On The Page

How do you write a character over 50? By writing them as a superhero. From their secret lair to their Kryptonite, Pilar gives a tip-packed lesson in writing mature characters.

From working in development for Ivan Reitman to writing short stories and making the  Love List with her feature film, Victoria Male has done it all. Here she shares a wealth of information including her unique take on IP and the secret skills that come with being a "fan girl." 

Director Elliott Lester returns to talk about how a gender swap and involvement by Peter Dinklage brought him to his latest project,  The Thicket . 

Career coach Lee Jessup discusses Hollywood's current "contraction" and suggests that it might ultimately result in a positive outcome.

Writer/Director Tracie Laymon turned a painful truth into an award-winning independent feature. Hear how she conceived, wrote, directed and produced  Bob Trevino Likes It , earning the jury prize for Best Narrative Feature and the Audience Award at the 2024  South by Southwest   Film Festival . 

Writer James "Doc" Mason digs into the elements of the logline as discussed in his book,  Mastering the Logline: How To Excite Hollywood in a Single Sentence.

From getting stuck in a Zoom room to working in hospice, everything that writer Lauren Glover ( Chicago Med, Fight Night ) thought was an obstacle, came full circle to help her in her writing career. 

Barbara Stepansky, writer/producer on  Outlander  and head writer on  Woman of the Dead , talks about how the rules of the shows she writes on present creative challenges that make her job even more interesting.

Writer/Director Marie-Emmanuelle Hartness comes from a personal place in her work and asks the same of her students at Emerson College. 

Writer and "good witch," Glenda L. Richardson describes her process for capturing voices and crafting stories for celebrities such as Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish and Taraji P. Henson.

Entertainment attorney and composer Corey Field sees his work as helping writers and creators achieve their dreams. Here he explains the difference between sales, options and work-for-hire and discusses potential gains and traps along the way. 

Writer Delondra Mesa ( American Rust, Pretty Little Liars) talks about her approach to discovering story and creating content even as the industry experiences "The Great Contraction." 

Director Dans Karagannis and Writer Liz Renner discuss their journey meeting in an  On the Page  class and joining together to make their short film  Damned If You Do, currently screening in major festivals. 

Writer Suha AL Khalifa  is a senior writer at the Saudi Giant MBC Studios ( Rashash, Devil's Promise ) and also wrote the region's first female super-hero film. She talks about how her experience as a psychotherapist and as a  "cultural hybrid" (Bahrain, UK, and US) has informed her writing and storytelling.

Joe Gold's "Shakespeare Inc." offers sixteen variations of a story. Hear how he wrote it, how "choose your own adventure" storytelling is structured and how this approach can work for video-game and screenwriting.

Emily Harris is not only an award-winning writer-director ( Carmilla ), she also has an amazing "day job" as the Curator of Film at the Victoria & Albert Museum.  

When writer-director GG Hawkins had access to a unique location for a limited amount of time, she "planted a flag and figured out a way to do it,"  writing, producing and directing an indi-feature called  I Really Love My Husband .

Filmmaker/ professor Michele Meek shares her thoughts about changing sexuality in teen films, how rom-coms often rely on a non-consent premise and about her wish that writers put their sex scenes on the page.

From "safety nets" to "act three payoffs," Pilar goes solo to talk about what she's learning while working with writers  Story to Script .

Writer/director Hilari Scarl discusses her latest multi-media work,  Not Another Deaf Story , written and performed with deaf actors on stage and on screen.

Writers Chris Lawing and Alex Grossman have independently made the movies they've written and prepare to makes more! Here they talk about how they've pulled it off and what they've learned along the way.

Actor Joel Stoffer ( Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Stranger Things ) stage-reads scene direction submissions from listeners as they showcase their writing skills! Who will win?

Writer/producer Tracy Grant ( Lincoln Heights, Lace ) tells a personal story filled with highs and lows that led to a number of writing lessons and his confirmation that "you only need one yes."

Did you write a prize-worthy piece of scene direction? Enter it in the  On the Page Scene Direction Contest ! Pilar explains the rules and gives the deadline.

A catch up with writer/comedian Laura House as she talks about the lean years and the ripe years, including running a British show in the middle of Covid and learning to feel "the right amount of proud" about her accomplishments.