As we close out 2025, we’re sharing a special supercut of our 2025 guests answering the Big Questions we ask every writer: What brings you the most joy when it comes to writing? What frustrates you about your writing? What advice would you give your younger self? And, new this year - What’s your proudest career moment to date? An honest and inspiring supercut featuring voices from across film and TV, reflecting on why we write, what makes it hard, and what makes it all worth it. Featured Guests: 00:00:24 - Clint Bentley (Episode 230)00:05:34 - Glen Mazzara (Episode 233)00:10:30 - Kelly Younger (Episode 234)00:15:28 - Liz Feldman (Episode 236)00:18:23 - Malcolm Washington & Virgil Williams (Episode 237)00:23:58 - Will Fetters & Chris Sparling (Episode 238)00:29:10 - Dana Fox (Episode 239)00:31:05 - George Saunders (Episode 240)00:34:38 - Lizzie & Wendy Molyneux (Episode 241)00:42:04 - John Henion (Episode 242)00:44:53 - Carla Banks-Waddles (Episode 245)00:49:28 - Jac Schaeffer (Episode 250)00:52:44 - Joe Forte (Episode 251)00:55:56 - Kim Rosenstock (Episode 252)00:58:32 - Sylvia Batey Alcalá & Mac Smullen (Episode 255)01:04:16 - Courtney Hoffman (Episode 259)01:07:21 - Kaz Firpo (Episode 261)01:09:40 - Eva Victor (Episode 262)01:12:26 - Akiva Goldsman (Episode 264)01:13:52 - Jeff Hiller (Episode 266)01:15:01 - Jenny Han (Episode 270)01:15:22 - Melissa Rosenberg (Episode 271)01:16:47 - Derek Kolstad (Episode 274)01:18:03 - Maggie Lane & Eric Jarboe (Episode 275)01:22:32 - Doug Mand & Dan Gregor (Episode 276)01:28:54 - John August & Craig Mazin (Episode 277) --- Looking for more support on your writing journey? Join Meg and Lorien inside ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TSL Workshops⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠- use code HOLIDAY25 for 50% off your first month. Episode Links: Check out the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TSL merch shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TSL on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Screenwriting Life is produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jonathan Hurwitz⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and edited by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kate Mishkin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thescreenwritinglife@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. --- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John August and Craig Mazin - hosts of the legendary Scriptnotes podcast - join us for a wide-ranging conversation inspired by their new book, Scriptnotes: A Book About Screenwriting and Things That Are Interesting to Screenwriters.  We talk about why rigid structure can miss the point, how theme emerges from character, what fear and denial really look like on the page, and how writers can survive rejection without letting it define them.  A candid, funny, and deeply reassuring conversation for writers at every stage. A special thanks to Scriptnotes producer Drew Marquardt and editor Matthew Chilelli for their support with this episode. --- Looking for more support on your writing journey? Join Meg and Lorien inside ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TSL Workshops⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠- use code HOLIDAY25 for 50% off your first month. Episode Links: Check out the new Scriptnotes book here Scriptnotes Premium John August's website "The Last of Us" on HBO Max Check out the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TSL merch shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TSL on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Screenwriting Life is produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jonathan Hurwitz⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and edited by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kate Mishkin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thescreenwritinglife@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. --- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, THE NAKED GUN writers Doug Mand and Dan Gregor take us inside the making of one of the boldest studio comedies in years. They break down how they approached structure in a spoof film, why emotional arcs matter just as much as jokes, and how committing fully to the stupidest ideas can sometimes be the smartest choice. Doug and Dan talk candidly about fearlessness, rejection, impostor syndrome, and why every movie is a miracle. It’s ultimately a funny, honest, and deeply encouraging conversation about sustaining a creative life in comedy. --- Looking for more support on your writing journey? Join Meg and Lorien inside ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TSL Workshops⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠- use code HOLIDAY25 for 50% off your first month. Episode Links: The Naked Gun (on Paramount+) Check out the ⁠⁠⁠⁠TSL merch shop⁠⁠⁠⁠ TSL on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Screenwriting Life is produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Jonathan Hurwitz⁠⁠⁠⁠ and edited by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Kate Mishkin⁠⁠⁠⁠. Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠thescreenwritinglife@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠. --- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we’re celebrating one of our favorite genres: holiday movies!  Screenwriter Maggie Lane (HOTEL FOR THE HOLIDAYS) and producer Eric Jarboe (FALLING FOR CHRISTMAS, THE PRINCESS SWITCH) join us to pull back the curtain on how Christmas films are conceived, pitched, developed, budgeted, and shot - sometimes in as little as 13 days. We dig into what networks actually want, how to craft a great rom-com holiday premise, what makes a title irresistible, how to build producible scripts, and why collaboration (and quick rewrites!) are everything. It’s a warm, funny, highly practical episode full of insider intel and festive filmmaking stories. --- Looking for more support on your writing journey? Join Meg and Lorien inside ⁠⁠⁠⁠TSL Workshops⁠⁠⁠ ⁠- use code HOLIDAY25 for 50% off your first month. Episode Links: Writing the Romantic Comedy by Billy Mernit JHRTS (Junior Hollywood Radio & Television Society) Film Independent AFI Directing Workshop for Women Hotel for the Holidays (on Prime Video) WGA Minimums Schedule Check out the ⁠⁠⁠TSL merch shop⁠⁠⁠ TSL on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠ The Screenwriting Life is produced by ⁠⁠⁠Jonathan Hurwitz⁠⁠⁠ and edited by ⁠⁠⁠Kate Mishkin⁠⁠⁠. Email us at ⁠⁠⁠thescreenwritinglife@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠. --- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, JOHN WICK creator Derek Kolstad joins us to break down how he crafts character-driven action on the page. Derek shares how he thinks about tone, rhythm, and world-building, why action is an extension of the hero’s journey, and the psychological tricks he uses to survive rewrites. We also dig into his collaborations with actors like Keanu Reeves and Bob Odenkirk, his approach to adapting IP, and the creative habits that keep him excited to write "fade in." --- Looking for more support on your writing journey? Join Meg and Lorien inside ⁠⁠⁠TSL Workshops⁠⁠ ⁠- use code HOLIDAY25 for 50% off your first month. Episode Links: Check out the ⁠⁠TSL merch shop⁠⁠ TSL on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠, ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠ The Screenwriting Life is produced by ⁠⁠Jonathan Hurwitz⁠⁠ and edited by ⁠⁠Kate Mishkin⁠⁠. Email us at ⁠⁠thescreenwritinglife@gmail.com⁠⁠. --- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Part 2 of our conversation with counselor and healer Madaline Blau, we move from understanding imposter syndrome to learning how to work with it in the body. Madaline guides us through grounding practices and shares a powerful 10-minute guided visualization designed to help you return to your truth, your courage, and the deeper steadiness beneath your storytelling. If you haven’t heard Part 1, start there for the full arc of this conversation. Then come back for this beautiful, restorative close to the episode. --- Looking for more support on your writing journey? Join Meg and Lorien inside ⁠⁠TSL Workshops⁠ ⁠- use code HOLIDAY25 for 50% off your first month. Episode Links: Letter to Agnes De Mille from Martha Graham Check out the ⁠TSL merch shop⁠ TSL on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠, and ⁠Bluesky⁠ The Screenwriting Life is produced by ⁠Jonathan Hurwitz⁠ and edited by ⁠Kate Mishkin⁠. Email us at ⁠thescreenwritinglife@gmail.com⁠. --- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Part 1 of our deep dive into imposter syndrome, counselor and healer Madaline Blau helps us understand where creative insecurity really comes from - and why so many writers feel stuck between confidence and collapse. We unpack instinct, how insight shapes character and story, and the early experiences that form our creative identity. This episode ends at a powerful emotional pause, with Part 2 picking up next week as we move into grounding, embodiment, and a guided visualization with Madaline. --- Looking for more support on your writing journey? Join Meg and Lorien inside ⁠TSL Workshops ⁠- your first 5 days are free. Episode Links: Check out the TSL merch shop TSL on Instagram, TikTok, and Bluesky The Screenwriting Life is produced by Jonathan Hurwitz and edited by Kate Mishkin. Email us at thescreenwritinglife@gmail.com. --- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Melissa Rosenberg - creator of JESSICA JONES, head writer of DEXTER, and screenwriter of the TWILIGHT films - joins Lorien to talk about what it takes to stay grounded as a storyteller. From building creative communities to rediscovering her artistic voice after decades in Hollywood, Melissa reflects on the evolving balance between ambition, authenticity, and healing through story. --- Looking for more support on your writing journey? Join Meg and Lorien inside ⁠TSL Workshops ⁠- your first 5 days are free. Episode Links: Bennington College's new MFA in Screenwriting Check out the TSL merch shop TSL on Instagram, TikTok, and Bluesky The Screenwriting Life is produced by Jonathan Hurwitz and edited by Kate Mishkin. Email us at thescreenwritinglife@gmail.com. --- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jenny Han - creator, showrunner, and bestselling author of THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY - joins Lorien to talk about the art of writing love, longing, and growing up. From balancing fandom expectations to crafting authentic emotion, Jenny shares how she translates deeply personal themes to the screen, keeps romantic tension alive over multiple seasons, and why writing about first love never gets old. Whether you’re Team Conrad or Team Jeremiah, this one’s for you.  --- Looking for more support on your writing journey? Join Meg and Lorien inside ⁠TSL Workshops ⁠- your first 5 days are free. Episode Links: Jenny Han's website "The Summer I Turned Pretty" on Amazon Prime Check out the TSL merch shop TSL on Instagram, TikTok, and Bluesky The Screenwriting Life is produced by Jonathan Hurwitz and edited by Kate Mishkin. Email us at thescreenwritinglife@gmail.com. --- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Halloween around the corner, we’re revisiting one of our favorite spooky episodes. Join us for a conversation with the team behind Hulu’s CARVED — director and co-writer Justin Harding, co-writer Cheryl Meyer, and star Peyton Elizabeth Lee — as they share how they brought their campy slasher film to life and what it takes to write really great horror. --- Looking for more support on your writing journey? Join Meg and Lorien inside ⁠TSL Workshops ⁠- your first 5 days are free. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So you want to be a screenwriter… now what? In a rebroadcast of one of our most popular episodes, we dig into the essential questions every writer should ask before jumping into a draft — questions that are just as valuable for seasoned pros as they are for those starting out. --- Looking for more support on your writing journey? Join Meg and Lorien inside TSL Workshops - your first 5 days are free. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

JOIN TSL WORKSHOPS: https://tslworkshops.circle.so With the Austin Film Festival coming up next week, we’re revisiting one of our favorite episodes to help everyone attending get ready to share their stories! --- The Austin Film Festival is known for many things — but few are as legendary as its annual 90-Second Pitch Competition, where writers have just 90 seconds to share their stories. In Hollywood, we call that “the elevator pitch” — and it’s more essential than ever. To unpack what makes a pitch truly land, we’re joined by an incredible lineup: TSL veteran and producer Sheila Hanahan Taylor, Austin Film Festival’s Screenplay Director Alyssa Alvarado, and five brave writers who step up to pitch their hearts out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

JOIN TSL WORKSHOPS: https://tslworkshops.circle.so Meg was already a fan of Jeff Hiller from his Emmy-winning performance in SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE, but after listening to his moving and hilarious memoir Actress of a Certain Age, she fell completely in love with his honesty, humor, and heart. She knew she had to have him on the show — and we were deeply honored when he said yes, fresh off his big Emmy win. In this conversation, Jeff opens up about the myth of the “big break,” finding your authentic voice, navigating rejection with grace, and why it’s never too late to chase your dreams. Check out Jeff's memoir HERE: goodreads.com/book/show/220902134-actress-of-a-certain-age Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

JOIN TSL WORKSHOPS: https://tslworkshops.circle.so This week, we’re joined by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, the writer-directors of KPOP DEMON HUNTERS, to unpack the craft behind one of the year's biggest movies. From finding the emotional core of their story to shaping "Golden" into a late-breaking "I Want" song, Maggie and Chris share how they balanced friendship, romance, comedy, worldbuilding, and music all in one movie. We also dive into the messy joy of writing in editorial, why tiny character moments like "Couch, Couch, Couch" carry so much weight, and how specificity in both music and story can unlock something universal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

JOIN TSL WORKSHOPS: https://tslworkshops.circle.so We’re thrilled to welcome Oscar-winner Akiva Goldsman for a masterclass on making writing sustainable. For Akiva, the real “tragedy” is living in the anxious space between drafts. His cure? Treat writing like a job: set hours, clock out, and commit to the work.Akiva unpacks his process – why a first draft should feel like seduction, why knowing the ending matters, and the simple litmus test he applies to every scene: What do you want the audience to feel? We also explore his approach to dialogue that truly listens, “smuggling” personal truth into adaptations, and his no-nonsense stance on writer’s block: just lay more bricks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Check out our premium TSL WORKSHOPS program here: https://tslworkshops.circle.so STORY ENGINE. Two words we so often dread, but let's be honest: the engine of your story is what POWERS your movie. It's make, or break. And today, we break down eight elements to test whether or not you are on your way to a feature film story engine that will take you from fade in, to fade out! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it take to make a celebrity-free, microbudget feature and premiere at one of the most competitive festivals in the world? Filmmaker and No Film School podcast host GG Hawkins joins Jeff to share how she turned a family house in Panama, a tiny team, and a three-month timeline into I REALLY LOVE MY HUSBAND, a breakout SXSW premiere with no celebrity attachments. They break down every stage of the journey: Writing a script around what you already have Casting for chemistry Financing in waves while production is underway Festival strategy and PR on a shoestring Why specificity and “weirdness” can be your biggest assets Whether you’re a filmmaker planning your first feature, or just curious how indie films actually get made, this episode pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to crack SXSW. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join TSL Workshops: https://tslworkshops.circle.so In this episode, Meg sits down with writer, actor, and filmmaker Eva Victor to discuss their debut feature, SORRY, BABY — a darkly funny, deeply personal story about friendship, trauma, and hope. They dig into how to make a personal story feel truly cinematic, both in the writing process and on set. Eva also opens up about their determination to depict trauma without leaning on “misery porn,” instead highlighting the healing, humor, and humanity that can surround pain. Thanks to Eva for an openhearted conversation that reminds us why we tell stories in the first place. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join TSL Workshops: tslworkshops.circle.so Every writer dreams of getting their script into the right hands — but what actually makes a producer want to fight for your project? This week, Jeff sits down with powerhouse indie producer Julie Waters (Watermark Media), fresh off producing OH, HI! — one of the few films sold at Sundance this year and now playing in theaters. Julie not only shares what makes a script feel undeniable, but also demystifies the real roles of networks, studios, production companies, and producers. She breaks down who’s really buying, who’s paying, and who you’re actually pitching when you walk into the room. If you’re trying to figure out how to move from “great script” to “must-make project” — and want a clear map of how the business truly works — this episode is for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

JOIN TSL WORKSHOPS: https://tslworkshops.circle.so In this episode, Meg and Lorien sit down with Kaz Firpo (Marvel’s ETERNALS, RUIN) to talk about the timeless craft lessons that make a great screenplay. From writing scenes that still land without sound, to creating emotional clarity on the page, Kaz shares why subtext is the secret engine of great dialogue, and why every character’s want and need should always be at odds. Whether you’re on draft one or draft fifteen, this conversation will help you sharpen your scenes, clarify your characters, and trust your instincts as a writer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices