Scriptcake

Don't do it. Overexplaining is an epidemic in screenwriting. Find out why and how to avoid it in this episode. 

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For more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

Sometimes we get lost during the screenwriting process. It's hard to stay clear on what we're writing about. External factors influence us. We research things that impact our original ideas. How do we keep it all clear? Well, we go back to the beginning, to our Focus Point. 

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For more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

Alvaro Rodriguez is a writer, producer, and composer. He began his career by working as a composer on El Mariachi in 1992. 

He has since expanded into film and television writing and producing. He has written on From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series, Machete, Seis Manos, American Rust, Chicago Fire and Florida Man.

Support the show

For more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

Have you completed a feature film and people love the idea of it but when they read it, it doesn't resonate with them? That's probably because there's no story behind your story. Listen to find out what the issue is.

Support the show

For more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

Paul Chitlik is an award-winning screenwriter, producer, director, and internationally respected educator who has written for major studios and networks in both English and Spanish. He served as story editor for MGM/UA’s The New Twilight Zone and staff writer for Showtime’s Brothers, and has developed features for numerous production companies. He earned a Writers Guild of America nomination for The Twilight Zone, a GLAAD Media Award nomination for Los Beltrán, and a Genesis Award for a Showtime Family film.

He wrote, produced, and directed the feature The Wedding Dress. A longtime UCLA instructor and clinical professor at Loyola Marymount University, Chitlik has taught screenwriting worldwide and is the author of the influential craft book Rewrite. 

In this podcast, we discuss Paul's latest book - The Screenwriting Sensei.

Support the show

For more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

Are you having a hard time adapting a real life experience to a screenplay. It's probably because of the personal story problem. Listen and see if fixing this can help you write a better screenplay.

Support the show

For more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

As a new year is upon us, it's time to think about what we want to accomplish this year as screenwriters. What are your screenwriting resolutions?

Support the show

For more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

A lot of screenwriters get confused when rewriting their screenplays. What constitutes an actual rewrite? Listen and find out. 

Support the show

For more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

It's probably the most overlooked element in a scene. Understand the power of choosing the right location for your scene to take place. 

Support the show

For more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.

Diane Drake is a screenwriter who is best known for writing Only You (1994) and What Women Want (2000).

She is also the author of the screenwriting book, Get Your Story Straight. Click the link to get it on Amazon.

Diane will be a mentor at the Rocaberti Writers Retreat in Figueres, Spain, March 2026

To find press and podcasts featuring Diane, click here.

To read an extended interview with Diane, click here.

Support the show

For more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out  www.lovinder.com.