Scriptnotes

Craig and John take a look at the difference between plot and story with some help from the Littlest Pet Shop and Game of Thrones.

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

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

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

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

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.

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?

Craig and John answer questions about specificity, television and what to do when your great idea sounds too much like a movie that’s already been made.

Craig and John take a look at Toph Eggers’s apology, which segues to a discussion of apologies in general and laugh tracks.

Craig and John offer advice on handling revisions once your screenplay moves into production. Get it right, and it should be smooth sailing. Get it wrong, and you have a frustrated crew and a lot of cleanup.

Craig and John tackle five listener questions on topics ranging from greedy managers and lazy agents to throwing in the towel.

John and Craig turn from the pen to the knife to talk through the whys and hows of cutting pages — both the cosmetic trims and the deep cuts.

Celebrating Leap Day, John and Craig play the game of “What If?” Specifically, what if we each were handed the reins of a major Hollywood studio?

This week, Craig and John get all Miss Manners to talk about best practices, bad behavior and throwing writers under the bus.

For their 25th podcast, John and Craig tackle listener questions. How does a screenwriter option a novel he wants to adapt? When can a writer say he “wrote” a movie — particularly if there are other credited writers? Finally, should an aspiring writer focus on television or features?

John and Craig reach into the listener mailbag and come up with questions about laying out lyrics, foreign dialogue, overall deals and title trademarks.

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.

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.

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

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.