TSL-ers are going to be meeting at Disney tomorrow. That's Wednesday, May 24th at 1:00 PM Pacific. Again, Wednesday, May 24th at 1:00 PM Pacific at the Disney lot in Burbank. We're hoping for a big turnout. And in that interest, there's a couple things you can do to help when you show up. First of all, if you're able to, it would be amazing if you could bring some snacks and water to share with folks. You can bring those to check in at the front gate. Meg, Lorien and I will be in the grassy area nearby with TSL stickers to hand out. But we won't be there long because the Guild wants us to keep moving. Start walking, and you'll find us. We're gonna walk the entire block around the lot going counterclockwise toward the hospital. So if you want to find us, you can walk the other way toward the bus stop. And you'll cross paths with us on the way. Say hi, get a sticker and meet other TSLs. Remember, you should definitely wear sunscreen and a hat or sunglasses because it could be hot. And again, if you wanna bring your own water and snacks, that would be incredibly helpful. As a reminder, you don't need to be in the WGA to picket. We appreciate solidarity in all forms. So whether or not you're in the guild, we'd love to see you there. And in the meantime, keep writing.

The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna

ANNOUNCEMENT: TOMORROW (New Date) Join TSL On The Picket Line

It's a scary and unprecedented time for our industry, but we're immensely proud of our guild's fight for the basic dignities of its members: writers. As negotiating committee members, our guests Michele Mulroney and David A. Goodman have been on the front lines of this historic strike and are here to help us understand exactly what writers are fighting for, why the stakes are higher than ever, and what you can do, wherever you are, to help support the cause.

138 | Your WGA Strike Questions Answered By Negotiating Committee Members Michele Mulroney and David A. Goodman

Curits Gwinn has worked on some of the most acclaimed shows of the 2010s including The Walking Dead, The Leftovers, and Stranger Things, but he's the first to admit that each room has been a valuable learning experience, even for a writer as seasoned as he is. In this candid conversation, Curtis opens up about the lessons he learned across multiple writers rooms, how to stay spiritually grounded in such a rocky business, and why a 1984 Halloween Costume helped secure his spot on Stranger Things. 

137 | Stranger Things Writer/Producer Curtis Gwinn on Navigating The Writers Room

When Charlie got to post-production of his feature writer/director debut, he was crushed to discover that the film simply didn't work. At that point, he was faced with two choices: ditch the movie and move on, or dig in, dive into his lava, and head back to set for reshoots. He chose the latter, and his new film FOOL'S PARADISE, drops in theaters next week! On today's show we also talk about the genesis of Always Sunny, Charlie's comic voice, "pushing" your tone on the page, and how to write "unlikeable" characters.

136 | Charlie Day (It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia) On Satire In Our Writing

How did Kelly Fremon Craig manage to convince Judy Blume to let her adapt Are You There God, It's Me Margaret? Tune in to find out! We're thrilled to be joined by award-winning writer/director Kelly Fremon Craig. She's the award-winning writer and director of two feature films: The Edge Of Seventeen starring Hailey Steinfeld, and Are You There God, It's Me Margaret, which will be released in theaters tomorrow. Kelly's work is celebrated for its unflinching depictions of teenage girlhood, which The New York Times calls "smart and achingly bittersweet." Hi Kelly! JOIN OUR PATREON: www.patreon.com/thescreenwritinglife

135 | Feeling Your Way Through Early Drafts w/ Kelly Fremon Craig (Are You There God, It's Me Margaret)

However you feel about Starz' award-winning show BLINDSPOTTING, one thing is for sure, you've never seen anything like it. Today's guest, showrunner Rafael Casal, likes it that way: confronting his audiences with genre-breaking, even medium-breaking decisions in the production. For Rafael, as long as the writing remains deeply committed to truth and honesty, the writer is entitled to "break the rules. " Rafael Casal is a poet, rapper, actor, filmmaker, and showrunner who is best known for Blindspotting: a feature-film-turned-TV-show that he co-created with his longtime creative partner Daveed Diggs. Casal's work explores the complicated social dynamics of urban life in the 21st century, particularly in Oakland, where he grew up.  JOIN OUR PATREON: www.patreon.com/thescreenwritinglife

134 | Courage And Honesty In Our Writing w/ Rafael Casal

Jump behind the scenes with us to experience the highs and lows of producing one of Pixar's most celebrated and subversive films: Turning Red from the minds of Domee Shi and Julia Cho, who wrote it. Domee Shi began as a story intern at Pixar Animation Studios in June 2011, and was soon hired as a story artist on the Academy Award-winning feature film INSIDE OUT. In 2015 she began pitching ideas for short films, and soon was green lit to write and direct BAO which won the Academy Award® for Best Animated Short Film. Shi most recently made her feature film directorial debut on TURNING RED which was also Oscar-nominated. Her TURNING RED co-writer Julia Cho began her career in the New York Theater scene, writing a number of celebrated plays which scored her the Windham-Campbell Literary Prize in 2020 celebrating her body of her work. Her work as a playwright earned her spots in a number of prestigious writers' rooms including BIG LOVE, HALT AND CATCH FIRE, and PAPER GIRLS, which she co-executive produced. JOIN OUR PATREON: www.patreon.com/thescreenwritinglife

133 | Turning Red Writers Domee Shi and Julia Cho Discuss Personal Storytelling Techniques

Jane Anderson is an award-winning writer of plays, television, and movies, with over three decades of produced material, some of which she herself directed. Jane's work is known for its rich and complicated depictions of female life, with films like THE WIFE, which was Oscar-nominated, and shows like OLIVE KITTERIDGE, which won multiple Emmys, including two for Jane.  ANNE LAMOTT EPISODE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/33-anne-lamott-make-your-writing-fears-work-for-you/id1501641442?i=1000510993110 JOIN OUR PATREON: www.patreon.com/thescreenwritinglife

132 | The Thematic DNA of Scenes w/ Jane Anderson (+ Musings On Good Dialogue)

John Lee Hancock is an award-winning writer/director whose extensive career includes writing and directing The Blind Side, directing Saving Mr. Banks, and most recently writing and directing Mr. Harrigan&#39;s Phone for Netflix. Across nearly three decades of his career, John has worked as a producer, writer, and director in multiple genres including stirring sports biopics, high concept genre movies, and even teen horror. On today&#39;s show, we discuss the beginning of his career, adaptation, and directing/writing with kindness.  JOIN OUR PATREON: www.patreon.com/thescreenwritinglife --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thescreenwritinglife/support

131 | John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side, Saving Mr. Banks) On Empathy In Our Writing And Directing

Every writer should experience set life at least once in their life, whether they&#39;re directing their own work, supervising production on their episode, or even just helping out as a PA. Every set has it&#39;s own rules and universe, so today, we wanted to unpack those with our own stories and advice! JOIN OUR PATREON: www.patreon.com/thescreenwritinglife --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thescreenwritinglife/support

130 | Our Biggest Lessons From Being On Set (Part 1)

CALL US WITH YOUR PITCHING HORROR STORIES:  440.305.0690 Kelly Edwards' multi-faceted career has multiple phases: she has worked in development, platforming shows like LIVING SINGLE, GIRLFRIENDS, and MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE. She has also worked as a diversity executive for studios like HBO and NBC Universal, ushering in diverse creative talent for NBC, USA, Syfy, Bravo, and Telemundo. Now Kelly has taken her decades of producing experience to do the very thing we talk about on our show: write. Kelly has sold multiple scripts and was recently staffed on a scripted show. Having worked as both an exec and a writer, Kelly has a rare understanding of our business from both sides, which is the main focus of her recent book: The Executive Chair, which you can buy here!: https://www.amazon.com/Executive-Chair-Writers-Guide-Development/dp/1615933301 You can also join our patreon, here: https://www.patreon.com/TheScreenwritingLife --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thescreenwritinglife/support

129 | Impressing Industry Executives On The Page and In The Pitch ft. Kelly Edwards

It's a TSL first as we explore a crossover episode with Matt Enlow and Oren Kaplan of the popular JUST SHOOT IT PODCAST to discuss pitching, free work, social media, and what directors are really looking for when it comes to the page. TO SUBSCRIBE TO JUST SHOOT IT: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/just-shoot-it-a-podcast-about-filmmaking/id995859414 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thescreenwritinglife/support

128 | SPECIAL: Writer/Director Roundtable with Just Shoot It Podcast

All of us have goals in our career, but how do build the steps to actually get there? Or perhaps more importantly, how do we be intentional about budling the steps to get there? Not only is scaffolding an essential part of career-building, but also in our work. JOIN OUR PATREON: www.patreon.com/thescreenwritinglife

127 | Scaffolding: Building Blocks For Your Career and Your Work

Joe Robert Cole, known for marathon writing sessions, has a simple litmus test to assess his own work: how does this make me feel? He calls it "Method Writing," and it's an essential part of his process. Joe Robert Cole is an award-winning writer/director of both television and features. He has co-written two Oscar-nominated movies with Ryan Coogler for Marvel, BLACK PANTHER and last year's BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER. On the TV Side, Cole worked as a co-producer on Murphy's widely-acclaimed People v. OJ miniseries, earning an Emmy nomination for writing the episode "The Race Card." He has also directed two features, including ALL DAY AND A NIGHT. JOIN OUR PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/TheScreenwritingLife --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thescreenwritinglife/support

126 | Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Co-Writer Joe Robert Cole: Letting Emotions Guide Our Writing

Though Dana Stevens wrote one of 2022's buzziest and most exciting movies, The Woman King, she has decades of experience in both film and television. On today's show, we discuss how Dana got involved in The Woman King, how she approached the film's extraordinary action set pieces on the page, and what she learned while showrunning. JOIN OUR PATREON: www.patreon.com/thescreenwritinglife --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thescreenwritinglife/support

125 | The Woman King Writer Dana Stevens on How To Write Character-Driven Action Set Pieces

Welcome to The Screenwriting Life. Join us as professional screenwriters, Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna, whose combined credits include writing and production on such films as Inside Out, The Good Dinosaur and Captain Marvel discuss the craft, journey and business of writing for the screen. From dialogue to delivery, Meg and Lorien will guide you through the process, offering inside tips and tricks to help you become the best writer you can be. Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thescreenwritinglife/support

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The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna

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