The Successful Screenwriter with Geoffrey D Calhoun: Screenwriting Podcast Ep 291 - Do You Really Need to Live in LA to Be a Screenwriter?
Oct 13, 2025
27:19
We’re closing in on 300 episodes and celebrating with a lively live stream. Geoffrey and Kristy dig into the gloriously bonkers Toxic Avenger remake and share why Tron Ares is better than the early negativity suggests.Then we tackle your questions on query letters, page counts that actually get read, whether you must live in LA to make it, and how specialists like medical doctors can break into writing. We wrap with a frank look at the industry slowdown and practical ways to build momentum locally. Like, comment, and drop your questions for next week’s live Q&A.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
Kristy Leigh is Geoffrey’s on-air partner for our weekly live Q&A. She brings producer insight, story instincts, and a sharp eye for what works on the page and on set.
About the Host
With films on network television, streaming platforms, and in theaters, Geoffrey D. Calhoun is a screenwriter, author of The Guide for Every Screenwriter, and a passionate mentor in the industry. He hosts The Successful Screenwriter podcast to empower writers and filmmakers at every level.
Resources Mentioned in the Episode
Send questions for Kristy during our weekly live Q&A via Geoffrey’s Instagram below.
#Screenwriting #TheSuccessfulScreenwriter #QueryLetter #IndieFilm #WritingTips #ToxicAvenger #TronAres #Presence #GoodBoy #Sisu #LiveQandA #FilmIndustry #ScriptNotes
🎬 Get Free Script Leads — be the first to know which producers are requesting scripts and accepting submissions.
If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe. Share it with a fellow screenwriter who’d find it valuable!
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
- How to write query emails that producers actually read
- Page count targets that help your script get a yes
- Why you do not need to live in LA to build a screenwriting career
- Practical entry points for experts outside film, like physicians, to contribute to shows
- A real talk snapshot of the current market and how to keep moving locally
- 00:23 Welcome and the road to 300 episodes
- 01:33 Toxic Avenger remake review and why it works
- 03:49 Tron Ares thoughts, redemption arc, and theme of loss
- 09:36 Trash screenwriting advice we are tossing out today
- 18:03 Q&A lightning round: queries, page counts, LA myth, doctor-to-writer path, and market reality
Kristy Leigh is Geoffrey’s on-air partner for our weekly live Q&A. She brings producer insight, story instincts, and a sharp eye for what works on the page and on set.
About the Host
With films on network television, streaming platforms, and in theaters, Geoffrey D. Calhoun is a screenwriter, author of The Guide for Every Screenwriter, and a passionate mentor in the industry. He hosts The Successful Screenwriter podcast to empower writers and filmmakers at every level.
Resources Mentioned in the Episode
- The Toxic Avenger (remake)
- Tron Ares
- We Have Always Lived in the Castle
- Presence
- Good Boy
- Sisu and the upcoming sequel
- The Guide for Every Screenwriter by Geoffrey D. Calhoun
Send questions for Kristy during our weekly live Q&A via Geoffrey’s Instagram below.
- Connect with Geoffrey D. Calhoun
- Website: The Successful Screenwriter
- Instagram: @screenwriterpod
- YouTube: The Successful Screenwriter
#Screenwriting #TheSuccessfulScreenwriter #QueryLetter #IndieFilm #WritingTips #ToxicAvenger #TronAres #Presence #GoodBoy #Sisu #LiveQandA #FilmIndustry #ScriptNotes
🎬 Get Free Script Leads — be the first to know which producers are requesting scripts and accepting submissions.
If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe. Share it with a fellow screenwriter who’d find it valuable!