One. Hundred. Percent.

Starting your holiday shopping? Check this thread for independent artists to get amazing things from! Let's support each other, not billionaires!

A LOT of this going around.

This thread. Also: at my (upper/mid) level, all I'm hearing is "make your own thing." I've been doing that for 20 years. It's been a nice way to supplement my scattered income from selling scripts. But to make something, you need to pay the people helping you (at a certain point). So, who funds it?

Yes. The writing is not the problem these days. It’s the fear of buying/development the studios/nets seem to have, it’s the lack of opportunities; the town feels like it’s been shut down since LAST October. And we only had about 2 good weeks before then.

Again, I get it. WRITING is in fact the key to success as a writer. PLEASE continue to writer your specs! Write everything you can when you can. But remember if you're a budding writing right now, a lost lower level, current or pre WGA these are unprecedented times. YOU aren't the problem.

On today's Writers Panel @edgarwright.bsky.social + co-writer Michael Bacall talk THE RUNNING MAN: adapting @stephenking.bsky.social 's novel, writing readable scripts, learning from past experiences, world-building, Glen Powell as secret weapon + more. Links: benblacker.substack.com/p/the-runnin...

I have the most wonderful story for you all today: baby alligator spotted in Charles River, then immediately rescued by local reptile enthusiast

I for one will welcome, etc. www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/2560607...

A great new Writers Panel ep today with writer/director LESLYE HEADLAND (creator, The Acolyte, Russian Doll) about individuality and authenticity, loving Star Wars, crediting her team, how Russian Doll began + lots more. Don't skip it. Links here: benblacker.substack.com/p/leslye-hea...

I want one. I'll take such good care of it.

-there are so many barriers to the entertainment industry, but anyone can make a podcast! -anyone can make a podcast but now mostly only celebrities will make money! -podcasts need to be on video now with multiple camera setups to make any money now. -podcasts are on Netlifx now.

Americans want to watch charismatic people solve moderately difficult problems on a weekly basis. That’s it. And a group of fomo execs and techbros who don’t watch TV drove one of the most profitable industries in the US off a cliff rather than accept that.

If I may dril for a moment, you absolutely do not have to give Trump “credit” for anything, ever. The saying does not go “even a broken clock hires its own gestapo”

i do not know if this justifies the URGENT

Accidentally started a Buffy rewatch.

I'm off doing @thrillingadv.bsky.social things the next couple of weeks, so no new Writers Panel pods. I do, of course, have time to watch as many horror movies as possible. In this week's Re:Writing newsletter, some recs for your spooky viewing season: benblacker.substack.com/p/terror-mes...

the symbolism of “Trump destroying the White House for a overpriced luxury vanity project, during a government shut down, days after a historically-large mass demonstration against his regime called “No Kings”’ would be rightly viewed as laying it on a little thick if it was in a work of fiction

In today's Writers Panel, the showrunners of DMV discuss pitching + selling the show, what they look for in samples when staffing, how comedy has changed since Friends and How I Met Your Mother (where each began), keeping inspired + more. Listen: benblacker.substack.com/p/dana-klein...

I'm not much of a fan of folk horror that takes place in a pre-modern age. These people didn't know what atoms were, I'm supposed to be shocked and horrified that they believe in the God of Weird Sticks? If I had their education, I'd probably believe in the God of Weird Sticks, too.

Truly, tell me, how is this different than Jewish and gay people and Romani people being dragged away by Nazis? And didn’t we have some fairly clear agreement to never let that happen again?

Look, I’ve tried for my whole career to champion writers, but post-season baseball, Survivor, Taskmaster, and GBBO are all running at once, and I dunno y’all…

before and after hegseth's directive

treat every creative you meet like they are successful, fulfilled, and making a living at what they say they do. talk to everyone like they're a pro. don't assume they're struggling just because you don't know their work. this will change the tenor of your conversations.

SHANE BLACK is back on the Writers Panel today to talk about his new movie, PLAY DIRTY, adapting Donald Westlake, how he pushes through imposter syndrome, respectful but playful actors, how production is just “shopping for ingredients” +lots more. benblacker.substack.com/p/shane-blac...

I need a procrastination project, so you’re getting a #TVwriting resources thread! Podcast episodes, articles, blog posts (mostly podcast episodes), organized by subject, for as long as I can maintain it. Off we go... 1/?

I always thought when it was time for a mid career change of profession there would be professions left.

Nothing lives rent free in my head. I am a gray matter slumlord.

Yes sir we're chanting "Release the Earhart Files"

Love this for him.

Been using a new first word in Wordle all week and it feels like I’m having an affair.

the final weekend of the MLB season really matters. read up on what's at stake in today's *free* issue of The Bandwagon with @zcrizer.bsky.social bandwagon.substack.com/p/76-still-m...

Working on a new draft of a script and realized I can excise an entire character to make the story better. But doing so made me... sad? Like, I miss her? Writing is weird.

DHS is barely 20 years old. It was thrown together by a bunch of unsupervised interns in the chaotic wake of 9/11 (that's barely an exaggeration if you read about how inexperienced so many of its creators were). It can easily be disassembled as well. We don't have to live like this.

the cultural crisis is straightforward: there are no longer any formal consequences for blatantly anti-social behavior, and the rest of us are constantly just getting lectured that we have to put up with these assholes making our lives worse

Archive is probably my favorite Riverdell character

Small gig: I'm looking for someone to help me locally archive my mom's Typepad blogs before they're taken down. She is moving the content to Wordpress but I want to save the current HTML structure / images / etc. I tried wget but it's beyond me. Can pay for time spent. DM me if you're interested!

oh look it’s a helpful list of all the Nexstar and Sinclair ABC stations that I guess one could call if they wanted to complain about them not airing Jimmy Kimmel tonight

I give up. deadline.com/2025/09/bigf...

On today's Writers Panel, actor/writer/director/former NFL player NNAMDI ASOMUGHA discusses becoming an actor and now writer and producer, embracing new skills, imposter syndrome, teamwork + just how hard it really is to get a movie out into the world. benblacker.substack.com/p/nnamdi-aso...

Not the biggest issue, but still important: regardless of whether he's doing it on purpose or his brain is mush, there should be a steep political price, with the media questioning his fitness every day, for the President showing he doesn't know the meaning of "asylum." (Same goes for "tariff.")

The Pentagon is implementing new guidelines that will require journalists to sign a pledge and agree to report only approved and officially released information.

Well then this is between them, isn't it?

We didn’t have to live like this. Fuck everyone who voted for this administration

The last @thrillingadv.bsky.social shows of our 20th anniversary tour in NY + London! w @pftompkins.bsky.social @hallublin.com @joshuamalina.bsky.social @busyphilipps.bsky.social @autumnreeser.bsky.social @marcevanjackson.bsky.social + more! Shows nearly sold out so act now: thrillingadventure.live

I'm going to lose my goddamn mind. What the fuck are anti-trust laws for if not shit like this. deadline.com/2025/09/para...

One reason for the overrepresentation of private detectives in 20th century mystery fiction is that municipal police forces were seen as ineffective or corrupt. Same reason Batman and the Shadow had frenemy relationships with police commissioners. The Keystone Kops are the comedy version of this.

BOOM! Studios is HIRING!!! We're looking for a talented, organized, and detail-oriented Assistant Editor with 1-2 years in editorial or a similar field! You will most likely be working directly with me on a variety of comic titles. Please visit the link to apply! bit.ly/42ooXLq #comicjobs