The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna

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! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We have all been very busy so our new episodes for the next two weeks will be dropping on Mondays. Thanks for your patience! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Kristin Neff, a bestselling author and thought leader in self-compassion, shares her insights on nurturing kindness towards oneself, especially for writers facing rejection and burnout. She discusses the powerful impact of self-compassion on creativity and resilience, advocating for a shift from self-criticism to self-acceptance. Through practical techniques, she emphasizes the importance of understanding one's worth, managing imposter syndrome, and fostering emotional well-being in the creative process.

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thanks for your patience! Editing now, and new episode drops tomorrow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices