The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna

Anne Lamott is one of culture's most celebrated voices when it comes to creativity and writing. Her book Bird By Bird is a modern classic (Ed Solomon says it's the best book on writing ever published), but Anne is uniquely positioned as someone who is beloved for BOTH her fiction and her non-fiction. On today's show, we discuss the importance of finding hope to unlock our best creative selves, how we can quiet that inner critic (yes, even 10 times NYT Bestselling Author Anne Lamott gets paralyzed by creative anxiety), and how we can turn our fear into excitement.TO PRE-ORDER Anne's Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JKK77V2/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1For SHAPES OF TRUTH: https://www.shapesoftruth.com/neal-allen-bio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ed Solomon is one of Hollywood's most recognizable writers, who represents a rare intersection of critical and commercial success. His 16 feature films have grossed over 1.6 Billion Dollars at the Box Office, and he's the creator or co-creator on three of Hollywood's biggest franchises: Bill & Ted, Men in Black, and Now You See Me.But he'll be the FIRST person to tell you that he's not a "fancy" writer. He bristles at the idea, and argues that ego is one of the quickest ways to tank a career, especially a creative career. Instead, he feels that humility, curiosity, and daring are the keys to success, especially as a writer. Ed is a disarming orator, passionate teacher, and a great dude. So much to learn. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Maybe your facing the blank page, maybe you're facing the second act, or maybe your facing your millionth rewrite; EVERY writer has hit that wall where there's nothing left in the tank, even though you need to get that car HOME. Where do you find inpsiration?It's in there, and Meg and Lorien are going to help you get there. Maybe you need some help with plot, or maybe you need to learn how to love your characters again, but WHATEVER it is, we're giving you strategies to get there! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's your turn! For this week, we've gathered some of our most frequently asked CRAFT related questions for a deep dive on how to fix, tweak, tinker, and elevate your writing. Tricky questions around note-taking, essential questions about beefing up conflict with things feel flat, and other crucial craft questions get their due today, thanks to our brilliant hosts.FOR MORE Info About NOTES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1-getting-notes-on-your-work/id1501641442?i=1000467504323 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a writer, you're in it for the long haul. And that's NOT a bad thing! It's a beautiful journey, filled with ups, down, highs, and lows, and it's made all the sweeter when you can SET your beacon! Remember, the road may be long, but it's worth it.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The details of your writing are a beautiful thing. They provide the nuance, voice, and texture that make your writing special.But the details can be crippling if they prevent you from seeing your work as it REALLY is. Today we talk about how to see your work from a broad perspective, by Zooming out and getting that all-important "30,000 Foot View" of your writing. It's a game changer! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why is it so easy for us to love, trust, and nurture our characters, but so hard for us to do that for ourselves?Positive self-talk is an essential part of embarking on The Screenwriting Journey, and today, we get talk ALL about it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hope you had and are having an AMAZING Holiday. We're going to be doing something a little different for this week's show. Meg and Lorien are taking some MUCH-deserved time off (we hope you can too), but we had a little chat about content we could possibly run, or re-run to keep you going through the Holiday's.In 2018, Jeff brought Meg and Lorien on his show "The Unproduced Table Read" for a special interview, and that's the moment they began collaborating professionally. It's a really engaging interview, and it's a fun chance for you all to get to know them even better - their time at Pixar, their work collaborating on a pilot together, and, because it's them, a thoughtful and compelling conversation about emotion, bravery, and the work behind the work. Anyways, we hope you enjoy the conversation and we'll see you all in 2021!LISTEN TO THE UNPRODUCED TABLE READ: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unproduced-table-read/id1197673735 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are many reasons Pixar Animation is culturally hailed as one of the most profound and emotionally resonant studios working in filmmaking today, but the deep, richly drawn writing is one of them.Today we answer YOUR questions with SOUL screenwriter Mike Jones about the overcoming the fear that accompanies any journey into writing, how to generate confidence, what the Pixar Brain Trust is really like, and Mike even bravely shares a life-altering "lava" moment that ended up cinching one of Soul's best and most important scenes.SOUL drops on Disney+ on Christmas. Script Consultations w/ Pat!: https://patverducci.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why are so many writers perfectionists? Maybe it's that need for approval, or that desire to see exactly what's in your head show up on the page, but READ THIS: perfectionism is the death of creativity. As celebrated psychologist Dr. Anne Wilson Schaef offers: “Perfectionism is self-abuse of the highest order."How do we move PAST perfection? Tune in to find out! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices