John and Craig open the listener mailbag and sprint through twenty questions in just under an hour.

➤ When John sets a timer for himself, what is his work/break interval sweet spot? (1:12)

➤ How do you break up with your manager? (2:16)

➤ Are there any tricks for organizing files when writing out of order? (3:42)

➤ Why join the WGA? (5:35)

➤ What “lingo” do Craig and John use in story meetings? (13:48)

➤ Will a writer be held back by English being her second language? (17:33)

➤ Is it better to release a short through festivals or by putting it online in parts? (19:37)

➤ Do John and Craig have tips for juggling multiple writing jobs? (21:17)

➤ What is a safe LA neighborhood with good schools for a writer/father who is making the move? (25:56)

➤ Do Craig and John’s finished movies look like they imagined while they were writing them? (30:23)

➤ Is it a smart idea for a 23-year-old aspiring screenwriter to pick up and move to LA? (34:05)

➤ If a character’s race is not specifically mentioned, why is he or she assumed white? (34:57)

➤ Is it okay to refer to specific actors while pitching? What about in the script itself? (39:12)

➤ How did John and Craig meet and decided to collaborate on Scriptnotes? (41:18)

➤ Are screenwriting contests or studio writers’ programs the right step for a 30-year-old mother of one living in Ohio? (42:34)

➤ Why would anyone would want to become a screenwriter in today’s studio climate? (46:38)

➤ If your spec pilot begs to be a premise pilot, is it better to use a non-pilot episode as your sample? (49:15)

➤ Why does page length change when converting files from Movie Magic to Final Draft? Which page count is correct? (51:29)

➤ If your historical epic has a lot of required backstory, is it okay to meet the protagonist on page 30? (53:41)

➤ Is there shame in running with an idea someone else freely posted online? (55:23)

All this and just slightly more on episode 38 of Scriptnotes.

Podcast: Download

LINKS:

• The Pomodoro Technique
• Craig’s Done Deal Pro forums post that prompted the question about “lingo”
• INTRO: Skyhawks intro (via Monte Ferraro)
• OUTRO: Bach’s Prelude & Fugue No. 1 in C Major by The Original Swingle Singers, 1963

You can download the episode here: AAC | mp3.

UPDATE 5-24-12: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

Screenwriters can learn story and structure, but the ability to create real, tangible characters is more elusive — and ultimately more important.

The best gauge of good writing is whether a screenplay’s characters feel distinct and alive. A lot of that comes from how the characters speak: what they say and how they say it.

John and Craig offer some tests to see if your screenplay’s dialogue works:

• Could you take one character’s words and have another say them?
• Can you picture a specific actor speaking each character’s lines? Or, even better, are there actors you can’t picture saying them?
• Do the characters all sound like you, the writer? Or do they have distinct voices?

This week’s listener questions include recycling material, writing large-group action scenes, and possible novels. Craig then rants about the evils of Zynga and the wonder of 1Password.

How do you do an imitation of Denzel Washington? Find out on episode 37 of Scriptnotes.

Podcast: Download

LINKS:

• Jay Mohr’s Mohr Stories
• Jane Espenson (and Douglas Petrie) on the Nerdist Writers Panel
• Derek Haas’s Popcorn Fiction
• Lightning in a Bottle by Craig Mazin, on Popcorn Fiction
• Snake People by John August, on Popcorn Fiction
• 1Password
• Ski Safari
• INTRO: Misfits of Science stereo remix by Stiks1969
• OUTRO: No Frills Love (Extended Dance Remix) by Jennifer Holiday

You can download the episode here: AAC | mp3.

UPDATE 5-18-12: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

John and Craig open the 36th Scriptnotes with a brief discussion about contracts, and then face writer’s block head on.

“Writer’s block” is an overused term. When a writer claims to be suffering from it, he is usually wrestling with some combination of three common problems: procrastination, perfectionism, and fear. “Writer’s block” is a romanticized catch-all that distracts from these real issues.

Screenwriters can use a range of techniques to get over the hump, from setting a kitchen timer, to breaking work down into manageable chunks, to writing in an order that makes sense for the way you work.

They then take two quick listener questions before closing out the episode with this week’s One Cool Thing (TM).

It’s Tuesday! So head over to Panda Express and get yourself a celebratory meal to enjoy with episode 36 of Scriptnotes.

Podcast: Download

LINKS:

• Jajangmyeon, Craig’s Korean noodles
• George Lucas, Seven Spielberg, and Lawrence Kasdan’s Raiders Story Conference
• Old Jews Telling Jokes
• Charlie Seibel, Giving a Bull an Enema on OJTJ
• iScore
• INTRO: Simon & Simon theme
• OUTRO: Umbrellas by Fredo Viola

You can download the episode here: AAC | mp3.

UPDATE 5-9-12: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

On the 35th episode of Scriptnotes, John and Craig discuss the small, currently leaderless world of Walt Disney Studios, along with its challenges and opportunities.

With so many of Disney’s distribution slots taken up by DreamWorks, Marvel, Pixar and Bruckheimer, whoever gets the job of chief probably won’t be making many movies on his or her own. Yet the Disney brand is one of the only ones that still means something to ticket-buyers, so finding a way to make Disney movies feels like a priority.

A discussion of Gregory Poirier’s recent article on misguided cost-cutting segues to a letter from a veteran Hollywood screenwriter frustrated by just how bad studio development has gotten. That’s followed by more listener questions:

• What distinguishes a well-developed character from a flat one?

• How should a recent college graduate from Colorado go about starting a screenwriting career?

• Where do pitches come from?

• How long should it take for your agent to return your call?

John extols his favorite site for sheet music, while Craig gets nostalgic for his first real computer, the Franklin Ace 1000.

All this and more on Scriptnotes: A podcast about parking, and things that are interesting to parkers.

Podcast: Download

LINKS:

• John’s post on Gregory Poirier’s article
• Jason Robert Brown on copyright and fighting with teenagers
• Musicnotes version of Jar of Hearts
• Craig’s first computer, the Franklin Ace 1000
• INTRO: Wonderful World of Disney intro
• OUTRO: HardChord DynaMix – Jar of Creep

You can download the episode here: AAC | mp3.

UPDATE 5-4-12: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

Craig and John take a brief look at the misguided Girls backlash and complaints about nepotism in Hollywood, before segueing to a bigger discussion of spec scripts and positioning:

• What are “spec farms,” and how can you avoid them?

• What should you do if you and your reps/producers disagree about whether your script is ready to send out?

• Is it a good idea to post your script online?

• How should you introduce characters in an ensemble? How many is too many?

Todo esto y más en el 34° episodio de Scriptnotes.

Podcast: Download

LINKS:

• The Girls nepotism poster
• The Robotard 8000
• The Nissan Leaf
• Tesla’s Model S
• Intro: Spiderman y Sus Increibles Amigos opening
• Outro: Love is Real (Fred Falke Remix) by Theophilus London

You can download the episode here: AAC | mp3.

UPDATE 4-26-12: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

Craig and John just have to talk about the double-barrel craziness of the Joe Eszterhas/Mel Gibson spat. How often do you have screenwriters lobbing incendiary accusations at movie stars?

Well, pretty often, actually. But almost never so publicly. And the already-certifiable, formerly-A-list-ness of it all makes it especially gossip-worthy, so forgive us if we go on for a while.

That settled, we follow up on the Amazon Studios deal and what it means for screenwriters not currently in the WGA. One listener calls Craig an idiot, which leads to a discussion about what “professional screenwriting” even means.

John wants aspiring screenwriters to stop using the term “breaking in,” because it doesn’t accurately reflect the early stages of a writer’s career. Meanwhile, Craig takes umbrage at the idea of “trust fund screenwriters.”

We end with some questions and answers:

• What is a screenwriter’s quote, and how does it get determined?

• How do international screenwriters get U.S. visas?

• Can animation writers get WGA coverage?

All this and more in the new Scriptnotes.

Podcast: Download

LINKS:

• Joe Eszterhas’ letter to Mel Gibson
• Warner Bros. buys rights to Reddit creation Rome Sweet Rome
• John’s rusted car, 1990-1996
• Intro: Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle TV cartoon intro
• Outro: North Korean teens play “Take On Me”

You can download the episode here: AAC | mp3.

UPDATE 4-19-12: The transcript of this episode can be found here.