Piece of Work

Brandi chats with Monsoon Leadership CEO Shannon Bowen about all things email newsletter: the intersection of professional, personal, and creative writing styles; finding the tools to get started; building an authentic relationship with the reader; and having the confidence to let your project evolve over time.

You can find Shannon (and subscribe to her excellent newsletter!) at Monsoon Leadership or on LinkedIn.

Brandi welcomes actors Gina Su and Dan Hwang to the show to discuss their experience playing siblings Lizzie Wong & Wes Wong in the new thriller Trapped in the Rocky Mountains, on which Brandi was the screenwriter! They discuss the process of making an ensemble film full of tense group scenes, the joys and challenges of set life in Montana, and the landscape of opportunities for Asian actors in today's Hollywood (spoiler: it could be better!).
Trapped in the Rocky Mountains was directed by Patricia Frontain, shot by cinematographer John Sweeney, and premieres on Lifetime on August 18, 2024.
Gina Su on Instagram: @missginasu
Dan Hwang on Instagram: @danhwang_
Learn more about the film's cast & crew on IMDb.

Brandi welcomes back writer-director-producer Henry Darrow McComas to discuss his narrative feature debut, horror gem The Camp Host, which debuted in March 2024 on Tubi. They talk about how the project landed at the streamer, the collaborative efforts that helped it punch above its budget, and pursuing career milestones like making a feature without the help of an agent or manager.

Follow Henry on Twitter or Instagram for much more about The Camp Host and future projects.

Brandi chats with TV writer Myles Warden about his experience co-writing two episodes of the sitcom Act Your Age, collaborating within a writing team as well as with everyone on set, and the possibilities for innovation within the multi-cam comedy format.

You can find Myles on Twitter at @ReallyMighty.

Brandi sits down with TV writer Jelena Woehr to discuss her pilot script Reconstruction, the dreaded question of the difficult female protagonist, and the joys and pains of revising with a focus on what could actually get the project made.

You can find Jelena on Twitter at @jelenawoehr, as well as at jelenawoehr.com.

Brandi chats with novelist Ryan D. Matthews about his current project, how he seeks to explore various themes that relate to his rural upbringing, and the challenges of storytelling in novel format.

**Content warning: this episode includes discussions of gun violence.

You can find links to Ryan's work at his website, ryandmatthews.com.

Brandi does a deep dive with documentary filmmaker Therese Shechter on the years-long process of making her film "My So-Called Selfish Life," how she tackles covering an expansive social issue in the form of a film, and whether she'll ever take on such a big project again.

Find more about Therese's work at trixiefilms.com.

Brandi's guest this episode is the talented filmmaker Andy Compton. They discuss the making of his short film Captcha, the filmmaking community in St. Louis, and the mix of delusion and determination needed to chase the Hollywood dream.

Brandi’s guest this episode is the insightful and hilarious Ceda Xiong. They discuss staying persistent and flexible while trying to get something made in Hollywood, as Ceda describes the journey of her project Road Dick, which started as a podcast pitch before shifting into a half-hour TV pilot script, and may still be evolving to a new form.

Brandi chats with the writer Sutton Strother about their brilliant and creepy short story "Passage," some works that have inspired them, and what creating in the medium of short stories can teach a writer.

Read "Passage" at Uncharted Mag.

Find more of Sutton's fantastic work on their website.