John and Craig take a look at ‘writer fingerprints.’ They break down how idiosyncratic choices make up an individual’s style on-the-page and offer advice on how to mimic someone else’s voice.
Follow up includes pet rock, a defense of script consultants, the preface page in Tár, and the anti-“actually” mindset.
In our bonus segment for premium members, we offer advice to a producer who needs help working with a writer who can’t seem to finish — or deliver — a script.
Links:
- Scriptnotes episodes with 2023 Oscar Nominees Sarah Polley, Rian Johnson, Daniels, Pamela Ribon
- Weekend Read Beta Try it out — now updated with all FYC scripts!
- Writing in another writer’s style on John’s blog with advice from Dara Resnick Creasey
- Algorithms were able to figure out that Robert Galbraith was JK Rowling
- Good Conversations Have Lots of Doorknobs by Adam Mastroianni
- The Case of The Golden Idol game
- Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!
- Check out the Inneresting Newsletter
- Gift a Scriptnotes Subscription or treat yourself to a premium subscription!
- Craig Mazin on Twitter
- John August on Twitter
- John on Instagram
- Outro by Luke Yoquinto, who discovered it in the score to Coming to America by Nile Rodgers (send us yours!)
- Scriptnotes is produced by Megana Rao and edited by Matthew Chilelli.
Email us at ask@johnaugust.com
You can download the episode here.
UPDATE 2-28-23 The transcript for this episode can now be found here.