🎬 Headed to the Austin Film Festival next week? Time to sharpen your elevator pitch! This week we’re revisiting our classic episode on the 90-SECOND PITCH. Perfect prep for anyone getting ready to sell their story. 💪✨ 🎧 LISTEN HERE ➡ shorturl.at/yoOhM #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast

🎉 NEW EPISODE! 🎉 Fresh off his Emmy win for SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE, Jeff Hiller joins us to talk about his hilarious and deeply moving memoir Actress of a Certain Age — and why it’s never too late to chase your dreams. 🎧 LISTEN HERE ➡ shorturl.at/Z1kif%E2%81%A0 #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast

🎶 NEW EPISODE! 🎶 How do you fit K-pop, demon hunting, comedy, AND heart into one movie? 👹 Maggie Kang & Chris Appelhans, the writer-directors of KPOP DEMON HUNTERS, tell us how they pulled it off. 🎧 LISTEN HERE ➡ shorturl.at/B6kDI #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast

🎉 NEW EPISODE! 🎉 “Your first draft should feel like a seduction." Oscar-winner Akiva Goldsman (A BEAUTIFUL MIND, I AM LEGEND) shares his no-BS approach to writing — from scene litmus tests to why you need to treat writing like a job. 🎧 LISTEN HERE ➡ shorturl.at/pWZR9 #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast

Your story engine = your movie’s survival 🚗💨 In this rebroadcast of one of our most popular episodes, we break down 8 elements every feature needs to go from fade in to fade out. 🎧 LISTEN HERE ➡ shorturl.at/6ibIz #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast

🎉 NEW EPISODE! 🎉 No stars. No big budget. Just resourcefulness + a bold idea. Filmmaker and @nofilmschool.bsky.social host GG Hawkins tells Jeff how she pulled off her breakout feature I REALLY LOVE MY HUSBAND. 🎧 LISTEN HERE ➡ shorturl.at/pnW08 #KeepWriting #IndieFilmCraft

🎉 NEW EPISODE! 🎉 Meg talks with writer, actor, and filmmaker Eva Victor about their debut feature SORRY, BABY — a darkly funny, deeply personal story of friendship, trauma, and hope. 🎧 LISTEN HERE ➡ shorturl.at/gcI60 #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast

🎉 NEW EPISODE! 🎉 Every writer dreams of getting their script into the right hands — but what actually makes a producer want to fight for your project? Julie Waters, producer of Sundance darling OH, HI!, has some answers. 🎧 LISTEN HERE ➡ shorturl.at/xUcyk #KeepWriting #IndieFilmCraft

🎉 NEW EPISODE! 🎉 Kaz Firpo (Marvel’s ETERNALS, RUIN) shares the timeless craft lessons that make a great screenplay — from writing scenes that land without sound, to creating emotional clarity on the page. LISTEN HERE ➡ shorturl.at/FJSSy #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast

🎉 NEW EPISODE! 🎉 Meg and Lorien dive into a messy, magical stage of screenwriting: THE BARF DRAFT — your first unfiltered pass at a script. LISTEN HERE ➡️ shorturl.at/Gf5gO #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast

🎉 NEW EP! 🎉 From THE HATEFUL EIGHT to CAPTAIN FANTASTIC, costume designer turned director/writer Courtney Hoffman knows how clothes tell a story. What should you not write in your script about wardrobe? FIND OUT HERE ➡ shorturl.at/f19Ri #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast

🎉 NEW EPISODE! 🎉 THE STUDIO on Apple TV+ is sharp, funny, and heartfelt — just like its co-creator Frida Perez. Today, Frida shares how the team turned Hollywood chaos into one of this year’s best shows. 🎧 LISTEN HERE ➡ shorturl.at/Y9PMp #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast

🎉 NEW EPISODE! 🎉 Literary managers Daniela Gonzalez (Good Fear Content) and Garrett Greer (Haven Entertainment) continue to discuss how writers get their second staffing job, and what the heck is actually happening in the industry. LISTEN HERE ➡ shorturl.at/x41n0 #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast

🎉 NEW EPISODE! 🎉 In Part 1 of a 2-part conversation, literary managers Daniela Gonzalez (Good Fear Content) and Garrett Greer (Haven Entertainment) join us to unpack what “breaking in” looks like today. LISTEN HERE ➡️ shorturl.at/XpUxT #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast

🎉 NEW EPISODE! 🎉 How do you turn a real-life moment into a movie — without studio backing or a big festival launch? Jeff talks with The Bragg Brothers about making PINBALL: THE MAN WHO SAVED THE GAME. LISTEN HERE ➡️ shorturl.at/StgI3 #KeepWriting #IndieFilmCraft

🎉 NEW EPISODE! 🎉 This week, TV writers Sylvia Batey Alcalá (A MAN ON THE INSIDE, PRIMO) and Mac Smullen (SOUVENIR, ALASKA) share how the Austin Film Festival helped open doors that had long felt closed. LISTEN HERE ➡️ shorturl.at/GnfOG #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast

🎉 NEW EPISODE! 🎉 "I'm stuck." We've all been there. In this episode, Meg gets real about where she’s at in her writing process — the doubts, the stalls, and the honest truth of feeling stuck. LISTEN HERE ➡ shorturl.at/41Isa #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast

🎉 NEW (KILLER!) EPISODE 🎉 Fresh off success of FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES, friend of the show Sheila Hanahan Taylor is back to share the ins and outs of producing a studio movie. CLICK HERE to listen to Sheila unpack it all ➡ rb.gy/cqsv8u #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast

🎉 NEW EPISODE! 🎉 This week, DYING FOR SEX co-creator/showrunner Kim Rosenstock unpacks how a complicated protagonist with a simple goal drives interesting, rich, and emotionally resonant storytelling. CLICK HERE to listen ➡ shorturl.at/xRLMX #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast

🎉 NEW EPISODE! 🎉 What’s it like to collaborate creatively with your spouse... and still want to have dinner together after? This week, we’re joined by Joe Forte, screenwriter (FIREWALL) and longtime writing partner (and husband!) of Meg LeFauve. shorturl.at/NvlOM #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast

🎉 OUR 250TH EPISODE! 🎉 When you’re pitching, what sets you apart is your "take." But what does that actually mean? This week, showrunner/producer/director Jac Schaeffer (WANDAVISION, AGATHA ALL ALONG) breaks it down. LISTEN HERE ➡️ shorturl.at/CzUCQ #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast

🎉 NEW EPISODE! 🎉 Today's guests are 3 working screenwriters — Nic Curcio, Kristen Tepper, and Julia Yorks — who have each built successful writing careers while also growing authentic, engaged followings online. LISTEN HERE ➡ shorturl.at/xqPPk #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast

🎉 Episode 2 of INDIE FILM CRAFT is here! 🎉 Producer Jeff chats with writer/director/producer Trey Edward Shults (WAVES, KRISHA) about HURRY UP TOMORROW — his ambitious new feature collaboration with The Weeknd. LISTEN HERE ➡ shorturl.at/0QvKh #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast #IndieFilmCraft

🎉 NEW EPISODE! 🎉 In this special edition of our mailbag series, we’re flipping the script! Instead of questions from newcomers, we hear from working, professional screenwriters. LISTEN HERE ➡ shorturl.at/IbIhZ #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast

🎉 NEW EPISODE! 🎉 This week, veteran director Rob Spera joins us to discuss his new handbook on the fundamentals of directing — and how those same principles can elevate your screenwriting. CLICK HERE to listen ➡ shorturl.at/Tdjuc #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast

🎉 NEW EPISODE! 🎉 Emily Brundige was tired of waiting around for gatekeepers to say yes. So, she stopped asking. In this candid conversation, Emily shares how her self-produced animated short became GOLDIE, a series now on Apple TV+. LISTEN HERE ➡ shorturl.at/3iH9q #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast

🎉 NEW EPISODE! 🎉 Carla Banks-Waddles (BEL-AIR) has lived many lives as a writer. From multi-cam half hour rooms, to pivoting towards single cam serialized family dramas, Carla has had a wonderfully diverse career. How? LISTEN HERE ➡ shorturl.at/78IIc #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast

🎉 NEW EPISODE! 🎉 Brent Forrester (THE OFFICE, THE SIMPSONS) wasn't naturally funny, and he's the first person to admit it. Listen to Brent's insider tips about how to crack the comedy code ➡️ shorturl.at/mIV22 #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast

🎉 (A VERY THERAPEUTIC) NEW EPISODE! 🎉 If you've ever wanted to quit writing, then this TSL episode is for you. Lorien & Meg dive headfirst into the lava and have a candid conversation about what it feels like to be a creative human in the world right now. LISTEN HERE ➡️ shorturl.at/09I3m

🎉 Episode 1 of INDIE FILM CRAFT is here! 🎉 On the first episode of our new spinoff show, writer/directors Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz (THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON, LOS FRIKIS) discuss how filmmaking is like building a house. CLICK HERE to listen ➡ shorturl.at/lqNcE #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast

🎉 NEW EPISODE! 🎉 John Henion (WELCOME TO WREXHAM) has had an impressive career as an episodic documentary filmmaker. Today John tells us how finding a connective THEME is one of the most valuable ways to create a satisfying story. CLICK HERE to listen ➡️ shorturl.at/1FiZ3 #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast

🎉 NEW EPISODE! 🎉 What makes a great comedic character? For the Molyneux Sisters (BOB’S BURGERS, THE GREAT NORTH), it's specificity, character quirks, and close observations about the friends (and strangers) around you. CLICK HERE to listen ➡ shorturl.at/Y9bjm #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast

🎉 NEW EPISODE! 🎉 Today we welcome #1 New York Times best-selling author GEORGE SAUNDERS. George is just as obsessed with story math as we are, so tune in to hear his musings about the magic of great storytelling. LISTEN HERE ➡ shorturl.at/8Hwlx #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast

🎉 NEW EPISODE! 🎉 WICKED co-writer Dana Fox offers a very generous admission in today's conversation: "I find writing REALLY torturous." Tune in as she discusses how she pushes through the blocks - or, more fittingly, defies gravity. LISTEN HERE ➡️ shorturl.at/vekuj #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast

🎉 NEW EPISODE! 🎉 Do you have to live in LA or NY to pursue a screenwriting career? A STAR IS BORN writer Will Fetters and BURIED writer Chris Sparling join us to talk about making your writing career work no matter where you live. LISTEN HERE ➡ shorturl.at/EBery #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast

🎉 NEW EPISODE! 🎉 You have the opportunity to turn August Wilson's Pulitzer-winning play "The Piano Lesson" into a movie. What do you do first? Director/co-writer Malcolm Washington and Oscar-nominated co-writer Virgil Williams escaped to the desert. CLICK HERE to listen ➡ shorturl.at/yOQhs

🎉 NEW EPISODE! 🎉 What sounds harder: Writing a pilot alone at your desk, or running your own TV show with 300 folks trying to execute your vision? For NO GOOD DEED and DEAD TO ME creator Liz Feldman, it's the former. CLICK HERE to listen ➡ shorturl.at/i0ZGI #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast

🎉 NEW EPISODE! 🎉 What makes a great Act 3? Pixar story genius Mike Jones ("Dream Productions," "Soul") gets candid with Meg about endings: what makes a great ending, and more important, what makes an emotional ending. LISTEN HERE ➡️ shorturl.at/BH5YX #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast

🎉 NEW EPISODE! 🎉 Today, The Muppets writer, story consultant, and coveted fairy tale expert Kelly Younger discusses why so much of modern storytelling is based on a centuries-old art form. LISTEN HERE ➡️ shorturl.at/A1BDr #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast

GLEN MAZZARA has created and/or showran a litany of amazing projects, from THE WALKING DEAD to DAMIEN. Navigating TV development can be a complicated game of chess, but Glen breaks down the game with a refreshing amount of candor. LISTEN HERE ➡ shorturl.at/4cwNE #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast

Welcome to a special 2-part episode focused on one of the most coveted and elusive roles in the industry: the writers’ assistant! Part 1 here ➡️ shorturl.at/PbqBq Part 2 here ➡️ shorturl.at/y4uNW #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast

🎉 NEW EPISODE! 🎉 “Sing Sing” co-writer Clint Bentley unpacks how he involved the real life creators behind the theater program that inspired the movie, and - yes, this is true! - how his team managed to pay everyone on set the exact same day rate. LISTEN HERE ➡️ shorturl.at/R4LbJ

Ring in the new year with part 2 of our 🎉2024 Supercut🎉, ft. the past year‘s guests answering our 3 Big Questions! CLICK HERE to listen ➡️ shorturl.at/pFXWW #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast

🎉 FINAL EPISODE OF 2024! 🎉 What brings you the most joy when it comes to writing? What pisses you off about writing? And what advice would you give to your younger self? Today's supercut captures heartfelt answers from TSL guests over the past year. FULL EPISODE HERE ➡ shorturl.at/kvSvg

🎉 NEW EPISODE! 🎉 Oscar-Nominated writer Susannah Grant offers answers to a lot of the thorny questions that come up when you're working in the world of adaptation. What's truth, what's fact, and is there a difference between the two? CLICK HERE to listen ➡ shorturl.at/AlQYz

🎉 NEW EPISODE! 🎉 In today's conversation, CHALLENGERS writer Justin Kuritzkes walks us through how he approached a story that revolves around complicated characters navigating complicated romantic dynamics. CLICK HERE to listen ➡ shorturl.at/VHewU #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast

🎉 NEW EPISODE! 🎉 Despite the BAFTA wins and other accolades, Sharon Horgan didn't begin her writing career until her mid-30s. How did Sharon’s previous professional experiences give her ammo to write interesting, nuanced characters? LISTEN HERE ➡ shorturl.at/IKDhU #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast

🎉 NEW EPISODE! 🎉 Coming to you live from Austin Film Festival 2024! Thanks to @austinfilm.bsky.social for welcoming us back for another Story Workshop, and a special thanks to Brittney, Jessica, and Adam for sharing their projects. LISTEN HERE ➡ shorturl.at/xO5uA #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast

🎉 NEW EPISODE! 🎉 World-renowned psychiatrist Dr. Dan Siegel shares how we form belief systems in our developmental years, and what it takes for us to transform (a.k.a. the 3-act journey of a feature). FULL EPISODE HERE ➡️ shorturl.at/NMGJn #KeepWriting #TSLPodcast