The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna

Screenwriter Michael Arndt, known for Little Miss Sunshine, discusses the key elements of a compelling act one. They explore crafting a powerful first act, infecting the audience with the same thirst as the hero, and the importance of the first act in storytelling. They also touch on the challenges of being a showrunner, hands-on fun with Kiwi Co, and finding solutions and ideas in screenwriting.

The Morning Show is one of TV's most discussed shows, and season 3 showrunner Charlotte Stoudt recognizes it's cultural foothold. For her, the idea of incorporating real world events is all about character, and a chance for both the characters and their discussion of the world around them to illuminate each other. Charlotte also discusses how she runs the morning show room, works with her powerhouse cast, and looks back on her impressive career.PATREON: www.patreon.com/thescreenwritinglife Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our time time-honored tradition of asking the same three questions at the end of every show, we wanted to put together a supercut of some great guest responses to be enjoyed in one fell swoop. New episodesFeatured in today's supercut:- Nora Twomey- Eirene Tran Donohue- Constanza and Domenica Castro- Allison Tolman- Dustin Lance Black- Dana Stevens- Jeremy Doner- Joe Robert Cole- Kelly Edwards- John Lee Hancock- Jane Anderson- Julia Cho and Domee Shi- Rafael Casal- Kelly Fremon Craig- Charlie DayJOIN OUR PATREON: www.patreon.com/thescreenwritinglife Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our time time-honored tradition of asking the same three questions at the end of every show, we wanted to put together a supercut of some great guest responses to be enjoyed in one fell swoop. Part two coming Monday!Featured in today's supercut:- Matt Lieberman- Monique N. Matthews- Sean Presant- Stacy Rukeyser- Sam Bain- Nicole Perlman- Stephen Karam- Anna Drezen- Jenny Lumet and Alex Kurtzman- David F.M. Vaughn- Dan O'Shannon- Jen Grisanti- Patrick Osborne JOIN OUR PATREON: www.patreon.com/thescreenwritinglife Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're back for another story workshop, plus some amazing suggestions for writing exercises to help crack act 2.Join our patreon: www.patreon.com/thescreenwritinglife Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Monique N. Matthews, an award-winning director focusing on social justice, and Linda Goldstein Knowlton, an Emmy-nominated filmmaker, dive into the art of documentary storytelling. They discuss how documentaries share narrative techniques similar to scripted films. The conversation highlights the urgent Black maternal healthcare crisis, the role of empathy in interviews, and the importance of emotional engagement in storytelling. They also reflect on balancing challenges with themes of joy and resilience in their works.

Featuring experts Shanon M. Ingles and Stephan Bugaj, this podcast explores writing for video games and interactive screenwriting. They discuss persistently pitching projects, longing and yearning in scenes, choice design, utilizing DSM for character creation, challenges of working with adapted material, friendship system in Midnight Sons, different approaches to narrative design, frustrations of being a professional writer, and advice for breaking into the entertainment industry.

Today, we do one of our favorite things: answer YOUR questions. As is always the case, a theme emerged across your questions and our conversation, which boils down to one of the hardest and most important questions we face as artists. How are we supposed to feel validated in our work, especially when it's hard?Don't forget to join us for our FINAL DRAFT in Austin this year on Saturday evening at Stephen F's Bar & Terrace after our workshop. We are so exciting to be partnering with Final Draft!JOIN OUR PATREON: www.patreon.com/thescreenwritinglife Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The hosts discuss the concept of 'lava' for authentic storytelling, embracing the dynamic nature of the writing process, writing towards vulnerability, exploring sensitive subjects, and the Broadway show 'A Strange Loop'.

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