Creative Principles

At twenty-six, Gaby Laurent felt like her life was just beginning. Newly married and pregnant with her first child, she was on top of the world. But that joy was shattered when a routine blood test led to a diagnosis of AML Leukemia-and the treatment she needed could harm her baby or save them both. As a mother and cancer survivor, Gaby navigated the complexities of motherhood, adoption, and addiction, confronting the darkest depths of the human spirit.

More than a personal narrative, her memoir WRINKLES WELCOME provides a roadmap for finding strength in adversity. Gaby's journey will help you discover hope in the darkest times and inspire you to live your life to the fullest.

In this interview, we talk about her love for writing, blogging during her cancer diagnosis, shifting from fiction to memoir, her writing process and learning curve, social media, the purpose of the memoir, and more. You can get her book right here on September 17th:

https://www.gabylaurentwrites.com/

Full disclosure, Gaby’s been a friend for many years, and this project actually got started in my course, How to Write a Non-Fiction Book in 12 Weeks. You can watch Gaby and other students go from idea to published book in that video course. Anyone who orders Gaby’s book, email my assistant and I’ll send you that full course for free ([email protected]).

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Katie Robbins is the creator and showrunner of the AppleTV+ drama series SUNNY. The series stars Emmy Award nominee Rashida Jones, and follows Suzie, an American woman living in Japan, and Sunny, a domestic robot made by her husband's company, as they uncover the dark truth of what really happened to Suzie's husband and son who disappeared in a mysterious plane crash.

In this interview, we talk about how she transitioned from journalism to screenwriting, the dynamics of working in writers' rooms, her experience working on THE AFFAIR, how she went from staff writer to showrunner, her new show SUNNY, and more.

As a special note, this was part of our new LIVE interview series in partnership with Buzztown, a community for serious screenwriters, where students also participated in this interview. You can learn more or join the waitlist here:

https://forms.gle/RNaoVrdU9afWpykWA

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

"I think David [Fincher] at first was a little disconcerted. I didn't know any of the vocabulary," says Carrie Coon. "After a particularly frustrating day where he was asking for screen direction or something, and I didn't know what he was asking me to do. I said to him, you knew, when you hired me for this movie that I'd never made a movie before. I don't know what you're saying to me. But if you explain it to me, I can do it. I will do it. I just need to know what it is that you're trying to get."

Hailing from the Chicago theater scene, Carrie Coon is perhaps best known for her breakout role in 2014’s highly acclaimed GONE GIRL, playing twin sister to Affleck’s Nick Dunne in the adaptation of the best-selling novel by Gillian Flynn. Other credits include HBO’s THE LEFTOVERS, FX’s FARGO, Sean Durkin’s THE NEST for which she received critical acclaim, and Anthony and Joe Russo’s Marvel Universe blockbuster AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR, among others.

In her latest project, HIS THREE DAUGHTERS, Carrie stars alongside Natasha Lyonne and Elizabeth Olsen in a tense yet touching story of family dynamics; directed by Azazel Jacobs, the film follows three estranged sisters who come together to try to plan for the inevitable when their father’s health declines.

In this interview, we talk about her early career in theater and commercials, working with David Fincher in Gone Girl, her role in The Leftovers, the value of specificity in writing, advice for aspiring actors, and more.

Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy!

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

After gaining an Academy Award nomination for his 2003 film EVIL, director and screenwriter Mikael Håfström started an international career, with films such as DERAILED, starring Clive Owen and Jennifer Aniston, THE RITE starring Anthony Hopkins, and ESCAPE PLAN starring Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Håfström’s latest work includes the upcoming film SLINGSHOT starring Casey Affleck and Laurence Fishburne. SLINGSHOT follows an astronaut who struggles to maintain his grip on reality aboard a possibly fatally compromised mission to Saturn's moon, Titan.

In this interview, we talk about his creative process, the development of SLINGSHOT, the current filmmaking landscape, his experiences with television, his future plans, and more.

Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy!

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

"I always looked at this as like, I'm trying to make Black Ocean's Eleven or I'm trying to make a contemporary Harlem Nights or contemporary Uptown Saturday Night, which were like this kind of like star-laden projects," says Ogbonna about FIGHT NIGHT. "And what you need is gravity. You need somebody at the center that pulls everybody in, you know what I mean?"

Shaye Ogbonna is an accomplished writer and producer for both television and film. He has written on an array of premium series including THE CHI, as well as two highly-anticipated HBOMax series: THE PENGUIN from Matt Reeves, and DUSTER - a 1970s crime thriller exec-produced by JJ Abrams.

Currently, Shaye serves as Creator, Writer, Showrunner, and Executive Producer of the star-studded limited series FIGHT NIGHT: THE MILLION DOLLAR HEIST, starring Kevin Hart, Samuel L. Jackson, Taraji P. Henson, Don Cheadle, and Terrence Howard.

The true-crime series tells the story of how an armed robbery on the night of Muhammad Ali’s historic 1970 comeback fight ultimately transformed Atlanta into the “Black Mecca.”

In this interview, we talk about his early career and influences, his decision to focus on television as a medium for storytelling, the future of limited series, his new show FIGHT NIGHT, the importance of telling local stories, and more.

Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy!

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

"It's like being a boxer when you get in with the actor. You have to have respect," says Lester. "Now, if you get in the ring with Arnold Schwarzenegger and you're like, oh, you're Arnold Schwarzenegger. Well, that's never going to work, is it? If you get in the ring and you're like, you're Arnold Schwarzenegger, I'm going to make you the best possible actor you can be and do the best possible performance. Then you have respect, you know, which is the most important thing between the actor and the director."

Elliott Lester is a director and producer with a career spanning over two decades. He is best known for directing the thriller BLITZ, the critically acclaimed HBO film NIGHTINGALE, starring David Oyelowo, and the film Aftermath, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.

His next project, THE THICKET starring Peter Dinklage, follows "a boy who, after his sister is kidnapped by a violent killer known only as Cut Throat Bill, enlists a fierce bounty hunter named Reginald Jones who becomes the leader of the group of outcasts searching for the stolen girl."

In this interview, we talk about his early career and transition from music videos to feature films, his experiences working with various actors including A-list stars, how to build relationships with actors, and more.

Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy!

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Soo Hugh is known for The Killing, The River, Under the Dome, The Terror, and See. Most recently, however, she serves as showrunner, executive producer, writer, and visionary behind the drama series PACHINKO which debuted on Apple TV+ in March 2022.

Based on the international best-selling novel of the same name, the series follows the hopes and dreams of four generations of a Korean immigrant family. Epic in scope, intimate in tone, the story begins with a forbidden love and crescendos into a sweeping saga that journeys between Korea, Japan, and America to tell the unforgettable story of war and peace, love and loss, triumph and reckoning.

In this interview, we talk about the importance of working with experienced showrunners and building relationships in the industry, her show Pachinko, the evolving television landscape, the upcoming film adaptation of Tender is the Night, plus some advice for aspiring writers.

Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy!

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Chris Brancato, is the co-creator of the critically acclaimed series NARCOS, which ran for three seasons on Netflix. He is a writer and producer with hundreds of hours of television credits, including The X-Files, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Hannibal, and Beverly Hills, 90210 (the original).

Hotel Cocaine “tells the story of Roman Compte, Cuban exile, CIA operative, and general manager of the Hotel Mutiny, the glamorous epicenter of the late '70s and early '80s Miami cocaine scene.”

Listen to our first conversation back in Episode 280 of the podcast.

In this interview, we talk about the changing landscape of television and the increased opportunities for creative storytelling, the balance between historical accuracy and fictional drama in creating shows, the realities of the television industry including rejection rates, and the importance of perseverance.

Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy!

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Mark Monroe is one of Hollywood’s leading documentary filmmakers. He’s known for films like Lucy and Desi, Icarus, The Beach Boys, Shot in the Arm, Love Lizzo, Harry & Megan, Stutz, and Charlie Hustle & the Matter of Pete Rose.

Today we’re talking about his latest project, Jim Henson: Idea Man, a film that chronicles the story of extraordinary artist and visionary Jim Henson. In his 36-year career, Henson created some of the world’s most cherished characters, including classic Muppets like Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy and all of Sesame Street’s iconic residents, including Big Bird, Grover, Cookie Monster, and Bert and Ernie. Henson also directed beloved fantasy films like The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth.

In this interview, we talk about his career path and transition to documentaries; his filmmaking process; the role of intrigue, mystery, and emotional arcs in engaging the audience; the importance of having a clear vision for the documentary; and much more.

Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on hundreds of interviews here at Creative Principles.

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Melissa Ponzio is an actress best known for her iconic role as Melissa McCall, the dedicated single mother of Scott in the MTV's hit series Teen Wolf.

Coming up, she’ll be returning to the screen in the second season of Apple TV+'s comedy The Big Door Prize, created by Emmy Award winner David West Read.

Her recent work includes starring alongside Kevin Hart in the action-comedy series Die Hart and appearing in the Netflix original film Thunder Force with Octavia Spencer and Melissa McCarthy.

In this interview, we talk about her influences and career path, the growth of the film industry in Atlanta, industry insights, and more!

Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy!

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!