Write On: A Screenwriting Podcast

Naked Singularity, based on the novel by Sergio De La Pava, is about an idealistic young New York City public defender burned out by the system who decides to rob a multi-million drug deal of one of his clients.   Chase talks to Write On about adapting the novel for the screen. "The unifying voice of the film, I hope, comes from the book, which is the reason I wanted to do this. The author, Sergio De La Pava, is a public defender of 20 years; his wife, Susanna, is a public defender of 20 years, and he wrote this book that is a very well observed, funny, absurdist, kind of outraged novel that juggles in all of these different genres, but there's something very specific about his voice. It was like a new way into a discussion about social justice, and it was sort of a new way into seeing a story about a young public defender."   Chase goes on to discuss the challenges of adapting: "With [adapting] a book, the first thing is 'What's the spirit of the book?' and trying to really get into your head, like what do you love about it? And what's the spirit of it, before even getting into the nuts and bolts of what characters are you going to cut and consolidate and plot points? It's just sort of understanding what you're writing from the book or what are you extracting tonally from it."   Don’t forget to subscribe to the Write On Podcast on iTunes!   Now available on Google Podcasts!  

Mira won Final Draft’s Big Break Screenwriting Contest in 2020 for her TV Pilot Beirut. She talks to Write On about what it takes to win a screenwriting contest: "I personally suffer from perfectionism, but the most important thing is to get [your script] done, get it to a place so you can actually submit it on time. What also helps is getting lots of feedback. That's one of my favorite parts of the process of writing, is sharing it with other people, getting their opinions, and having them help me punch it up."   Mira goes on to talk about her role as a Script Coordinator on the show Lucifer, and how being support staff led to her first on-screen story credit. "Being in support staff positions has been such a learning curve for me. I wouldn't be the writer I am today without all that experience, without being invited to sit in the room and listen, being invited to pitch, getting opportunities to write outlines and write story documents.”   Don’t forget to subscribe to the Write On Podcast on iTunes!     Now available on Google Podcasts!  

‘Nine Days’ is the story of a reclusive man who conducts a series of interviews with human souls for a chance to be born. Edson Oda talks to Write On about the challenges of being a Writer-Director: "You have to think with different hats. An instructor at Sundance just told me you wear two hats: one hat while you're writing, and then when you're directing, another hat, another color… and not think of that piece as something you wrote, but as something that's there, and now you can change whatever you want."    Edson goes on to discuss how it is important to love the process of creating: "Do it not because of the result, but more because you love doing it. Write a story as only you can write… if you could just make one movie, and nothing else, what movie would you make? And don't care about what people say, just do it."   Don’t forget to subscribe to the Write On Podcast on iTunes!    Now available on Google Podcasts!  

Gary Goldstein is known for producing such hits as Pretty Woman, Under Siege and The Mothman Prophecies. He is also known as the author of the book Conquering Hollywood: The Screenwriter's Blueprint for Career Success. Gary talks to Write On about coaching writers, collaborating, and what makes a great story: "I just want something that is, all at once, a journey that's really going to, on some deeper level, be very satisfying to an audience because ultimately, we're all in the service of that - not money, not the distributor, we're in the service of being the storytellers for our culture, so I want something that comes from a place of such depth and truth and authenticity that no one else could have written it."   Gary goes on to give advice on the writing life and the importance of nurturing your own talent: "Believe in yourself. Give yourself the gift of self-belief. Don't care what others think, don't play by the rules - do what your gut tells you is true for you.”   Don’t forget to subscribe to the Write On Podcast on iTunes!     Now available on Google Podcasts!  

Carole talks to Write On about how to prepare for submission to a fellowship or mentorship, and how to use what she calls the “Four Pillars of Success” to your advantage.   "Throughout my career, I've been really fortunate to work with some very successful people, and I was always curious about what separated the successful people from the people that gave up and went back to Ohio and sold insurance. So I studied the successful people, and I thought, 'What do they have in common?' and I came up with four things, and I call them the Four Pillars of Success."   Carole gives great advice on networking and how to build relationships effectively over time. "People get in their mind this idea that only one person is going to make or break their career, and they've gotta get to that person. You're starting out in the business, you're growing up with a group of people… start these relationships early, and they're going to end up being people who hire you or that you work with, or they recommend you, and as everybody moves up, they bring each other up."   Don’t forget to subscribe to the Write On Podcast on iTunes!   Now available on Google Podcasts!  

Joshua talks to Write On about being a writer on the original iconic series and how it has been updated to reflect current times. "We are looking at how social media has changed the landscape of who we say we are and how we put ourselves out in the world, and so a new Gossip Girl rises, much like Game of Thrones… and targets a new crop of young students at the Constance Billard school."   Joshua discusses how he runs a writers room and the creative benefits of being in that environment. "I always tells writers, 'Get in a writer's room…' Be a part of someone else's creation; that's how you learn. I learned so much. I thought I knew everything, but I learned so much."   Don’t forget to subscribe to the Write On Podcast on iTunes!    Now available on Google Podcasts! 

Eric talks delving into the history of the elusive Black Widow: "We approached it with the lens of 'This is a Natasha Romanoff story.' I wanted to see what it's really like inside the most mysterious Avenger - the Avenger that intentionally closes herself off from people socially and emotionally. What's the best way to bring that out of her - the part of her emotion and her heart that she can't really control the way she controls everything else?"   On coming on board after two writers have already worked on the script, Eric explains: "You just kind of have to go in and give your honest opinion. You're the custodian of the script; you're the one in charge of that document, and you're the one who has to make sure that we're being true to our characters and our story and that everything kind of makes linear sense and that what our characters are doing makes sense to their characters."   Don’t forget to subscribe to the Write On Podcast on iTunes!    Now available on Google Podcasts! 

Thomas is Director of Development for Los Angeles-based production company Branded Pictures Entertainment and talks to Write On’s Phil Galasso about what the company looks for in a screenplay. "I think the [scripts] that really stand out are when something is sort of attacked in a very different way in a singular voice. That's something that you can't mimic or copy. Everyone has their sort of unique take and perspective on how to tell the story."   Thomas talks about his approach to producing and the importance of supporting your creative team. “You always want to make sure, as a good producer, that at any stage in the process, you're supporting your creative team's vision. That there's a shared and collective vision, whether you came up with the idea or the writer did, or a director-writer did."   Don’t forget to subscribe to the Write On Podcast on iTunes!     Now available on Google Podcasts!  

Navot talks writing the explosive female-driven action-thriller starring Karen Gillan and Carla Gugino: "When you strip down this [assassin] genre… it's got this rich history of this hitman following this code and laws of the underworld… but, like in all of these movies, there's always someone innocent introduced into this equation that puts our hero into a dilemma: do I keep the code, or do I go with my heart?"   Navot talks about his process with his writing partner Ehud Lavski and how a screenplay is never a fixed object. "A script is a living thing, and you have to be aware of it every step of the way… the worst thing you can do is be fixated on something, and I have to compliment my writing partner [Ehud Lavski], who is always on his toes, always thinking, and once I have an idea, we just jump at it."   Don’t forget to subscribe to the Write On Podcast on iTunes!  

The famed Bill & Ted writer talks working with director Steven Soderbergh on the HBO Max crime thriller No Sudden Move: "I was asking Steven [Soderbergh] what style of film I should watch, because a lot of times when he and I work together on stuff, he'll say, 'Watch these six movies,' and I always love that because then you get into a kind of mindset."    Ed goes on to discuss his lengthy, varied career, and how he stays inspired. "The only way to stay writing, I think, is a combination of reinvention but, like, real reinvention. How do you reinvent yourself in a way that keeps you in your wheelhouse but just outside your comfort zone so you're… constantly pushing in ways that, mostly, you can succeed in?"   Don’t forget to subscribe to the Write On Podcast on iTunes!