Working

This week, host June Thomas talks to Eliot Laurence, creator of the witchy supernatural series Motherland: Fort Salem . In the interview, Eliot discusses Motherland ’s unique premise, its queer characters, and his decision to include tons of storylines and plot details.  After the interview, June and co-host Karen Han discuss supernatural premises, the “kill your gays” trope, and being an introver...

This week, host Isaac Butler talks to Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider, creators and showrunners of the comedy series The Other Two . In the interview, Sarah and Chris talk about what it’s like to run a writer’s room, how to work exposition into TV dialogue, and what they look for in the writers they hire.  After the interview, Isaac and co-host Karen Han discuss how difficult it is to write good e...

For this edition of Working Overtime, hosts Karen Han and Isaac Butler explain how to pitch a story to an editor of a newspaper, magazine, or blog. They discuss the basic components of a good pitch and offer some DOs and DON’Ts about interacting with editors. Do you have a question about creative work? Call us and leave a message at  304-933-9675 , or email us at  working@slate.com . Podcast produ...

This week, host Karen Han talks to foley artist Joanna Fang, who uses everyday objects to create sound effects for movies, TV shows, and video games. In the interview, Joanna explains what a foley artist does and describes some of her tools and techniques. Then she demonstrates how pasta shells can sound like breaking bones and how a wet cloth can be used to make a whole range of (mostly gross) so...

This week, host June Thomas talks to Barbara Wilson, author of multiple mystery novels and co-founder of the feminist publishing house Seal Press, which launched in 1976. In the interview, Barbara starts by discussing her mystery novels and her decision to revive the character Cassandra Reilly. Then she talks about her experience co-founding Seal Press and the challenges that she and her colleague...

On this week’s addition of Working Overtime, hosts June Thomas and Isaac Butler evaluate some writing advice that June received from Slate book critic Laura Miller, who got the idea from the writer Graham Greene. The advice is to write 500 words per day, and once you’re done with that quota, you can do whatever you want. But what happens when your schedule doesn’t allow such a rigid ritual? Is the...

This week, host Isaac Butler talks to music supervisors Bruce Gilbert and Lauren Mikus, whose most recent projects include the Hulu series Only Murders in the Building and the the multidimensional action movie Everything Everywhere All at Once .  After the interview, Isaac and co-host June Thomas talk about music choices in film and TV and discuss whether it’s better to pick well-known hits or mor...

This week, Working producer Cameron Drews talks to Alex Sujong Laughlin, producer of the hit podcast Normal Gossip . In the interview, Alex explains what a producer does and talks about how important it is for producers to have creative input. Then she digs into the process behind Normal Gossip and shares how she and host Kelsey McKinney anonymize the gossip stories and make decisions about which...

On this edition of Working Overtime, hosts Isaac Butler and June Thomas hear from a listener who’s having trouble prioritizing his non-urgent tasks. With the help of some productivity metaphors and strategies, Isaac and June suggest ways to structure unstructured time and to break long-term projects down into bite-sized pieces.  Do you have a question about creative work? Call us and leave a messa...

This week, host June Thomas talks to Jessamyn West, a librarian in rural Vermont who’s working to improve computer literacy and access to library services in her community. In the interview, Jessamyn explains her process for helping people to learn basic computer skills, like building a resume, setting up an online dating profile, or learning how to use a mouse. She also talks about her broader mi...

This week, host Isaac Butler talks to Steph Paynes, founder and guitarist of Lez Zeppelin, an all-female group dedicated to the musical and performative stylings of Led Zeppelin. In the interview Steph explains why she doesn’t consider Lez Zeppelin to be a “tribute band.” Then she describes the challenge of mimicking some aspects of the legendary rock band while still being unique and expressive. ...

On this edition of Working Overtime, hosts June Thomas and Karen Han hear from a listener who can’t decide which creative project to move forward with. First, they discuss how to evaluate a project’s potential for success. Then they imagine what it would be like to choose between projects if money weren’t a factor.  Do you have a question about creative work? Call and leave a message at 304-933-96...

This week, host Karen Han talks to voice actor and performer Erika Ishii, whose very long resume includes video games, animated series, and live action projects. In the interview, Erika explains their process of bringing video game characters to life–characters like Valkyrie in the game Apex Legends . Then Erika discusses diversity among both characters and performers in the gaming industry and th...

This week, host Isaac Butler talks to theater director Awoye Timpo and dramaturg Arminda Thomas. In the interview, Awoye and Arminda start by defining the roles of director and dramaturg and explaining why they work so well together. They also discuss their group CLASSIX , which aims to revive the work of Black playwrights and to “explode” the classical canon. Then Awoye and Arminda talk about the...

On this edition of Working Overtime, hosts Karen Han and June Thomas reply to a listener named Jamey, who thinks it might be time to abandon a novel-writing project. Karen and June first discuss projects they’ve abandoned and share what drove them to that decision. Then they discuss ways to salvage the best parts of a failed project to use on the next one.  Do you have a question about creative wo...

This week, host June Thomas talks to Hannah Kirshner, author of Water, Wood, and Wild Things: Learning Craft and Cultivation in a Japanese Mountain Town . In the interview, Hannah explains how her original plan to write a cookbook turned into an immersive reporting experience, where she practiced and documented multiple artisanal disciplines, like sake brewing and wood turning. She also discusses...

When we think of method acting, we tend to think of actors going a little over the top for a role – like Jared Leto, who allegedly sent his colleagues dead rats when he was preparing to be The Joker, or Robert De Niro refusing to break character on the set of the movie Raging Bull . But that’s not how method acting began. On this episode of Decoder Ring: we look at how “The Method” came to be so w...

This week, host Karen Han talks to Christina Chang, creative director for the animated series We Baby Bears on Cartoon Network. In the interview, Christina explains what a creative director does and describes the common challenges that animators and storyboard artists face. She also discusses her career journey and the challenges of assuming a leadership role.  After the interview, Karen and co-ho...

For this week’s episode of Working Overtime, hosts Isaac Butler and June Thomas answer a question from a physics teacher named Anya, who thinks we should all view teaching as the creative practice that it is. Building a creative atmosphere for students can provide some truly inspired ways of teaching, but it can just as easily wind up going a little overboard…  What did a teacher do that you found...

This week, host June Thomas talks to sisters Natalia and Lauren O’Hara, who work as an author/illustrator team to create children’s books like Hortense and the Shadow and Frindleswylde . In the interview, Natalia and Lauren discuss their collaborative relationship, their early exposure to fairy tales, and misconceptions about gender in children’s book publishing.  After the interview, June and co-...

This week, host Isaac Butler talks to artist and writer Lauren Redniss, whose latest piece of visual nonfiction is Oak Flat: A Fight for Sacred Land in the American West . In the interview, Lauren first explains why she uses both art and text together in her work. Then she shares her reporting process for Oak Flat and describes how she landed on the book’s narrative structure.  After the interview...

For this week’s episode of Working Overtime, host Isaac Butler helps co-host June Thomas adjust to life as a freelancer. With boundless free time comes the need for new routines to maintain creative muscles and stay on task. Then the hosts examine routines more broadly. Can lighting a candle set the perfect writing mood? Can a fresh drink and an hour of solitary reflection summon your muse? Joan D...

This week, host Karen Han talks to artist and designer Dan-ah Kim, whose work includes the picture book The Grandmasters Daughter and multiple graphic design projects for film and television. In the interview, Dan-ah discusses her traditional style of working and explains how she adapted her work to the picture book form. Then she talks about her graphic design work for the HBO series The Gilded A...

This week, host June Thomas talks to Julia Cameron, author of the classic book The Artist's Way and dozens of other books about creativity, including her most recent, Seeking Wisdom: A Spiritual Path to Creative Connection . In the interview, Julia discusses the role of spirituality in creativity and argues that her methods are helpful for believers and atheists alike. Then she digs into the benef...

For this week’s episode of Working Overtime, hosts Isaac Butler and Karen Han answer a question from a listener named Anna, who wants to enliven her nonfiction work. Breaking through creative roadblocks can be challenging, but Isaac and Karen trade tricks, such as diagramming passages of your favorite writing and inventing weird rules to find a voice that fits your work. Have you struggled to find...