Creative Principles

As a kid in England, Joby Harold was obsessed with movies like The Magnificent Seven. The Great Escape. Star Wars. Jaws. These movies inspired him to find his way into Hollywood and “go for it” as a screenwriter.

Today, he’s known for King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, Army of the Dead, and he’s got credits on upcoming films The Flash and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. For this interview, we discussed the new mini-series, Obi-Wan Kenobi.

In this interview, we talk about lanes of genre, Samurai and Western influences in Star Wars, the “Daddening” of Hollywood’s most iconic characters, how to write for both studios and filmmakers, and how to build off what you’ve inherited for tent pole franchises.

If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below…

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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!

Originally, Riley Stearns wanted to be a musician, but as he started to visit sets, he knew screenwriting could be his “in” to filmmaking. Today, he’s best known for being the writer-director of ‘The Art of Self-Defense’ and ‘Dual.’

In ‘The Art of Self-Defense,’ Jesse Eisenberg stars as Casey, a young man who gets attacked on the streets and decides to join a local dojo.

In ‘Dual,’ Karen Gillan stars as Sarah, a woman opts to clone herself after she receives a terminal diagnoses, but once she survives her ill fate, she learns she must duel her clone to the death.

In this interview, Riley talks about taking short films to festivals, mimicking Quentin Tarantino and Edgar Wright to learn the format of screenwriting, the blessing of misplaced confidence, and how he developed his dark comedic style.

If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below…

Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples

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!

“As a kid, I escaped into movies. Some movies inspired me to do something great. Some movies made me re-look at my life. Some movies made me long for love,” said Gigi Gaston.

As a director, Gigi Gaston is known for her work on Rip It Off, The Nanny Murders, Fatal Memory, and most recently 9 Bullets, which stars Lena Headey and Sam Worthington.

In this interview, Gigi talks about her mentorship with George Cukor (My Fair Lady, Gaslight) who told her “you will learn in the doing,” her early life as an Olympian, and how a mugging led to her career as a Producer.

If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below…

Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples

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!

Mike Roe always wanted to be a storyteller. Currently, he’s a writer for LAist, where he covers arts and entertainment. In one viral article, “Werewolf Bar Mitzvah from 30 Rock: an Oral History” Mike was approached to write a book on 30 Rock.

In The 30 Rock Book, Mike interviews over 50 of the original cast members, crew, and critics. He discusses how the goofy show became an all-time classic, including who shaped the series like Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, and Donald Glover, who was a writer on the show.

In this interview, Mike talks about jokes for one percenters, his obsession with creative ideas, how to write a book while keeping your day job, how he and his wife co-wrote spec screenplays, and surprising themes in The 30 Rock Book.

If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below…

Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples

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!

The son of Indian immigrants, Jimmy Soni grew up with his nose in a book. In high school, he was writing for the school paper. Today, he’s known as the former managing editor of The Huffington Post and is currently an author.

Jimmy first published A Mind at Play about Claude Shannon, a mathematician and “the father of information theory.” His latest book, The Founders, uncovers the story of Paypal and includes interviews with Elon Musk and Peter Thiel, among others.

In this interview, Jimmy talks about elegantly crafting history, his obsession with non-fiction, the logistics of his interview process, why all writers are entrepreneurs, how digital marketing has evolved beyond publishing, why writers are craftsmen not artists, and advice for writers with newborns.

If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below…

Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples

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!

“When you see things that young, they tend to be tattooed on the brain,” said author Ric Prado. “The first firefight I saw, I was seven years old.”

Black Ops is a memoir by “the highest ranking covert warrior to lift the veil of secrecy and offer a glimpse into the shadow wars America fought since Vietnam.”

In this interview, Prado talks about his life as a legendary CIA officer, the responsibility he felt to America as an immigrant, how he went about publishing CIA secrets and his views on taking calculated risks both in missions and in life.

If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below…

Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples

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 found that I really liked writing about human beings. I found I could apply my approach to anything,” said author Ian O’Connor. “I don’t feel like I write about quarterbacks and center-fielders and shooting guards as much as I write about human beings.”

Ian’s most recent focus is Coach K. Mike Krzyzewski is a five-time national champion at Duke, the NCAA's all-time leader in victories with nearly 1,200, and the first man to lead Team USA to three Olympic basketball gold medals. This book is the unauthorized, yet definitive biography.

In this interview, Ian talks about his mentor David McCraw, his view of what it means to be a reporter and columnist, why he writes in chronological order, and how he chooses subjects, including Bill Belichick, Derek Jeters, Arnold Palmer, and Jack Nicklaus.

If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below…

Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples

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!

“It wasn’t until acting and improvising that I really started writing,” said Brian Petsos. As a performer, he transitioned into writing and directing.

Brian met Oscar Isaac early in his career and Isaac has been in all three of his films, including Ticky Tacky, Lightningface, and most recently, Big Gold Brick.

His first feature, Big Gold Brick, is a story about Samuel Liston and his experiences with an enigmatic middle-aged father of two who enlists the writer to write his biography.

In this interview, Brian talks about his friendship with Oscar Issac, how he moved from shorts to a feature, how writing naturally gets bigger over time, advice from Andy Garcia, what it means to make a cerebral comedy and how film is actually two different businesses.

If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below…

Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples

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!

Courtney Lilly’s writing credits include Invader ZIM, Arrested Development, Everybody Hates Chris, My Boys, The Cleveland Show, and Black-ish.

In this interview, we go Ito the weeds about writing comedy, uncover the rhythms of a television, talk about universal needs in stories, discuss the writer’s room, and talk about the legacy of Black-ish as the series wraps up.

You can also find more info on Black-ish when we spoke with Creator Kenya Barris in Episode 227. Both of these interviews are available on the Creative Screenwriting website.

If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below…

Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples

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!

Ep339 - Chris Sheridan, Creating SYFY’s ‘Resident Alien’

“I always wanted to be a writer, but I didn’t know what type of writing I wanted to do,” said Chris Sheridan, who originally thought he wanted to be a journalist until he discovered screenwriting in college. “It immediately clicked.”

Sheridan’s writing credits include shows like Living Single. Titus, Yes Dear, Family Guy, and most recently Resident Alien. But, he wasn’t always thinking about a path in comedy. “I hadn’t considered comedy but one of the bartenders I worked with said he assumed I would do comedy. I had never really thought of it.”

The story of Resident Alien follows a crash-landed alien who takes on the identity of a small-town Colorado doctor. The adaptation is about a character dealing with the moral dilemma of why he was sent to earth, which was to destroy the planet.

Sheridan’s attachment to the IP came after he started to make a shift towards drama. “Probably 8-9 years ago, I wanted to do cable drama, so I wrote a drama spec pilot that I went out with. I didn’t sell it, but I opened up that world and had to prove myself as a drama writer.”

In this interview, Sheridan talks about character-based comedy, how to get un-pigeonholed as a writer, what it means for actors to police language, being respectful to IP, and advice for getting noticed today.

Look for my interview with Alice Wetterlund who plays D’Arcy on the show in Episode 333 of the podcast.

If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below…

Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples

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!