helpful tip!)
• A breakdown of Lewaa’s action plan for his scripts that carry him from idea through execution
• Detailed action plan using a common and popular script idea as an example
• The one thing that will land you the writing job, giving you an edge over other more talented writers
• How to develop writing habits to help you get closer to your writing goals
• The kiss-of-death for all creative artists and how to avoid it
• Landing a literary agent 
• Why mentors are crucial to your career
• How to work with a mentor even if you don’t have access to large networks

Lewaa Nasserdeen is an award-winning filmmaker whose career spans film, television, and documentary. Currently writing for the upcoming ABC comedy ‘The Real O’Neals’ starring Martha Plimpton. Lewaa’s additional credits include the hit comedy series ‘The Goldbergs’ as well as the haunting feature film ‘Baby Blues’ (2008). Selected to take part in the prestigious 2014 Disney/ABC Writing Program, Lewaa has also been a story editor on the critically acclaimed series “X-Weighted” (Discovery) and the gritty, real-life documentary “The Rig” (OLN).

“Be kind to everyone because no one wants to work with an asshole.” - Lewaa Nasserdeen

BE SURE TO VISIT LEWAA'S SHOW NOTES PAGE FOR THE BOOKS & RESOURCES HE RECOMMENDS AND MUCH MORE: 88CUPSOFTEA.COM/LEWAANASSERDEEN

It means so much to me to be able to share my interviews with you. Ratings and reviews on my podcast’s iTunes page helps a LOT in helping me to spread the word about the podcast. The more ratings and reviews I receive, the more you’re helping with the ranking of my show. That means there’s a higher chance of my podcast being found and subscribed to. Please leave me honest feedback as I read every single one and want to know how I can make improvements and continue delivering awesome content. 

Thank you so much in advance for leaving me a review and rating!

 This episode is proudly sponsored by SCRIVENER. Click on the link for your special 20% off discount code that's available specially for our storyteller tribe!

“I always start (my novels) with what I call the punch-in-the-gut, which is an idea that has a really powerful emotional resonance for me. I always start with ‘Oh my God, and what happens next?'” - Tess Gerritsen 

I’m so thrilled to have Tess Gerritsen on 88 CUPS OF TEA today! I’ve been a huge fan of Tess’ work since reading her very first thriller novel HARVEST, her debut on the New York Times bestseller list. She has written 26 novels with over 30 million copies sold worldwide. Tess also went on to create the RIZZOLI & ISLES book series that inspired the hit TNT television series. Our chat left me on an absolute high with adrenaline and Tess shared a ton of actionable tips and advice. I’m so excited for you to apply her knowledge towards your own writing careers!

Internationally bestselling author Tess Gerritsen took an unusual route to a writing career. A graduate of Stanford University, Tess went on to medical school at the University of California, San Francisco, where she was awarded her M.D.

While on maternity leave from her work as a physician, she began to write fiction. In 1987, her first novel was published. Call After Midnight, a romantic thriller, was followed by eight more romantic suspense novels. She also wrote a screenplay, “Adrift,” which aired as a 1993 CBS Movie of the Week starring Kate Jackson.

Tess’s first medical thriller, Harvest, was released in hardcover in 1996, and it marked her debut on the New York Times bestseller list. Her 26 novels include Gravity, The Surgeon, Vanish, The Bone Garden, The Silent Girl, Die Again, and Playing with Fire (Oct 2015). Translated into 40 languages, her books have been #1 bestsellers abroad and top-three bestsellers in the US. More than 30 million copies have been sold around the world.

She received the Nero Wolfe Award (for Vanish) and the Rita Award (for The Surgeon) and was a finalist for the Edgar award (for Vanish.)

Her series of novels featuring homicide detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles inspired the hit TNT television series “Rizzoli & Isles,” starring Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander.

Critics around the world have praised her novels as “Pulse-pounding fun” (Philadelphia Inquirer), and “Scary and brilliant” (Toronto Globe and Mail). Publishers Weekly has dubbed her “the medical suspense queen.”

Now retired from medicine, she writes full time. She lives in Maine.

“If I see (my first draft) on screen, I want to edit it. It stops me cold. I use unlined typing paper. I can’t have lines on it because I feel like it inhibits my creativity. 25 books, and it’s been pen and paper.”

• What to do when you’re struggling with resistance– the dreaded writer’s block
• What time in the day Tess finds the most inspiration to write
• What inspired the hugely popular series RIZZOLI & ISLES (You might be surprised!)
• How Tess schedules her writing so she makes it on time for her manuscript deadlines
• The benefits of publishing traditionally and the benefits of publishing online
• Tess’ advice for writers who are interested in publishing novels the traditional way
• How Tess landed her literary agent
• Tess’ take on the importance of the query letter and what to include so it makes an impression

Be sure to visit Tess' shownotes page! 88cupsoftea.com/podcast/tessgerritsen/

It means so much to me to be able to share my interviews with you. Ratings and reviews on my podcast’s iTunes page helps a LOT in helping me to spread the word about the podcast. The more ratings and reviews I receive, the more you’re helping with the ranking of my show. That means there’s a higher chance of my podcast being found and subscribed to. Please leave me honest feedback as I read every single one and want to know how I can make improvements and continue delivering awesome content. Thank you so much in advance for leaving me a review and rating!

“It takes a lot of trial and error, and endless, tireless effort in the face of rejection.” -Joe Nussbaum

Today’s guest is director-writer Joe Nussbaum, whose work can be seen in movies and on television worldwide. He’s the very first director I had the wonderful opportunity to work with after moving to Los Angeles! Joe’s interview is incredibly eye-opening on the realities of what it takes to be a working director and writer. Joe’s no-frills perspective is especially motivating for budding filmmakers looking for guidance with their career. Joe’s episode is an absolute must– you’ll walk away with so much more knowledge and preparedness about the industry as a filmmaker.

“If someone says write 10 jokes, write 100.”

“If you really want to make stuff, then you really need to make stuff.”

Since making the acclaimed short film “George Lucas in Love” in 1999, Joe Nussbaum has been working as a director and writer in movies, television, and commercials. He’s directed the features SLEEPOVER (2004), AMERICAN PIE PRESENTS: THE NAKED MILE (2006), SYDNEY WHITE (2007), and Disney’s PROM (2011) along with episodes of television for MTV, ABC, FOX, ABC Family, and Amazon, including multiple episodes of the acclaimed series “Awkward” on which he was also a writer. Additionally on the writing side, Nussbaum has written feature scripts for Warner Bros., Fox, New Regency, Alcon, Walden, and GK Films. In 2015, the first ever TV pilot that Nussbaum directed, “Just Add Magic” was picked up to series by Amazon and Joe is currently directing more episodes and executive producing season one.

Be sure to check out Joe's shownotes page at http://88cupsoftea.com/podcast/joenussbaum/

It means so much to me to be able to share my interviews with you. Ratings and reviews on my podcast’s iTunes page helps a LOT in helping me to spread the word about the podcast. The more ratings and reviews I receive, the more you’re helping with the ranking of my show. That means there’s a higher chance of my podcast being found and subscribed to. Please leave me honest feedback as I read every single one and want to know how I can make improvements and continue delivering awesome content. 

Thank you so much in advance for leaving me a review and rating!

This episode is proudly sponsored by SCRIVENER. Click on the link for your special 20% off discount code that's available specially for our storyteller tribe! 

Wow. You definitely want to check out Colleen’s episode. I absolutely loved chatting with her about work and life– from how she got representation, to the tricky discussion about networking, to balancing work and family. As you’ll hear, she’s an incredibly kind and generous person with so much wisdom to share. I walked away from the interview feeling so fired up and ready to take on the world. I’m thrilled to share her episode with you, you’ll love all her takeaways!

“When you’re giving someone a script to read, make sure its really great. And not just good.”

“Telling stories is about taking your experience from life & putting them down on paper wherever you are.”

Colleen McGuinness has written for numerous television shows, including NBC’s Emmy-winning comedy 30 Rock.  As a writer-producer on the show, she shared in the show’s 2013 Emmy nomination, as well as its 2013 and 2014 WGA nominations and 2014 PGA nomination.  A Harvard graduate, McGuinness is the creator of the comedy pilot Lonelyville, executive produced by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, which is currently in development at Universal Television.  She has also written a number of studio and independent film scripts. McGuinness’s latest project is a comedy pilot for F/X, which is executive produced by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.

“Go where it’s warm.”

• Pilot season and the process of staffing and writing
• How to pitch your pilot and the styles of presenting a pitch
• How an externship program in college helped Colleen achieve the success she has now
• Manageable steps to get you closer to your goals as a writer
• Not being able to land a temp job in the industry and how it works to a writer’s advantage
• How to balance your career and your loved ones

Be sure to check out Tess' shownotes page for the links to her recommended books! http://88cupsoftea.com/podcast/colleenmcguinness/