Scriptnotes Podcast

John and Craig take a look at ‘writer fingerprints.’ They break down how idiosyncratic choices make up an individual’s style on-the-page and offer advice on how to mimic someone else’s voice. Follow up includes pet rock, a defense of script consultants, the preface page in Tár, and the anti-“actually” mindset. In our bonus segment for premium members, we offer advice to a producer who needs help w...

Taffy Brodesser-Akner joins us to discuss her journey adapting her bestselling novel “Fleishman Is in Trouble” into an acclaimed limited series. We chat about drawing inspiration from the familiar, learning how manage others, and presenting multiple sides to a story. We also answer listener questions about naming characters, decorative dialogue, and the renaissance of the television half-hour. In...

John and Craig invite writer/director Sarah Polley to discuss her critically acclaimed feature “Women Talking.” They cover twice-removed adaptations, crafting fable-like settings, protecting your audience, and the power of narration. We also look at “Run Towards the Danger” — the title of Sarah’s book as well as her personal philosophy. We answer a listener question on development and Sarah...

John and Craig dissect expertise and “why you should think twice or thrice before taking someone’s advice.” They look at how survivorship bias, pride, and luck should factor into how we judge sources of authority. We answer listener questions on raising kids in LA, writers for videogames, and Megana asks about creative-comedowns. In our bonus segment for premium members, we discuss natural disaste...

John and Craig (and Aline!) discuss the elements of quality writing in this collection of craft conversations. As we work on the Scriptnotes book, producer Megana Rao has been collecting wisdom from the archives to write an introductory chapter to define good writing. In these segments we cover how to find your voice, spot confidence on the page, and actively watch films. In our bonus segment for...

In this How Would This Be a Movie case study, John interviews screenwriter William Nicholson (Les Misérables, Gladiator) on the challenges he faced with his script for Thirteen Lives, a film that follows the attempted rescue of a Thai soccer team trapped in a cave in 2018. They cover issues of life rights, competing projects, narrative point of view and cultural sensitivity. Before that, John and...

The original post for this episode can be found here . John August: Hello and welcome. My name is John August. Craig Mazin: Craig Mazin is my name. John: This is Episode 574 of Scriptnotes. It’s a podcast about screenwriting and things that are interesting to screenwriters. Today on the show, what do you do when you just can’t crack a scene? We’ll discuss why some scenes are hard...

John and Craig welcome back writer/director Rian Johnson (Glass Onion, Knives Out, Star Wars: The Last Jedi) to discuss the difference between developing a mystery vs. designing a story. Rian shares how his writing process begins with structure and how the needs of the story inform the tone of his films. We then test ChatGPT, the AI chatbot that’s been thrilling and terrifying screenwriters, to as...

John welcomes writer/producers Al Gough and Miles Millar (Smallville, Shanghai Noon, Into the Badlands) to discuss their process of discovering new stories within familiar worlds, like in their Addams Family hit series Wednesday. We discuss casting actors, shooting overseas, and the difference between writers’ block and story block. We also answer listener questions on one-pagers and whether aspir...

John and Craig welcome Daniels, writing-directing duo Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (Swiss Army Man, Everything Everywhere All at Once) to discuss making big, ambitious movies. The filmmakers share their process of chasing challenging ideas and the importance of novelty seeking. We also talk about having faith in your future self, bravery, the narrative structure of pop songs, and idea generation...

John and Craig get crafty! They examine how sentence structure and word choice translate to camera direction, allowing writers to direct the reader’s eye. They offer advice on how to think about the visual and aural idea behind each noun and verb, and why the screenwriter’s task is unique. We also discuss Disney’s leadership changes, follow up on Craig’s outline process, and answer listener questi...

John welcomes writer/performer Matt Rogers (Fire Island, Las Culturistas) for a new installment of How Would This Be A Movie. From crypto crashes to lotto longshots, this week they look at money-themed stories in the news and why they’re worth adapting. Matt shares his background getting started as a comedy writer and tips for non-icky networking. We also answer listener questions on neglectful ag...

John and Craig investigate why some scenes are so much harder to write than others, with strategies for tackling (or surrendering) to the difficulty. We also follow up on virtual rooms, act breaks, and diversity workshops. Listener questions this week include introducing twists, getting elbowed out of your project, and whether it’s possible to be too meta? In our bonus segment for premium members,...

John invites NBC Executive Marc Velez, SVP, Head of Development at UCP, on for an in-person round of the Three Page Challenge, our segment where we look at listener-submitted pages and offer honest feedback, at the Austin Film Festival. We’re joined live the writers who add context and pitch their vision for each project. From near-future sci-fi to a familiar Hollywood horror story, John and Marc...

John and Craig return to the Austin Film Festival for a raucous show with a full house. They invite Brenda Hsueh (The Afterparty, How I Met Your Mother) and Chuck Hayward (Ted Lasso, Wandavision) on to discuss breaking in, staff-able samples, and the dangers of losing your voice (literally!) in the room. Then we welcome back Alec Berg (Barry, Silicon Valley) and Phil Hay (Mysterious Benedict Socie...

In our first live show since 2019, John and Craig welcome guests Joel Kim Booster (Fire Island), Ike Barinholtz (History of the World, part 2), Megan Ganz (Mythic Quest), and Aline Brosh McKenna (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend). They discuss writing scripted comedy vs. standup, representation, and the difficulties of being the boss. They’re joined by The Manager We Told You to Fire, who has some choice words...

John and Craig take an in-depth look at two scenes in Damien Chazelle’s WHIPLASH to see how conflicts were structured and what changed from script to shooting. We also discuss the myth vs. reality of Zola, and what we mean by a character having agency. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Megana discuss the seemingly sudden rise of artificial intelligence tools in creative industries...

John and Craig welcome back Liz Alper (Day of the Dead, The Rookie) and Brittani Nichols (Abbott Elementary, A Black Lady Sketch Show) to discuss how much progress has been made on issues from #MeToo, #PayUpHollywood, and depictions of police on screen. We look at common threads between the movements, and the difficulty of maintaining momentum once the initial impetus has passed. We also answer li...

John and Craig compare the romanticism and reality of writing. They discuss why inspiration is overvalued, why ‘bad motivations’ aren’t necessarily bad, and the rare bliss that occurs when inspiration and motivation align. We answer listener questions on act breaks, cover the phenomenon of show-runners as promotional vehicles, and John attempts to manifest a Van Halen movie. And in our bonus...

The original post for this episode can be found here . John August: Hello and welcome. My name is John August, and this is Episode 566 of Scriptnotes, a podcast about screenwriting and things that are interesting to screenwriters. Today on the show we have the incredible Ashley Nicole Black filling in for Craig. She’s a writer, an actor, a producer, a dog mom. She’s everything you could hope to ev...

John and Craig analyze what lessons writers can learn from acting techniques (such as staying present) and working with actors (like staying open). We also discuss writer retirement, how Craig’s “central dramatic argument” applies to TV, and the skill of cutting a character to save a scene. In our bonus segment for premium members, we discuss The Future and what we owe it. Links: Writer Emergency...

The original post for this episode can be found here . John August: Hello and welcome. My name is John August. Craig Mazin: My name is Craig Mazin. John: This is Episode 565 of Scriptnotes, a podcast about screenwriting and things that are interesting to screenwriters. Today on the show, it’s another round of the Three Page Challenge. Craig: Yay. John: In which we look at scenes sent in by o...

John and Craig discuss movie and television stars. When do you want to cast a huge star, and when is it not a good idea? From big names in small parts to new names in big parts, they try to calculate how much fame a role requires. We follow up on the editing process and share advice on staying nimble. We also answer listener questions on recorded pitches, writing left behind, and time management w...

John invites writer/producer/actor Ashley Nicole Black (Ted Lasso, Black Lady Sketch Show) to discuss fandoms, cultural appropriation and boycotts over abortion access. They also answer simpler listener questions: What do TV producer titles really mean? When should you attach a showrunner? And what happens when you disagree with your manager? In our bonus segment for premium members, they talk par...

John and Craig host a round of the Three Page Challenge, a segment where they offer feedback on listeners’ scripts. This week they discuss the whiplash of cutting too quickly, captivating title pages, and V.O. narration that actually works. We also cover the return of MoviePass, 25 years of Netflix, and AI generated language. In our bonus segment for premium members, we discuss senior year. Links:...