Book club scams are now threatening authors who don't fall for their BS. In December, I received an email from Herry Sharp, so-called CEO of "Super Book Lover Curator" praising my novella We Who Hunt Alexanders. Totally AI-generated and a scam so I didn't respond. Now Herry is threatening me. 1/

Here's Colbert's interview with @jamestalarico.bsky.social that the Trump administration so feared (!) they had the FCC pressure CBS and got them to pull it off the air.

Ofelia Torres, the teenage Chicago Public Schools student whose fight against cancer while her father was detained by ICE came to represent the federal government's overreach during Operation Midway Blitz, has died. Brave young woman. I will never forget her. RIP.

If you’ve always wanted to try writing a screenplay but haven’t started yet, you’re definitely not alone. Spring 10-week class starts March 17. Early Bird ($100 off) ends Feb 24. thescreenplayworkshop.org #screenwriting #writingcommunity #screenwritingclass

Horrific

The Trump administration is incarcerating migrant girls in, essentially, a forced pregnancy camp.

Some children in Dilley were so distraught they cut themselves or talked about suicide, parents told ProPublica. They said kids lost their appetites after finding worms and mold on their food, had trouble sleeping, and were constantly sick.

His GoFundMe is here: www.gofundme.com/f/support-le... - I donated a few days ago.

Thanks! Apologizing in advance that now you won't be able to shut that off. Now that you've seen what's happening behind the scenes re structure, you can't unsee it. 😉

Hey want to help the whistle goblins I print with make more whistles? There are approximately eleventy-billion wishlists here with filament begging to be bought and turned into whistles to deploy to across the country. Buy some filament and help the cause: linktr.ee/WhistleWishl...

Okay! This has already inspired a bunch of DMs, so I made a page on the website. If you have 50,000+ Skymiles and would be willing to book flights to get someone home, please fill this out.

SCTV is on Internet Archive if you'd like to enjoy the early work of Catherine O'Hara and her fellow sketch comedy gods. S1: archive.org/details/sctv... S2: archive.org/details/sctv... S3: archive.org/details/19-m... S4-5: archive.org/details/66-s... S6 + Cinemax: archive.org/details/sctv... #TVSky

NEW: The @wired.com Security desk put together a comprehensive guide to filming ICE—with tips for reducing risk at the forefront. No paywall, but please consider subscribing to help find these kinds of resources. And stay safe out there. www.wired.com/story/how-to... www.wired.com/v2/offers/wi...

NEW: There are 2,400+ elections for DA & sheriff this year. These matter hugely to criminal justice & policing—including: *these are often officials who decide ICE collaboration.* So I took a dive into these 2,400+ races to identify early hotspots and battlegrounds. Read, & check out our maps:

DHS has shot 12 people during immigration enforcement operations since September:

If you’re outside of Minnesota and you’re wondering how to help, this guide is excellent. And seriously. Take down your Ring doorbell TODAY.

Sayre: "My background is in international humanitarian response in conflict zones in Yemen, Haiti, Syria, Iraq, and Ukraine. What I've seen here is what I've seen there. A powerful entity violently and intentionally terrorizing people."

A number of people from out-of-state have been opening tabs at small businesses—coffee shops where people on patrol can grab a drink and warm up, bars where people can be in community, etc. It’s been a deeply appreciated form of solidarity and helps the businesses closing tomorrow.

This is an incredible round-up of the dozens of on-the-ground orgs in Minneapolis and across Minnesota, doing the hard work of supporting community and fighting ICE in every way possible. Find one (or ten) to support. www.standwithminnesota.com

Now seems like a swell time to point out that Frontline just released this excellent 11-minute mini-documentary about what happened inside CECOT.

I met Rob Reiner in 2015 at a comedy show in Austin. I was at a low point and needed a boost. Then he appeared. thebarbedwire.com/2025/12/15/r...

Thinking of writing (or rewriting) a screenplay? Join me Dec 15 for a FREE live class where I’ll teach the Nutshell Technique—my method used by Oscar & Emmy winners & beginners alike to fix story structure fast. Last time I’m teaching it live! RSVP: tinyurl.com/free-nutshel... #screenwriters

“The communications could help prove what’s known as “willful” infringement, which triggers significantly higher damages of $150,000 per work.“

Congrats to screenwriters Mark Haapala and Stewart Gold on the premiere of "The Christmas Cup" this Sunday at 6 on the Hallmark Channel! #screenwriting #nutshelltechnique

Your annual reminder that books and classes make excellent gifts! My book, The Nutshell Technique, is available wherever fine books are sold. www.amazon.com/Nutshell-Tec... And did you know that auditor tuition for my 10 week screenwriting class is $195? www.thescreenplayworkshop.org

a PSA: most nonprofit newsrooms right now are probably participating in the NewsMatch program RIGHT NOW. That’s a program funded by a few foundations that “matches” your end-of-year donation. If you set up $10 monthly, that literally unlocks $120 from NewsMatch. So who could you support?

Gmail users!! They've turned on AI scraping by default now...Here's how to turn it off. Pass it on!! www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/20...

Stop dreaming. Start writing. www.thescreenplayworkshop.org

It's hard to overstate what a catastrophe it would be for moviemaking and moviegoers if the Ellisons are allowed to acquire Warner Brothers and merge it with Paramount. I know that rooting for Comcast and/or Netflix sticks in a lot of throats here but those would be far better alternatives... >

If you reach out to me, I will help you with your pitch and look at a draft. Lollardfish at gmail.

Don't miss out on the fun! Wednesday class meets AM in the US / PM in Europe. www.thescreenplayworkshop.org

Learn the Nutshell Technique and take your scripts to the next level. Live class with creator Jill Chamberlain. The recording will be provided to registrants who can't attend live. RSVP: bit.ly/46miUcX

Find the Nexstar station nearest to you, note the ads during the local news and contact the advertisers List here: www.nexstar.tv/stations/

"More professors in the United States have been fired for controversial views in the past week than any other week in all of American history." www.insidehighered.com/opinion/colu...

Here is my best guidance, rendered beautifully by the great John Lithgow. I first published these lessons nearly nine years ago, in late 2016. They open the twenty chapters of "On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century." snyder.substack.com/p/twenty-les...

I’m not sure who deserves more disdain and disgust: Trump and the FCC for their blatant violation of the Constitution or Disney and Nexstar for sacrificing their values and folding to a wannabe Mob Boss. It was Jimmy Kimmel tonight, but dare to criticize the president and it could be you tomorrow.

WGA Statement on ABC’s Decision to Pull Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Authors - check the LibGen database. If your work is in there (like mine is), it was used to train AI!! If the techbros stole your work, fight back. Sign up for the class action! It takes less than a minute.

Flattered actor/writer/producer Mark Feuerstein loved my class so much he volunteered this testimonial! Sign up: www.thescreenplayworkshop.org (1/3)

As Floods Hit, Key Roles Were Vacant at Weather Service Offices in Texas www.nytimes.com/2025/07/05/u...

*NEW* Write a beat sheet - 5 Week Program - $445 Write a TV pilot - 10 Week Program - normally $745 but here's a *SPECIAL OFFER* of $100 off with code 100OFFTV Audit - only $145 Meets: Mondays starting June 23, 5-7:30 pm PDT. Watch live on Zoom or watch videos later. www.thescreenplayworkshop.org

My workshop in Bern, Switzerland with FOCAL, a training center for film professionals in the industry. Not surprisingly, this was an accomplished group -- creators of well known TV series, writer/directors of art house features, animators, etc. (1/2)

We're back, baby! Save the date: Wednesday, June 11, from 6-10pm for the first Westside Writers Meetup of 2025 (delay due to the Palisades Fire). Come hang with your fellow writers, bring a friend or enemy, everyone is invited. And remember our motto: Free Parking.

THIS SUNDAY - Free Class on the Nutshell Technique! Live class packed with content. Registrants will also receive a link to the class recording. RSVP at us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

I haven’t done a #Scriptsky #Screenwriting 🧵 in a while, so here’s one on my favorite terms that I’ve only ever heard in a writers’ room. They’re a shorthand for a variety of things that can either really help or hurt a script, so even if you’re not in a room, many are invaluable ideas… 1/x

PARIS!! We had so much fun at my Paris workshop that we forgot to take a class photo, but here I am with Andrea Dolente, the organizer. Andrea is an actor and acting teacher who took my Screenwriting Master Class last summer because he wants to develop his own material for acting. (1/x)

FREE CLASS! I'll be teaching the Nutshell Technique for TV Writing and Features LIVE: Sunday, June 1 at 10 am PDT / 12 pm CDT / 1 pm EDT / 6 pm BST / 7 pm CEST Registrants will also receive a link to the recording the next day. RSVP: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Just got the photos from the London Screenwriters' Festival. Had a fantastic time meeting fans of the Nutshell Technique as well as introducing others to it. Packed venues with very professional set ups!