Write Along with David and Cargill

By David Chen

What's Write Along with David and Cargill about?

C. Robert Cargill is a screenwriter, novelist, and former film critic. In this podcast, he's joined by film critic David Chen to discuss his advice from his two decades in the entertainment industry. Find more episodes of the show at writealongpodcast.com and email us at [email protected]

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Write Along with David and Cargill episodes:

04.26.2020
Ep. 60 – False Victory, First Defeat
David and Cargill discuss how to get through Act 2 and the Second Act Slump. Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter...
04.10.2020
Ep. 59 – An entertainer when times are good or a distraction when times are bad
David and Cargill discuss how to keep on keeping’ on when external factors torpedo something you’re working on. Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow...
03.27.2020
Ep. 58 – Satirizing the Unsatirizable
David and Cargill discuss what it’s like to try to be creative in the midst of a pandemic, and how it can sometimes be difficult to satirize something as outlandish as real life. Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. Email...
02.14.2020
Ep. 57 – The Ice Floe
Cargill and David discuss tips for getting a career writing about film. Follow David on Letterboxd Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on...
02.01.2020
Ep. 56 – If You Want To Make a Trilogy, You Probably Shouldn’t
Cargill and David discuss whether or not you should make a trilogy of films and whether paid editors are scams. Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at...
01.14.2020
Ep. 55 – Cargill’s Four Favorite Films of 2019
Cargill and David discuss Cargill’s four favorite films of 2019. Listen to David’s top 10 films of 2019 Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow...
12.15.2019
Ep. 54 – Bangin’ on the door waiting for someone to let you in
Cargill and David discuss what the literary equivalent is of “make your own movie” and the pleasures and pains of the vanity press. Listen to our previous episode about this topic here. Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. Email us...
12.06.2019
Ep. 53 – You’d think there’d be a better communication system
Cargill and David discuss what happens when you work on a project that ends up getting made by someone else. Cargill’s tweet about Netflix’s Locke and Key Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show...
11.23.2019
Ep 52 – It’s struggling and it’s pain and it’s failure
Cargill and David discuss Christopher McQuarrie’s recent advice on whether or not you should try to “win the lottery” by submitting your script to a studio. McQuarrie has since taken down the Twitter thread but many reproductions exist online, including...
11.09.2019
Ep. 51 – A brief history of The Black List (GUEST: Franklin Leonard)
Franklin Leonard joins the Write Along podcast to discuss the history of The Black List and share tips for screenwriters looking to host their screenplays on The Black List website. Follow Franklin Leonard on Twitter Learn more about The Black...
11.03.2019
Ep. 50 – One and a half cubes (GUEST: Vincenzo Natali)
David is joined by writer/director Vincenzo Natali (director of Cube, Splice, Westworld, Hannibal) to discuss tips for making a low-budget high-concept film. Be sure to check out Vincenzo’s newest film, In the Tall Grass, on Netflix. Cargill will be back for a regular...
10.26.2019
Ep. 49 – How does this play out?
David and Cargill discuss their preferred PDF readers and give advice to a writer struggling to make his characters more interesting. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. ind more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter...
10.19.2019
Ep. 48 – A Private Movie Podcast
David and Cargill discuss how to encourage young writers and how to consume media about a genre you’re writing in. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. ind more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod....
10.04.2019
Ep. 47 – What you want to avoid is the awkward English goodbye
David and Cargill share more tips on when best to begin and end scenes. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. ind more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod. Follow Cargill on Twitter @massawyrm. Follow...
09.28.2019
Ep. 46 – Everyone has one good story in them
David and Cargill discuss what happens when you set unrealistic goals and the value of not giving up. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. ind more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod. Follow Cargill...
09.20.2019
Ep. 45 – Music that sounds suspiciously like the music from ‘Drive’
David and Cargill discuss if/when to get permission for copyrighted content in your work. (Note: we aren’t legal experts and you should always speak to a lawyer if you have any questions) Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. ind...
09.13.2019
Ep. 44 – Always deliver on your idea
David and Cargill discuss how to approach short stories, and share their favorites. Short stories mentioned: The Labyrinth by Jorge Luis Borges “Repent, Harlequin!” Said the Ticktockman by Harlan Ellison The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Email us with your questions/thoughts...
09.07.2019
Ep. 43 – Give them a dog
David and Cargill discuss how to make a character likable and touch upon the difference between tropes and cliches. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. ind more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod. Follow...
08.23.2019
Ep. 42 – The Pauper Principle
David and Cargill talk the Pauper Principle and how it can be used to create a connection between your audience and a character in your story. See Cargill’s tweet that spawned this episode. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. ind...
08.16.2019
Ep. 41 – Old wisdom, shared perfectly
David and Cargill talk about why voiceover generally isn’t a good idea for horror films, and why your film or story doesn’t need to have revolutionary new ideas to share with the world to be great. See Cargill’s tweet that spawned...
08.09.2019
Ep. 40 – They’re fine with it
David and Cargill talk about how to approach a screenplay when your villain is the protagonist. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. ind more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod. Follow Cargill on Twitter...
08.03.2019
Ep. 39 – Bury it in conflict
David and Cargill talk about the best way to do “info-dumps.” Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. ind more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod. Follow Cargill on Twitter @massawyrm. Follow David on Twitter...
07.26.2019
Ep. 38 – When your PB&PL stand fails
David and Cargill discuss the importance of writing for an audience and why artistic narcissism is one of the biggest sins a writer can commit. Check out Cargill’s tweets spawning this conversation here and here. Email us with your questions/thoughts...
07.19.2019
Ep. 37 – The struggle, not the reward
David and Cargill discuss why many faith-based/Evangelical films aren’t any good, and what makes a good Christian film. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. ind more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod. Follow Cargill...
07.13.2019
Ep. 36 – Stay for the romance
David and Cargill discuss how to pace scenes and how to get in and out of them. Later, they chat about Danny Boyle’s new film Yesterday and what we can learn about paying off premises. Read Cargill’s tweet that prompted this discussion....
07.06.2019
Ep. 35 – Days of rest
David and Cargill discuss why mental health should be the number one priority of all writers, and why Cargill lives nocturnally. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. ind more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter...
06.29.2019
Ep. 34 – The sin of Moses
David and Cargill discuss the rules you can’t break in Hollywood scripts, and when it might be acceptable to try. Here’s Cargill’s tweet that prompted this episode. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. ind more episodes of this show...
06.22.2019
Ep. 33 – The moral of the story
David and Cargill respond to an email about how to write when you feel like you have nothing to say. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod....
06.15.2019
Ep. 32 – There is a car chase
David and Cargill discuss how to write fights and action scenes. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod. Download or play below:
06.08.2019
Ep. 31 – An Unlikable Protagonist
David and Cargill discuss the characteristics of an unlikable protagonist, and why/how it’s different than an anti-hero. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod. Download or play...
05.24.2019
Ep. 30 – Don’t be a Method Writer
David and Cargill discuss how to balance competing tones in a single work. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod. Download or play below:
05.17.2019
Ep. 29 – There is no expiration date on writers
Cargill and David talk about what it means to fail and how to keep going despite failure. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod. Download or play...
05.10.2019
Ep. 28 – How a writing partnership is like a marriage
Cargill shares tips for how to approach a writing partnership. To learn more about the Gottmans’ principles, go to https://www.gottman.com/. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod....
05.03.2019
Ep. 27 – The pitch
Cargill shares tips for how to pitch your movie to a producer. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod. Download or play below:
04.26.2019
Ep. 26 – The room where it happens
Pitching your film in a room with a producer can be a challenging prospect. But how do you even get to the point where you can even deliver a pitch? In this episode, Cargill and David discuss some possible paths...
04.20.2019
Ep. 25 – The importance of being social
Cargill and David discuss how being more social and gregarious can benefit your creative career. Here’s Cargill’s tweet, where writers can follow each other. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow...
04.12.2019
Ep. 24 – How did they get here
Cargill and David discuss tips for getting out of the Second Act Slump. Check out Cargill’s initial tweet on this topic here. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on...
04.05.2019
Ep. 23 – Truth over facts
Cargill and David discuss some of the things to consider when you’re adapting the story of a real-life person. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod. Download...
03.29.2019
Ep. 22 – Something scary every 10 pages
Cargill and David give some tips for writing a horror film. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod. Download or play below:
03.22.2019
Ep. 21 – Cut out all the bad parts
Cargill and David discuss some approaches to writing naturalistic dialogue. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod. Download or play below:
03.15.2019
Ep. 20 – The only two times you should abandon a story
Cargill and David discuss the importance of networking at festivals, and when you should consider abandoning a story. Read up on why I will not read your script. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this...
03.09.2019
Ep. 19 – What they really want is to feel
Cargill and David respond to several of your emails, including tips on screenwriting software, when/how to use physical descriptions, as well as what makes a great ending. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show...
03.02.2019
Ep. 18 – A bad play where the heroes are right
Cargill and David discuss the importance of having an easily remembered pen name, and dive into the four major components of character. You can read more about these components in the writings of K.M. Weiland. Can you structure characters? The...
02.19.2019
Ep. 17 – A roadmap to art
Cargill and David discuss things to avoid when handing out scripts, and whether you can use words like “Camera” or “We see.” See the following tweets referenced in today’s episode: Jim Bond’s original tweet Rian Johnson’s response James Mangold’s response...
02.16.2019
Ep. 16 – Option Value
Cargill and David discuss if/when/how you should option another piece of work that you’re interested in adapting. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod. Download this episode...
02.09.2019
Ep. 15 – The three dimensions of characters
Cargill and David discuss the difference between 1D, 2D, and 3D characters. Check out Cargill’s tweet on the subject. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod. Download...
02.01.2019
Ep. 14 – The premise is the special effect
Cargill and David discuss some tips for how to make a low-budget movie that all takes place in one location. Check out the Smithsonian Magazine article where Teller shares his secrets. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more...
01.26.2019
Ep. 13 – Share joy
Cargill and David discuss when something is considered plagiarism. Also Cargill shares the story of an inspirational friend. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod. Download this...
01.18.2019
Ep. 12 – Make the most interesting choice
Cargill and David discuss how to make internal conflicts interesting, and how the audience perceives it when that doesn’t happen. Email us with your questions/thoughts at [email protected]. Find more episodes of this show at writealongpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter @writealongpod....
01.11.2019
Ep. 11 – Write your pain
Cargill and David discuss their top 10 films of 2018, and Cargill dives into how Bodied is a great example of translating painful experiences into art. Watch David’s top 10 films of 2018 on YouTube Watch the music video for...

What's Write Along with David and Cargill about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Write Along with David and Cargill episodes:

Ep. 60 – False Victory, First Defeat

Ep. 59 – An entertainer when times are good or a distraction when times are bad

Ep. 58 – Satirizing the Unsatirizable

Ep. 57 – The Ice Floe

Ep. 56 – If You Want To Make a Trilogy, You Probably Shouldn’t

Ep. 55 – Cargill’s Four Favorite Films of 2019

Ep. 54 – Bangin’ on the door waiting for someone to let you in

Ep. 53 – You’d think there’d be a better communication system

Ep 52 – It’s struggling and it’s pain and it’s failure

Ep. 51 – A brief history of The Black List (GUEST: Franklin Leonard)

Ep. 50 – One and a half cubes (GUEST: Vincenzo Natali)

Ep. 49 – How does this play out?

Ep. 48 – A Private Movie Podcast

Ep. 47 – What you want to avoid is the awkward English goodbye

Ep. 46 – Everyone has one good story in them

Ep. 45 – Music that sounds suspiciously like the music from ‘Drive’

Ep. 44 – Always deliver on your idea

Ep. 43 – Give them a dog

Ep. 42 – The Pauper Principle

Ep. 41 – Old wisdom, shared perfectly

Ep. 40 – They’re fine with it

Ep. 39 – Bury it in conflict

Ep. 38 – When your PB&PL stand fails

Ep. 37 – The struggle, not the reward

Ep. 36 – Stay for the romance

Ep. 35 – Days of rest

Ep. 34 – The sin of Moses

Ep. 33 – The moral of the story

Ep. 32 – There is a car chase

Ep. 31 – An Unlikable Protagonist

Ep. 30 – Don’t be a Method Writer

Ep. 29 – There is no expiration date on writers

Ep. 28 – How a writing partnership is like a marriage

Ep. 27 – The pitch

Ep. 26 – The room where it happens

Ep. 25 – The importance of being social

Ep. 24 – How did they get here

Ep. 23 – Truth over facts

Ep. 22 – Something scary every 10 pages

Ep. 21 – Cut out all the bad parts

Ep. 20 – The only two times you should abandon a story

Ep. 19 – What they really want is to feel

Ep. 18 – A bad play where the heroes are right

Ep. 17 – A roadmap to art

Ep. 16 – Option Value

Ep. 15 – The three dimensions of characters

Ep. 14 – The premise is the special effect

Ep. 13 – Share joy

Ep. 12 – Make the most interesting choice

Ep. 11 – Write your pain

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