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.
LINKS:
* [The Pomodoro Technique](http://www.pomodorotechnique.com/)
* Craig’s [Done Deal Pro forums post](http://messageboard.donedealpro.com/boards/showthread.php?t=65716&page=15) that prompted the question about “lingo”
* INTRO: [Skyhawks](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlOF1CG6vsk) intro (via Monte Ferraro)
* OUTRO: [Bach’s Prelude & Fugue No. 1 in C Major](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM6yMDB9wgE) by The Original Swingle Singers, 1963
You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_38.m4a).
**UPDATE** 5-24-12: The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2012/scriptnotes-ep-38-20-questions-with-john-and-craig-transcript).