The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
By Meg LeFauve & Lorien McKenna
The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKennaJul 04, 2021
133 | Turning Red Writers Domee Shi and Julia Cho Discuss Personal Storytelling Techniques
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.
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132 | The Thematic DNA of Scenes w/ Jane Anderson (+ Musings On Good Dialogue)
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
131 | John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side, Saving Mr. Banks) On Empathy In Our Writing And Directing
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'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's show, we discuss the beginning of his career, adaptation, and directing/writing with kindness.
JOIN OUR PATREON: www.patreon.com/thescreenwritinglife
130 | Our Biggest Lessons From Being On Set (Part 1)
Every writer should experience set life at least once in their life, whether they're directing their own work, supervising production on their episode, or even just helping out as a PA. Every set has it'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
129 | Impressing Industry Executives On The Page and In The Pitch ft. Kelly Edwards
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!: www.amazon.com/Executive-Chair-Writers-Guide-Development/dp/1615933301
You can also join our patreon, here: www.patreon.com/TheScreenwritingLife
128 | SPECIAL: Writer/Director Roundtable with Just Shoot It Podcast
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
127 | Scaffolding: Building Blocks For Your Career and Your Work
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
126 | Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Co-Writer Joe Robert Cole: Letting Emotions Guide Our Writing
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
125 | The Woman King Writer Dana Stevens on How To Write Character-Driven Action Set Pieces
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
124 | Elvis Screenwriter Jeremy Doner on Writing Biopics (and Avoiding Common Pitfalls)
Jeremy Doner is a co-writer on one of 2022's most exciting movies: EVLIS, directed by Baz Luhrmann. For his work on the script, Jeremy is nominated for an Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award. Before Elvis, he was staffed on two critically acclaimed TV crime dramas: DAMAGES and THE KILLING, writing multiple episodes and scoring WGA-award nominations for both shows.
On today's show, he discusses how he got involved with Elvis, why he connected with the story, and his "take" - one of the most important components of pitching a biopic.
JOIN OUR PATREON: www.patreon.com/thescreenwritinglife
123 | Dustin Lance Black (Milk, Under the Banner of Heaven) On Nuanced Screenwriting and Avoiding Cliches
Dustin Lance Black is an Oscar-winning writer/director, known for writing the films like Milk and J. Edgar, in addition to creating the award-winning 2022 crime miniseries Under the Banner of Heaven, starring Andrew Garfield. Black is a fierce LGBTQ rights advocate, serving as a founding board member of the American Foundation for Equal Rights, and writing 8, a courtroom drama reenacting the overturn of Prop 8 in California. On today's show, we discuss the common pitfalls of writing biopics, how Lance uses his own life to inform his work, and the research and work it takes to avoid cliches in our writing.
122 | What Do Professional Actors Look For In Good Scripts? (ft. Allison Tolman)
Allison Tolman's first major television role made waves in the industry, even scoring her a Critics Choice Award for her portrayal of Molly in FX's acclaimed debut season of Fargo. She has worked in Network TV on shows like Brooklyn 99 and Good Girls, Streaming TV, starring in Marc Cherry's Why Women Kill, and Premium Cable Fare, recently guest starring in Starz' Gaslit across Julia Roberts.
Alison, a writer herself, is joining us today to discuss what she looks for when vetting material, how she collaborates with writers during productions, and to share wisdom on her experience in the industry, both on and off set.
ROOM TONE INSTAGRAM: @weareroomtone
SIGN UP FOR PATREON: www.patreon.com/thescreenwritinglife
121 | Sundance Producers/Filmmakers On What Makes Good Writing (ft. Constanza and Doménica Castro)
WE ARE HERE: 271films.com/we-are-here-fyc
271 WEBSITE: 271films.com/
RISING VOICES: tribecafilm.com/films/indeed-presents-rising-voices-2021
New episode drops TOMORROW!
120 | Professional Writers Share What You're Just "Supposed" To Know
119 | Setting Realistic Writing Resolutions For The New Year
Why is it that the New Year so often invites trepidation, fear, and panic as we consider our achievements as artists? We consider that question today, while rethinking new years resolutions as a concept to feel more generous, achievable, and thoughtful as we approach the new year.
118 | SPECIAL: Live Story Workshop From the 2022 Austin Film Festival (ft. Joe Forte)
We’re closing out 2022 with a LIVE panel from our time at the Austin Film Festival. Thanks to Joe Forte for joining!
TO JOIN OUR PATREON: www.patreon.com/thescreenwritinglife
117 | How To Write A Christmas or Holiday Movie (w/ Eirene Tran Donohue)
It's that time of year when hundreds of Holiday Movies air on screens all over the world. Whether its Hallmark, Lifetime, Disney+, Netflix, or Apple, or even Theaters, it's one of the hottest markets around for emerging and professional writers, and for Holiday screenwriting Queen Eirene Tran Donohue, one of the best ways to break in. Listen to her break down why!
116 | How To Stay Focused and Motivated Through Rewrites (Pick A Pony)
Diving back into your work after a round of notes can feel overwhelming, especially when we get thoughtful notes that can feel contradictory. How can we possibly incorporate every suggestion into our next draft? Spoiler alert: you can't. Instead, focusing on one ELEMENT of your rewrite can be the ticket to moving forward. Keep it simple; pick a pony.
115 | Can We Write Characters that Don't Reflect Our Experience? (ft. Dr. Yalda T Uhls)
It's becoming and increasingly common (and important) question: are we allowed to tell stories about characters whose lives don't reflect our own? On today's show, UCLA psychologist Dr. Yalda T. Uhls answers this question, in addition to addressing questions around TV programming for kids and adolescent viewers, and unconcious bias in our writing.
114 | How Writers Collaborate With Animated Directors ft. Nora Twomey
One of Netflix's most celebrated animated movies of the year comes from our very own Meg LeFauve, whose beautiful script for "My Father's Dragon" was brought to life by Nora Twomey, one of our industry's most celebrated animated directors. Nora and Meg discuss how the movie came to fruition, what the development process looked like, and why precision and attention to detail in our storytelling is the key to finding success in our work. Thanks Nora!
New episodes dropping MONDAY!
113 | (REBROADCAST) Finding Self-Compassion For Your Writing...And YOURSELF w/ Dr. Kristin Neff
There are few jobs more mentally strenuous than that of a writer. Rejection. Writers block. Notes. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
But today, bestselling author and thought leader Dr. Kristin Neff - renowned for her decades of research - is here to teach us about the beauty and the POWER of self-compassion. It will fundamentally shift the way you see you execute your creative life!
PURCHASE KRISTIN'S BOOKS: https://self-compassion.org/store/
112 | Finding Conviction In Your Writing w/ Patrick Osborne
Patrick Osborne may have won an Oscar for his short film feast, but finding the conviction to stick to his creative "North Star" while writing is still a journey. Find out how he does it on today's episode.
Patrick Osborne - is An Oscar, Emmy, and Peabody winning (and even Grammy Nominated) Writer/Director and animator. Patrick animated on a bunch of Feature films like Surf's Up, I am Legend, Bolt, Tangled.. Wreck it Ralph before getting a shot at Writing and Directing with his 2014 Disney short film FEAST. Since then he has traced a less than conventional path in the entertainment business, that includes creating a live-action Sitcom (Imaginary Mary) - and even directing concert film for one of the world's biggest pop stars, Billie Eilish.
111 | Tone In Your Writing: The Definitive Episode (w/ Sheila Hanahan Taylor)
Tone is consistently one of the most challenging things that Screenwriters face. What is it and how do we capture it on the page? We're thrilled to be joined by super-producer and friend-of-the-show Sheila Hanahan Taylor to unpack ALL of that today. Buckle up!
New Episode Drops TOMORROW!
Thanks for your patience! Editing now, and new episode drops tomorrow.
110 | Advice For Script Readability (And Other Musings) - MAILBAG
Today, we take more questions from our brilliant listeners about: script readability, pilot v. feature format, and how to (as always) mine more emotionality from our characters.
109 | Your Ultimate Guide To Writing Labs and Retreats
Meg and Lorien are BACK from their labs (Africa and Italy respectively - casual), and they have LOTS of thoughts. We discuss how to be great mentors, and of course, for our listeners, great mentees. This is your ultimate writing lab guidebook.
SEE MEG AND LORIEN IN AUSTIN
MEG + Joe's Workshop
Saturday October 29, 2022 9:00am - 10:15am CDT
St. David's Episcopal Church, Eden's Center 301 E 8th St, Austin, TX 78701
TSL MEETUP
Saturday October 29, 2022 8pm CDT @ Stephen's F Bar
701 Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78701
108 | The Importance of Flexibility as a Writer/Director w/ Matthew Gentile
107 | Writing Your Main Relationship And Why It Matters (Mailbag)
106 | (REBROADCAST) Andrew Stanton's Storytelling Masterclass
Do you have a pen and paper? Might want to grab them now...
Andrew Stanton wrote and directed Finding Nemo, Finding Dory, and Wall-E, all of which consistently rank among the best films of this century, and best animated films ever made. In live action storytelling, he's become a critically acclaimed director, working on shows like Stranger Things and Better Call Saul.
Andrew is considered one of the finest storytellers working in our industry. Andrew has given lectures for TED and Google, and he's joining us today to help us in our own understanding of story.
105 | Writers Groups w/ Nicholl Winners Alisha Brophy and Scott Miles
104 | The Future Of Storytelling (Metaversal Writing & VFX) w/ Ben Grossmann
What is the Metaverse, and why does it matter? Ask Ben Grosmann...
In 2013, he was nominated for an Academy Award for the film Star Trek Into Darkness. In 2012, he won an Academy Award for the film Hugo. In 2006, he won an Emmy for Outstanding Special Visual Effects for the Scifi Miniseries The Triangle.
103 | Adapting Material (Books, Biographies, and Intellectual Property)
Whether it's the logistics of procuring rights, the challenging of changing an ending, or the fear of meeting that author who originated the story you're telling, adaptation invites a LOT of questions. Today, we discuss them!
102 | Creating and Healing Wounded Characters w/ Studio Exec Turned Coach Jen Grisanti
To hire Jen or read or books, go to www.jengrisanti.com
101 | Comedy Legend Dan O'Shannon On What Makes Our Writing Funny
Dan O'Shannon has worked on some of American television's most iconic shows in history, but for him, every new project is a refreshed exercise in humility and starting again. Dan talks about what makes something funny, how to draw UNIQUE comedic characters, and what it really takes to succeed in our business in writer.
DAN'S BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/What-Are-You-Laughing-Comprehensive/dp/1441162933
SEE JEFF'S MOVIE (Sat, Sep 10 @ 7:30pm in Hollywood - Block M): https://www.siliconbeachfilmfestival.com/tickets
100 | 100 Lessons We've Learned About Writing
Yes. That's right. Today we're bringing you ONE HUNDRED lessons we've learned about writing, in honor of...yes, that's right, our 100th episode!!! Enjoy!
99 | Thoughts On Loglines, Antagonists, and Microbudget Filmmaking (Patreon Preview)
We wanted to give our listeners a preview of our PATREON, so you'll hearing three bite-sized samples for some of our workshops.
If you're interested in joining the Patreon, you can sign up here: www.patreon.com/TheScreenwritingLife
For questions/sign up info: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHnbm7i9udM
98 | The Definitive Lava Episode
There may be no topic we discuss more on this show than Lava, so we decided to put an episode together unpacking the entire volcano.
97 | Checking Back In + The Importance Of Meeting Your Own Needs
We're BACK. After vacations, appointments, film festivals, and, oh yeah, writing, Meg, Lorien and Jeff check back in to discuss what they've been learning about their writing and themsleves in the last 6 weeks.
96 | Dig Deeper: 7 Tips To Discover What Your Story is REALLY About
Thanks to our intern BORIS for cutting together another great BEST OF episode. Today we feature clips from the following episodes:
88 | Alex Kurtzman & Jenny Lumet: Why Destabilization Is Essential For Your Writing
86 | Dr. Strange 2 Writer Michael Waldron On Emotionally Authentic Writing
90 | Finding The Thematic “Thesis Statement” Of Your Script w/ Maggie Cohn
78 | Character Poles: A Simple but POWERFUL Way To Shape Your Characters
85 | Getting To The Heart Of Your Story w/ Pat Verducci
76 | How To GIVE Great Notes On Writing
75 | Finding Your Brand as a Writer w/ Manager Alison Mann
95| LIVE Q&A From The SLO Film Festival
Enjoy our final panel coverage from our time at the SLO film festival!
94 | Short Films: Writing, Shooting, and Using Them For Your Career (LIVE From SLO)
Many writer/directors have gotten their starts with short films. Today we discuss what makes a great short, and how they can help (and not help) advance your career as a writer!
93 | LIVE Story Workshop From the SLO Film Festival (Plus a Q+A)
Another WONDERFUL story workshop from Meg + Lorien.
To see Jeff's film in CLEVELAND on 7/6 @ 7:30pm, buy tickets here: https://omniwebticketing6.com/cleveland/cedarlee/?schdate=2022-07-06&perfix=131376
92 | Writers Rooms: Getting Granular w/ David F.M. Vaughn
David F.M. Vaughn, award-winning actor, director, composer, and writer, is obsessed with getting detailed about the behind-the-scenes aspects of this sometimes very mysterious business. Having just come off of his first staffing gig, David has TONS of insight about what a writers room REALLY looks, and how we can prepare for them.
91 | How To Vacation As A Writer
Writing can feel like a never ending grind, but we of course need to find the space to take a vacation. Today we talk about how and WHY it's essential to our process.
TO LEAVE AN APPLE PODCAST REVIEW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAG8mgrVQys
90 | Finding The Thematic “Thesis Statement” Of Your Script w/ Maggie Cohn
Maggie Cohn and her co-showrunner Antonio Campos knew that in adapting one of the most popular documentaries of all time (The Staircase), they had to have their own fresh take. And in finding this, Maggie discovered that she uncovered a unifying “thesis statement” to keep her story and emotional thematic on rails as they wrote. It’s a fascinating conversation, and we hope you enjoy it!
89 | Helping Writers Get Repped, The Personal Logline, Taking Meetings, and More w/ Joey Tuccio
For Joey Tucccio, the founder of Roadmap Writers, "you're a human first, and a writer second." Excelling at your craft has as much to do with your understanding of yourself as it does with your writing, and Joey goes DEEP on all of that, today!
FOR MORE ON ROADMAP WRITERS: https://www.roadmapwriters.com/
TO SEE JEFF'S MOVIE: Click the link below and look for Block EEEE (The movie is called, ALWAYS, LOLA)
https://marinadelreyfilmfestival.ticketspice.com/2022-marina-del-rey-film-festival
DATE: Wednesday, June 22, 7:30PM – 9:00PM PDT
ADDRESS: Cinemark 18 and XD
6081 Center Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90045
88 | Alex Kurtzman & Jenny Lumet: Why Destabilization Is Essential For Your Writing
Both Jenny Lumet and Alex Kurtzman are giants in our industry, and yet, they’re the FIRST to admit that every project is a brand new journey filled with excitement, fear, beauty, panic, and a profound sense of mystery. Find out how and why their new show The Man Who Fell To Earth was one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of their career in today’s show!
87 | SNL Alumnus Anna Drezen On Balancing Emotional Truth and Intellect In Your Writing
Despite having written for multiple scripted series, SNL, and now Showrunning her own animated series, the essence of good writing remains simple for Anna Drezen: "Write about what you're obsessed with."