The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna

By Meg LeFauve & Lorien McKenna

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Category: TV & Film

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Subscribers: 42
Reviews: 1
Episodes: 192


 Jun 12, 2021

Description

Welcome to The Screenwriting Life, a podcast where Oscar-nominated writer Meg LeFauve and Emmy-nominated writer Lorien McKenna discuss not only the craft and business of Screenwriting, but also the emotional life: the ups and downs of being a creative, to remind you that you are not alone and to keep writing.

Episode Date
186 | A Crash Course For Showrunners (And Their Staff Writers) ft. Jeff Melvoin
Mar 28, 2024
185 | Why Tone and Genre ≠ Plot (ft. Cole Haddon)
Mar 21, 2024
184 | What Does A Hollywood Studio Reader Do? (TSL Listener Spotlight)
Mar 14, 2024
183 | How The Animated Film Industry Is Changing (And Why That Matters Creatively): WAR IS OVER Chat, Part 2
Mar 08, 2024
182 | What Goes Into Creating an Oscar-nominated Animated Short?: WAR IS OVER Chat, Part 1
Mar 07, 2024
181 | Nimona Co-Writer Lloyd Taylor On The World Of Animated Feature Films
Feb 29, 2024
180 | Award Winning "Wingspan" Game Designer Compares Writing To Game Design (ft. Elizabeth Hargrave)
Feb 22, 2024
179 | Feature Film Story Engine Checklist: 8 Elements To Turn A Situation Into A MOVIE
Feb 15, 2024
178 | The Holdovers Writer David Hemingson On Finding Humanity In Our Characters
Feb 08, 2024
177 | Past Lives Writer/Director Celine Song: Standing In Your Authority As a Writer and Artist
Feb 01, 2024
176 | Michael Arndt on Balancing Plot & Emotional Storytelling
Jan 25, 2024
175 | American Fiction Writer/Director Cord Jefferson's Advice For Adaptating Material
Jan 18, 2024
BONUS: 174 | Jodie Foster on Building Truthful Characters (REBROADCAST)
Jan 15, 2024
173 | Adam Grant On Practical Ways To Unlock Our Creative Potential
Jan 11, 2024
172 | The Money Episode (Don’t Panic!) ft. Paco de Leon
Jan 04, 2024
171 | Permission To Dream
Dec 28, 2023
170 | REBROADCAST: How To Write A Christmas or Holiday Movie (w/ Eirene Tran Donohue)
Dec 21, 2023
169 | Oscar Winner Tom McCarthy (Spotlight, Alaska Daily) On Writing For & Working With Actors
Dec 14, 2023
168 | WGA Inclusion & Equity Committee Members Discuss Representation and Authenticity In our Writing
Dec 07, 2023
167 | Writing For Production On A Microbudget (ft. Jeffrey Crane Graham, aka Producer Jeff!)
Nov 30, 2023
166 | A Happy Thanksgiving Throwback To Our First Episode
Nov 23, 2023
165 | Michael Arndt's Act 1 Masterclass (REBROADCAST)
Nov 16, 2023
164 | The Morning Show Showrunner On Incorporating Real World Events Into Our Writing (ft. Charlotte Stoudt)
Nov 09, 2023
163 | Screenwriting: Joy, Pain, Legacy (2023 Guest Supercut Pt. 2)
Nov 06, 2023
162 | Screenwriting: Joy, Pain, Legacy (2023 Guest Supercut Pt. 1)
Nov 02, 2023
161 | LIVE Stephen's College Story Workshop + Writing Exercises for Act 2
Oct 26, 2023
160 | Documentary Filmmaking (And Writing) w/ Monique N. Matthews and Linda Goldstein Knowlton
Oct 19, 2023
159 | Writing For Video Games & Interactive Screenwriting w/ Shanon M. Ingles and Stephan Bugaj
Oct 12, 2023
158 | Mail Bag
Oct 05, 2023
157 | (REBROADCAST) The Definitive Lava Episode
Sep 28, 2023
156 | SPECIAL: The Elevator Pitch + Austin Film Festival Prep Workshop
Sep 21, 2023
155 | 6 Essential Strategies To Tackle a Rewrite
Sep 14, 2023
154 | How To Prioritize Multiple Projects As A Writer (ft. Ted Hope)
Sep 07, 2023
153 | Is My Script Ready To Send To Producers? (ft. Ted Hope)
Aug 31, 2023
152 | The Movies That Made Us Writers
Aug 24, 2023
151 | Rethinking Screenplay Structure w/ The Nutshell Technique (ft. Jill Chamberlain)
Aug 17, 2023
150 | How To Say Yes To Yourself as a Writer (ft. Showrunners Kat Likkel and John Hoberg)
Aug 10, 2023
149 | Moving On and the Wisdom of Stephen Sondheim
Aug 03, 2023
148 | Jodie Foster on Building Truthful Characters
Jul 27, 2023
147 | Elemental Co-Writer Brenda Hsueh On Balancing Comedy and Drama In Our Writing
Jul 20, 2023
146 | Screenwriting/Storytelling Archetypes: Using and Subverting Them (ft. Jessica Bendinger)
Jul 13, 2023
145 | Our Biggest Lessons From Being On Set (Pt. 2)
Jul 06, 2023
144 | Where To Begin As A Screenwriter (Pt. 3)
Jun 29, 2023
143 | Where To Begin As A Screenwriter (Pt. 2)
Jun 22, 2023
142 | Where To Begin As A Screenwriter
Jun 21, 2023
141 | Television Writing Foundations w/ Javier Grillo-Marxauch
Jun 15, 2023
140 | Writing/Producing Audio Dramas (And Avoiding Gatekeepers) w/ Susan Busa Leshner
Jun 08, 2023
139 | Body Awareness: A New Way To Think About Our Writing (ft. Karyn Kusama)
Jun 01, 2023
ANNOUNCEMENT: TOMORROW (New Date) Join TSL On The Picket Line
May 23, 2023
138 | Your WGA Strike Questions Answered By Negotiating Committee Members Michele Mulroney and David A. Goodman
May 17, 2023
137 | Stranger Things Writer/Producer Curtis Gwinn on Navigating The Writers Room
May 11, 2023
136 | Charlie Day (It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia) On Satire In Our Writing
May 04, 2023
135 | Feeling Your Way Through Early Drafts w/ Kelly Fremon Craig (Are You There God, It's Me Margaret)
Apr 27, 2023
134 | Courage And Honesty In Our Writing w/ Rafael Casal
Apr 20, 2023
133 | Turning Red Writers Domee Shi and Julia Cho Discuss Personal Storytelling Techniques
Apr 14, 2023
132 | The Thematic DNA of Scenes w/ Jane Anderson (+ Musings On Good Dialogue)
Apr 06, 2023
131 | John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side, Saving Mr. Banks) On Empathy In Our Writing And Directing
Mar 30, 2023
130 | Our Biggest Lessons From Being On Set (Part 1)
Mar 23, 2023
129 | Impressing Industry Executives On The Page and In The Pitch ft. Kelly Edwards
Mar 16, 2023
128 | SPECIAL: Writer/Director Roundtable with Just Shoot It Podcast
Mar 09, 2023
127 | Scaffolding: Building Blocks For Your Career and Your Work
Mar 03, 2023
126 | Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Co-Writer Joe Robert Cole: Letting Emotions Guide Our Writing
Feb 23, 2023
125 | The Woman King Writer Dana Stevens on How To Write Character-Driven Action Set Pieces
Feb 16, 2023
124 | Elvis Screenwriter Jeremy Doner on Writing Biopics (and Avoiding Common Pitfalls)
Feb 09, 2023
123 | Dustin Lance Black (Milk, Under the Banner of Heaven) On Nuanced Screenwriting and Avoiding Cliches
Feb 02, 2023
122 | What Do Professional Actors Look For In Good Scripts? (ft. Allison Tolman)
Jan 26, 2023
121 | Sundance Producers/Filmmakers On What Makes Good Writing (ft. Constanza and Doménica Castro)
Jan 20, 2023
New episode drops TOMORROW!
Jan 19, 2023
120 | Professional Writers Share What You're Just "Supposed" To Know
Jan 12, 2023
119 | Setting Realistic Writing Resolutions For The New Year
Jan 06, 2023
118 | SPECIAL: Live Story Workshop From the 2022 Austin Film Festival (ft. Joe Forte)
Dec 30, 2022
117 | How To Write A Christmas or Holiday Movie (w/ Eirene Tran Donohue)
Dec 23, 2022
116 | How To Stay Focused and Motivated Through Rewrites (Pick A Pony)
Dec 19, 2022
115 | Can We Write Characters that Don't Reflect Our Experience? (ft. Dr. Yalda T Uhls)
Dec 12, 2022
114 | How Writers Collaborate With Animated Directors ft. Nora Twomey
Dec 05, 2022
New episodes dropping MONDAY!
Dec 02, 2022
113 | (REBROADCAST) Finding Self-Compassion For Your Writing...And YOURSELF w/ Dr. Kristin Neff
Nov 25, 2022
112 | Finding Conviction In Your Writing w/ Patrick Osborne
Nov 17, 2022
111 | Tone In Your Writing: The Definitive Episode (w/ Sheila Hanahan Taylor)
Nov 11, 2022
New Episode Drops TOMORROW!
Nov 10, 2022
110 | Advice For Script Readability (And Other Musings) - MAILBAG
Nov 03, 2022
109 | Your Ultimate Guide To Writing Labs and Retreats
Oct 27, 2022
108 | The Importance of Flexibility as a Writer/Director w/ Matthew Gentile
Oct 20, 2022
107 | Writing Your Main Relationship And Why It Matters (Mailbag)
Oct 13, 2022
106 | (REBROADCAST) Andrew Stanton's Storytelling Masterclass
Oct 10, 2022
105 | Writers Groups w/ Nicholl Winners Alisha Brophy and Scott Miles
Oct 01, 2022
104 | The Future Of Storytelling (Metaversal Writing & VFX) w/ Ben Grossmann
Sep 22, 2022
103 | Adapting Material (Books, Biographies, and Intellectual Property)
Sep 16, 2022
102 | Creating and Healing Wounded Characters w/ Studio Exec Turned Coach Jen Grisanti
Sep 08, 2022
101 | Comedy Legend Dan O'Shannon On What Makes Our Writing Funny
Sep 01, 2022
100 | 100 Lessons We've Learned About Writing
Aug 25, 2022
99 | Thoughts On Loglines, Antagonists, and Microbudget Filmmaking (Patreon Preview)
Aug 18, 2022
98 | The Definitive Lava Episode
Aug 11, 2022
97 | Checking Back In + The Importance Of Meeting Your Own Needs
Aug 08, 2022
96 | Dig Deeper: 7 Tips To Discover What Your Story is REALLY About
Jul 21, 2022
95| LIVE Q&A From The SLO Film Festival
Jul 14, 2022
94 | Short Films: Writing, Shooting, and Using Them For Your Career (LIVE From SLO)
Jul 07, 2022
93 | LIVE Story Workshop From the SLO Film Festival (Plus a Q+A)
Jun 30, 2022
92 | Writers Rooms: Getting Granular w/ David F.M. Vaughn
Jun 23, 2022
91 | How To Vacation As A Writer
Jun 16, 2022
90 | Finding The Thematic “Thesis Statement” Of Your Script w/ Maggie Cohn
Jun 09, 2022
89 | Helping Writers Get Repped, The Personal Logline, Taking Meetings, and More w/ Joey Tuccio
Jun 02, 2022
88 | Alex Kurtzman & Jenny Lumet: Why Destabilization Is Essential For Your Writing
May 27, 2022
87 | SNL Alumnus Anna Drezen On Balancing Emotional Truth and Intellect In Your Writing
May 19, 2022
86 | Dr. Strange 2 Writer Michael Waldron On Emotionally Authentic Writing
May 13, 2022
85 | Getting To The Heart Of Your Story w/ Pat Verducci
May 06, 2022
84 | Overcoming "Analysis Paralysis" In Your Writing
Apr 28, 2022
83 | Contests, Fellowships, Labs & Residences: Everything You Need To Know (ft. Lisanne Sartor)
Apr 21, 2022
82 | Lorien McKenna On Trusting Her Inner Voice As A Creative & Writer
Apr 14, 2022
81 | Why Character "Wants" Matter More Than Almost Anything Else
Mar 24, 2022
80 | How To Take Care Of Your “Writer Self” When You're Overwhelmed
Mar 20, 2022
79 | Meg LeFauve's Nine Lives In Hollywood (Featuring A Special Guest!)
Mar 05, 2022
78 | Character Poles: A Simple but POWERFUL Way To Shape Your Characters
Feb 17, 2022
77 | Finding, Acquiring, and Keeping A Literary Manager w/ Charlie Gogolak
Feb 10, 2022
76 | How To GIVE Great Notes On Writing
Feb 03, 2022
75 | Finding Your Brand as a Writer w/ Manager Alison Mann
Jan 31, 2022
74 | Finding Self-Compassion For Your Writing...And YOURSELF w/ Dr. Kristin Neff
Jan 24, 2022
73 | 6 Essential Tips for TV Writers
Jan 16, 2022
72 | Three-Dimensional Character Toolbox: Wants, Desires, and Agency
Dec 27, 2021
71 | Agency & Writer’s Assistant Jobs: Everything You Need To Know
Dec 21, 2021
70 | Stephen Karam On Crafting Authenticity In Our Writing
Dec 12, 2021
69 | Discovering (And Honing) Your Comedic Voice w/ Shantira Jackson & Dewayne Perkins
Dec 05, 2021
68 | Building The Emotional Fortitude To Be A Screenwriter
Nov 28, 2021
67 | Knowing When To Quit A Project (But Stay On The Path)
Nov 21, 2021
66 | Monique N. Matthews On Mentorship and Writing For Hallmark
Nov 14, 2021
65 | Discussing The Work/Life Balance Of Screenwriting
Nov 07, 2021
64 | Balancing Characters, Humor, and Action w/ Nicole Perlman
Nov 01, 2021
63 | LIVE From The Austin Film Festival: Story Workshop
Oct 24, 2021
62 | How To Find Truth in Comedy w/ Sam Bain
Oct 17, 2021
61 | Writing Across Multiple Genres And Finding Your Voice w/ Sean Presant
Oct 11, 2021
60 | How To Break Into A TV Writer's Room w/ Stacy Rukeyser
Oct 03, 2021
59 | LIVE From the London Screenwriter's Festival: Why Do We Write?
Sep 26, 2021
58 | LIVE From the MCX Screenmaker's Conference: Marrying Lava With Craft
Sep 19, 2021
57 | Million Dollar Ideas w/ Matt Lieberman
Aug 30, 2021
56 | BONUS: Ask Meg Anything About Writing
Aug 26, 2021
55 | You Got Your First Big Writing Win...Now What?
Aug 24, 2021
54 | Showrunning: Anything & Everything You Need To Know
Aug 16, 2021
53 | Honor Your Calling As A Creative & Screenwriter (Create Out Loud w/ Jen Louden)
Jul 11, 2021
52 | Screenwriting: The Joys, The Rage, The Legacy
Jul 04, 2021
51 | Vanessa Taylor On Non-Verbal Storytelling Secrets
Jun 27, 2021
50 | The Day To Day Process Of Screenwriting
Jun 20, 2021
49 | Michael Arndt's Act 1 Masterclass
Jun 13, 2021
48 | Connecting Craft To Money And Career (As Screeenwriters)
Jun 06, 2021
47 | Nine Writing Secrets From Our A-List Guests
May 30, 2021
46 | Writing Great TV Characters w/ Javier Grillo-Marxuach
May 23, 2021
45 | Overcome Dry Spells In Your Writing w/ Self-Compassion (Jen Louden)
May 16, 2021
44 | Drawing Boundaries For Yourself And Your Characters
May 09, 2021
43 | Pitching & Meetings: EVERYTHING You Need To Know (Sheila Hanahan Taylor Pt. 2)
May 05, 2021
42 | Rookie Mistakes & The Power Of Genre (Sheila Hanahan Taylor Pt. 1)
May 02, 2021
41 | Your Screenwriting Emergency Toolkit
Apr 25, 2021
40 | Marti Noxon On TV Writing (EVERYTHING You Need To Know)
Apr 18, 2021
39 | Andrew Stanton's Storytelling Master Class
Apr 11, 2021
38.5 | Minisode: Why Character Problems Are Your Solution
Apr 07, 2021
38 | Writing Antagonists (And Why They're Really About Your Hero)
Apr 04, 2021
37 | LIVE From The London Screenwriter's Festival: Writing Emotion
Mar 28, 2021
36 | Oscar-Nominated Screenwriter Kemp Powers On Adaptation
Mar 21, 2021
35 | John August On Worldbuilding In Your Writing
Mar 14, 2021
34 | Putting Yourself (And Your Writing) OUT There
Mar 07, 2021
33 | Anne Lamott: Make Your Writing Fears Work For YOU
Feb 28, 2021
32 | Writer Ed Solomon (Bill & Ted, MIB): Finding Emotional Truth In Every Story
Feb 21, 2021
31 | Finding INSPIRATION In Your Writing
Feb 14, 2021
30 | 5 Crucial Questions On Craft + Writing
Jan 31, 2021
29 | The Long Road For Writers
Jan 24, 2021
28 | Getting Perspective: Taking The 30,000 Foot View Of Your Writing
Jan 17, 2021
27 | Self Talk Your Way Into Loving Your Own Writing
Jan 10, 2021
26 | SPECIAL: Meg & Lorien INTERVIEWED By Jeff (2018 Throwback)
Dec 27, 2020
25 | Q&A w/ Pixar's SOUL Screenwriter Mike Jones
Dec 20, 2020
24 | Perfectionism Kills Your Writing
Dec 13, 2020
23 | Q&A w/ Million Dollar Producers Bonnie Curtis and Julie Lynn
Dec 06, 2020
22 | Finding Your People (Writers Need Writers)
Nov 22, 2020
21 | Overcome EXCUSES & Keep Writing!
Nov 15, 2020
20 | Importance of PLAY In Your Writing (And Life)
Nov 01, 2020
19 | How "Too Many Voices" Can Affect Your Writing
Oct 25, 2020
18 | Voice: What It Is And How To Find It
Oct 18, 2020
17 | Screenwriting As A Career (+ WGA Questions) w/ Jonathan Fernandez
Oct 11, 2020
16 | Diving Into (Or Back Into) Your Writing
Oct 04, 2020
15 | Don't Give Up: The Importance Of Hope As A Writer
Jul 11, 2020
14 | Outlining/Chunking In Your Writing
Jun 27, 2020
An Update - The Screenwriting Life
Jun 12, 2020
13 | Tips On Navigating Hollywood
May 30, 2020
12 | Imbuing Characters with Agency
May 26, 2020
11 | Working With Directors (As A Writer)
May 15, 2020
10 | Working With Producer (As A Writer)
May 08, 2020
9 | How To Overcome Writer's Block
May 02, 2020
8 | Enduring The Roller Coaster of Rejection
Apr 25, 2020
7 | Mastering Structure In Your Screenplay: Part II
Apr 17, 2020
6 | Mastering Structure In Your Screenplay: Part I
Apr 11, 2020
5 | Writing With A Partner
Apr 04, 2020
4 | Uncover the Theme of Your Screenplay
Mar 28, 2020
3 | What Actually Is THEME In Your Screenplay?
Mar 21, 2020
2 | Turning Ideas Into Screenplays
Mar 07, 2020
1 | Getting Notes On Your Work
Mar 05, 2020