For their 25th podcast, John and Craig tackle listener questions.

How does a screenwriter option a novel he wants to adapt? John has optioned two novels — one through a studio, and one on his own — while Craig recently optioned his first. In each of these cases, we found the psychological aspects to be just as important as the legal ones.

When can a writer say he “wrote” a movie — particularly if there are other credited writers? John and Craig disagree a bit here, with John trying to draw the distinction between “worked on” and “wrote.”

Finally, should an aspiring writer focus on television or features? The answer from two feature writers may surprise you. Or not: television is pretty damn good these day.

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Links:

• Finding out if a book has been optioned
• The Hero from Otherwhere by Jay Williams
• What’s That Book?
• Big Fish, a Novel of Mythical Proportions by Daniel Wallace
• How I Became a Famous Novelist by Steve Hely
• INTRO: The Gary Coleman Show opening credits
• OUTRO: I Wanna Dance with Somebody by Adrian Glynn

You can download the episode here: AAC | mp3.

John and Craig open up the listener mailbag to answer questions about formatting lyrics, foreign dialogue and title trademarks. We also dive in to discuss overall deals, which are common in television but quite rare among feature writers.

Also this week: The launch of the plain text screenwriting format Fountain, and John’s love for the all-singing, all-dancing, Superbowl-sized NBC network promo.

There’s also brief discussion of some sporting event that happened two Sundays ago.

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Links:

• NBC’s “Brotherhood of Man” promo (updated link)
• Fountain
• Where to send a question
• INTRO: Fresno opening credits
• OUTRO: Wessex Boy by Frank Turner

You can download the episode here: AAC | mp3.

UPDATE 2-16-12: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

After last week’s depressing reality-check, Craig and John float back to the lands of joyful possibility with a look at theme, or central dramatic argument, or whatever you choose to call that narrative glue that helps hold a story together.

Theme, like structure, is one of those screenwriting terms that entrances newcomers and annoys veterans. Or at least it annoys John.

Generally, when you’re talking about theme, you’re trying to answer the question, “What is the story really about?” Your plot might concern a spy and stolen nuclear missiles, but the intellectual/emotional heart of the story is whether any man be trusted. Or whether all good acts are selfish. Or if men and women can be friends. (Nora Ephron’s Bourne Identity.)

Also discussed: John’s love for OmniFocus + Siri, braindead tasks, and cancer — but only briefly, because this will be a happy show, god help us.

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Links:

• Getting Things Done
• OmniFocus
• Craig’s endless thread on Done Deal Pro
• John’s post on Writing from Theme
• Danny Rubin’s How to Write Groundhog Day
• INTRO: Sunshine Day
• OUTRO: Victory Celebration (the Ewok Song)
• Original Ewok celebration song

You can download the episode here: AAC | mp3.

UPDATE 2-9-12: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

Following up on their conversation about “five figure advice” for newly-employed screenwriters, Craig and John discuss the changes and challenges that come when writers start making six figures — that is, more than $100K per year.

High-class problems? Sure. Not many aspiring screenwriters will reach that level of success, or sustain it. But in our experience, it’s shortly after having “made it” that many writers find themselves flailing financially, because it’s such a different experience than living paycheck-to-paycheck.

At what should point should you form a loan-out corporation? Should you pay off your student loans? Do you need disability insurance? How about a 401K? And how do you set up a line of credit at a Las Vegas casino?

Esoteric topics to be sure, but if you gather together a group of working screenwriters, this is what they’ll eventually be talking about — the career rather than the craft. Ultimately, a lot of what we discuss this week applies to anyone working for themselves.

Also touched on this week: the difference between casting TV and features, and The Cinema School in the Bronx.

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LINKS:

• Dana Fox’s pilot for Fox
• The Cinema School
• Five figure advice
• INTRO: Big Blue Marble intro
• OUTRO: Mo Money, Mo Problems

You can download the episode here: AAC | mp3.

UPDATE 2-1-12: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

Craig and John discuss the screenwriter’s role in casting, then segue to the New York Times profile of producer/executive Lindsay Doran and her approach to story.

Doran argues (persuasively) that successful movies are often less about whether the hero wins or loses, but rather how his achievements are measured. For example, a character’s victory is much more satisfying when there is someone to share it with — the real moment isn’t the game-winning touchdown, but when the quarterback kisses his wife afterwards.

She’s not pitching happy endings, but rather positive outcomes. It’s an interesting way to look not just at how we tell stories, but also which stories we tell.

We also touch on the advantages of mentally casting your movie as you write, writing (or rewriting) for the cast you are given, and the delicate art of making someone think he came up with an idea on his own after you plant it in his head.

This and more mind-control tips on the 21st episode of Scriptnotes.

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LINKS:

• Go casting sides for Mannie
• The Remnants casting sides
• The New York Times on Lindsay Doran
• Martin Seligman on Wikipedia
• INTRO: Wild Wild West theme
• OUTRO: Pizzicato Five – Sweet Soul Revue

You can download the episode here: AAC | mp3.

UPDATE 1-26-12: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

John and Craig take an in-depth look at how screenwriting credits are determined. In some ways, credit arbitration is a luxury problem — the movie you wrote got made! — but it’s one of the most controversial, contentious and misunderstood parts of a screenwriter’s career.

Ideally, you’re the first, last and only writer employed on a movie. For Go and The Nines, that was the case. In situations where more than one writer works on a movie, figuring out who deserves credit can become an ordeal.

Most non-animated Hollywood features are written under a WGA contract. Part of that contract specifies that the WGA ultimately determines who receives screenplay and story credit (which collapses into “written by” credit if the same writer receives both). This week, we take a look at the rules, principles and guidelines, and offer advice for writers who find themselves facing a credit arbitration.

Plus, a quick visit to CES.

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LINKS:

• Mat Honan’s sad-and-accurate portral of CES
• WGA’s screen credits manual
• Craig’s guide to writing an effective arbitration statement
• INTRO: CHiPs opening titles
• OUTRO: Stereophonics: You Sexy Thing

You can download the episode here: AAC | mp3.

UPDATE 1-18-12: The transcript of this episode can be found here.