The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna

TSL-ers are going to be meeting at Disney tomorrow. That's Wednesday, May 24th at 1:00 PM Pacific. Again, Wednesday, May 24th at 1:00 PM Pacific at the Disney lot in Burbank. We're hoping for a big turnout. And in that interest, there's a couple things you can do to help when you show up.

First of all, if you're able to, it would be amazing if you could bring some snacks and water to share with folks.

You can bring those to check in at the front gate. Meg, Lorien and I will be in the grassy area nearby with TSL stickers to hand out. But we won't be there long because the Guild wants us to keep moving. Start walking, and you'll find us. We're gonna walk the entire block around the lot going counterclockwise toward the hospital.

So if you want to find us, you can walk the other way toward the bus stop. And you'll cross paths with us on the way. Say hi, get a sticker and meet other TSLs. Remember, you should definitely wear sunscreen and a hat or sunglasses because it could be hot. And again, if you wanna bring your own water and snacks, that would be incredibly helpful.

As a reminder, you don't need to be in the WGA to picket. We appreciate solidarity in all forms. So whether or not you're in the guild, we'd love to see you there. And in the meantime, keep writing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's a scary and unprecedented time for our industry, but we're immensely proud of our guild's fight for the basic dignities of its members: writers. As negotiating committee members, our guests Michele Mulroney and David A. Goodman have been on the front lines of this historic strike and are here to help us understand exactly what writers are fighting for, why the stakes are higher than ever, and what you can do, wherever you are, to help support the cause.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Curits Gwinn has worked on some of the most acclaimed shows of the 2010s including The Walking Dead, The Leftovers, and Stranger Things, but he's the first to admit that each room has been a valuable learning experience, even for a writer as seasoned as he is. In this candid conversation, Curtis opens up about the lessons he learned across multiple writers rooms, how to stay spiritually grounded in such a rocky business, and why a 1984 Halloween Costume helped secure his spot on Stranger Things. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Charlie got to post-production of his feature writer/director debut, he was crushed to discover that the film simply didn't work. At that point, he was faced with two choices: ditch the movie and move on, or dig in, dive into his lava, and head back to set for reshoots. He chose the latter, and his new film FOOL'S PARADISE, drops in theaters next week! On today's show we also talk about the genesis of Always Sunny, Charlie's comic voice, "pushing" your tone on the page, and how to write "unlikeable" characters.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did Kelly Fremon Craig manage to convince Judy Blume to let her adapt Are You There God, It's Me Margaret? Tune in to find out!

We're thrilled to be joined by award-winning writer/director Kelly Fremon Craig. She's the award-winning writer and director of two feature films: The Edge Of Seventeen starring Hailey Steinfeld, and Are You There God, It's Me Margaret, which will be released in theaters tomorrow. Kelly's work is celebrated for its unflinching depictions of teenage girlhood, which The New York Times calls "smart and achingly bittersweet." Hi Kelly!

JOIN OUR PATREON: www.patreon.com/thescreenwritinglife

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

However you feel about Starz' award-winning show BLINDSPOTTING, one thing is for sure, you've never seen anything like it. Today's guest, showrunner Rafael Casal, likes it that way: confronting his audiences with genre-breaking, even medium-breaking decisions in the production. For Rafael, as long as the writing remains deeply committed to truth and honesty, the writer is entitled to "break the rules. "

Rafael Casal is a poet, rapper, actor, filmmaker, and showrunner who is best known for Blindspotting: a feature-film-turned-TV-show that he co-created with his longtime creative partner Daveed Diggs. Casal's work explores the complicated social dynamics of urban life in the 21st century, particularly in Oakland, where he grew up. 

JOIN OUR PATREON: www.patreon.com/thescreenwritinglife

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jump behind the scenes with us to experience the highs and lows of producing one of Pixar's most celebrated and subversive films: Turning Red from the minds of Domee Shi and Julia Cho, who wrote it.

Domee Shi began as a story intern at Pixar Animation Studios in June 2011, and was soon hired as a story artist on the Academy Award-winning feature film INSIDE OUT. In 2015 she began pitching ideas for short films, and soon was green lit to write and direct BAO which won the Academy Award® for Best Animated Short Film. Shi most recently made her feature film directorial debut on TURNING RED which was also Oscar-nominated. Her TURNING RED co-writer Julia Cho began her career in the New York Theater scene, writing a number of celebrated plays which scored her the Windham-Campbell Literary Prize in 2020 celebrating her body of her work. Her work as a playwright earned her spots in a number of prestigious writers' rooms including BIG LOVE, HALT AND CATCH FIRE, and PAPER GIRLS, which she co-executive produced.

JOIN OUR PATREON: www.patreon.com/thescreenwritinglife

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Domee Shi began as a story intern at Pixar Animation Studios in June 2011, and was soon hired as a story artist on the Academy Award-winning feature film INSIDE OUT. In 2015 she began pitching ideas for short films, and soon was green lit to write and direct BAO which won the Academy Award® for Best Animated Short Film. Shi most recently made her feature film directorial debut on TURNING RED which was also Oscar-nominated. Her TURNING RED co-writer Julia Cho began her career in the New York Theater scene, writing a number of celebrated plays which scored her the Windham-Campbell Literary Prize in 2020 celebrating her body of her work. Her work as a playwright earned her spots in a number of prestigious writers' rooms including BIG LOVE, HALT AND CATCH FIRE, and PAPER GIRLS, which she co-executive produced.

JOIN OUR PATREON: www.patreon.com/thescreenwritinglife

Jane Anderson is an award-winning writer of plays, television, and movies, with over three decades of produced material, some of which she herself directed. Jane's work is known for its rich and complicated depictions of female life, with films like THE WIFE, which was Oscar-nominated, and shows like OLIVE KITTERIDGE, which won multiple Emmys, including two for Jane. 

ANNE LAMOTT EPISODE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/33-anne-lamott-make-your-writing-fears-work-for-you/id1501641442?i=1000510993110

JOIN OUR PATREON: www.patreon.com/thescreenwritinglife

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John Lee Hancock is an award-winning writer/director whose extensive career includes writing and directing The Blind Side, directing Saving Mr. Banks, and most recently writing and directing Mr. Harrigan's Phone for Netflix. Across nearly three decades of his career, John has worked as a producer, writer, and director in multiple genres including stirring sports biopics, high concept genre movies, and even teen horror. On today's show, we discuss the beginning of his career, adaptation, and directing/writing with kindness. 

JOIN OUR PATREON: www.patreon.com/thescreenwritinglife

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.