Craig sits down for a late-night session with screenwriters Katie Dippold, Phil Hay, Tess Morris and Malcolm Spellman to finally answer the question, “How does anyone make it in Hollywood.” Plus questions from the packed audience at the Austin Film Festival.

Thanks to our guests, our audience, and our hosts at AFF for a great night.

Links:

• Katie Dippold on IMDB
• Phil Hay on IMDB
• Tess Morris on IMDB
• Malcolm Spellman on IMDB
• John August on Twitter
• Craig Mazin on Twitter
• John on Instagram
• Get your 250 episode USB
• Find past episodes
• Outro by Matthew Chilelli (send us yours!)

Email us at [email protected]

You can download the episode here.

John and Craig discuss the psychological barriers facing writers tackling big projects, and offer practical guidance for getting stuff written.

We also respond to a listener question about autism spectrum disorder and how it might impact a screenwriting career.

Links:

• Forest and Nature Ambiance
• Snowstorm Ambiance
• Howling Wind Ambiance
• Julia Roberts to Star in PTA Mom Film
• Chuck Wendig Blog
• Wikitravel
• Writers Guild Foundation Poker
• John August on Twitter
• Craig Mazin on Twitter
• John on Instagram
• Get your 250 episode USB
• Find past episodes
• Outro by Pedro Aguilera (send us yours!)

Email us at [email protected]

You can download the episode here.

Craig enlists the help of another John (Lee Hancock) to hold down the fort with regular John away. The two discuss JLH's career, starting out as a lawyer in Texas and breaking into the film industry as a writer and director.

We also answer listener questions on mystery, copyright and collaboration.

Links:

• John Lee Hancock
• A Soft Murmur
• Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
• John August on Twitter
• Craig Mazin on Twitter
• John on Instagram
• Get your 250 episode USB
• Find past episodes
• Outro by Tim Gerth (send us yours!)

Email us at [email protected]

You can download the episode here.

John and Craig compare mystery and confusion, and how you can have more of the former with less of the latter. We use these lessons as we look at three new entries in the Three Page Challenge.

We also answer listener questions on flashbacks and capitalizing on festival success.

Links:

• Three Pages by Gabrielle Mentjox
• Three Pages by Jesse Gouldsbury & Brendan Steere
• Three Pages by Mitchell LeBlanc
• Send us your Three Pages
• Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
• Jeff Probst
• John August on Twitter
• Craig Mazin on Twitter
• John on Instagram
• Get your 250 episode USB
• Find past episodes
• Outro by Matthew Chilelli (send us yours!)

Email us at [email protected]

You can download the episode here.

John and Craig come to the defense of montages in screenwriting, giving examples of how and when the much-maligned device can be employed to benefit the story.

We also share our thoughts on the latest incarnation of Final Draft, plus new listener questions on sex scenes and resuscitating old scripts.

Links:

• Starting a Screenwriting Career Outside of LA, New York or London
• AFF Pitch Contest
• On Story Book
• The Henley Regatta in The Social Network
• Witness Barn Scene
• Invasive by Chuck Wendig
• The Marvel Symphonic Universe
• John August on Twitter
• Craig Mazin on Twitter
• John on Instagram
• Get your 250 episode USB
• Find past episodes
• Outro by Rajesh Naroth (send us yours!)

Email us at [email protected]

You can download the episode here.

John and Craig reprise their roles as development execs in “How Would This Be a Movie?” Looking at four true crime stories, the duo discuss what makes a great screenplay idea, and conversely, which stories work better as a serialized TV drama.

We also attempt to brighten the spirits of aspiring writers living outside of LA, New York and London, sharing the experiences of Scriptnotes listeners across the globe who have found their way into the Hollywood system from abroad.

Links:

• Writing for Hollywood Without Living There
• Florence Nightingale and The Woman in Disguise
• The Perfect Mom
• Amateur Sleuth
• Revenge in Irvine
• How to Tell a Mother Her Child is Dead
• Obduction
• John August on Twitter
• Craig Mazin on Twitter
• John on Instagram
• Get your 250 episode USB
• Find past episodes
• Outro by Rajesh Naroth (send us yours!)

Email us at [email protected]

You can download the episode here.

John and Craig dive into Netflix’s Stranger Things, discussing how macro writing decisions contributed to the show’s success. (There are inevitably some spoilers, so if you haven't seen it yet, you can skip from the start of that segment to the next one, which begins at 41:22.)

We also look at the upcoming WGA election and the candidates.

Next week, we will be doing a new installment of How Would This Be a Movie, so follow the links below to read ahead.

SPOILER ALERT: If you’re still to watch Stranger Things, skip CHAPTER SIX (15:13 to 41:22).

Links:

• The Nicholl Fellowships
• Stranger Things Trailer
• WGA Election
• Florence Nightingale and The Woman in Disguise - suggested by Craig Mazin
• The Perfect Mom - suggested by Brett Thomas in Sacramento
• Amateur Sleuth - suggested by Rachael Speal
• Revenge in Irvine - suggested by Phil Hay
• Angelo Badalamenti explains how he wrote “Laura Palmer’s Theme”
• HD 164595
• John August on Twitter
• Craig Mazin on Twitter
• Get your 250 episode USB
• Find past episodes
• Outro by John Venable (send us yours!)

Email us at [email protected]

You can download the episode here.

John and Craig discuss obstacles, those things your characters hate but desperately need.

We also follow up on the great Peter Dodd episode and answer listener questions on writing action, anecdotes as IP and other topics.

Links:

• Scriptnotes, 264: The One With the Agent
• The 100 Most Frequently Asked Questions about Screenwriting
• Rawson Thurber on IMDB
• Aaron Sorkin’s Masterclass
• Gone Girl Screenplay Analysis
• Sara Benincasa: Why Am I So Fat?
• Nuka World!
• John August on Twitter
• Craig Mazin on Twitter
• Outro by Matt Davis (send us yours!)

You can download the episode here.

Craig and John speak with agent Peter Dodd about what he looks for in a writer client, and how he sees the relationships between writers and agents and managers and executives.

We ask all the questions: How does he find new writers? Do competitions matter? How about query letters? And once he has a script in his hands, how much does he read before he knows if wants to sign the writer as a client? Peter answers everything candidly. Even we gasped a few times.

Links:

• Science Vs.
• Uppercut Deluxe Beard Balm
• Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the House of Caesar
• Get your 250 episode USB
• John August on Twitter
• Craig Mazin on Twitter
• Outro by Roman Mittermayr (send us yours!)

You can download the episode here.

John and Craig introduce “The 100 Most Frequently Asked Questions about Screenwriting,” a curation of questions from screenwriting.io.

We also take on the Three Page Challenge, with stories from Sinaloa, Mexico to the mind of Mark Twain.

Links:

• Gen Con
• True Dungeon
• The Katering Show
• Download The 100 Most Frequently Asked Questions about Screenwriting
• Three Pages by Salvador Medina
• Three Pages by Laura Bailey
• Three Pages by Tim Plaehn
• Send us your Three Pages
• The Greenland Shark
• The Suicide Molecule
• John August on Twitter
• Craig Mazin on Twitter
• Outro by Matthew Chilelli (send us yours!)

You can download the episode here.